Relationship Between Physicochemical Parameters and Risk of Analgesics and Antibiotics of Effluents From Three Selected Hospitals in Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

This study is aimed at ascertaining the relationship between environmental risks of analgesics (acetaminophen, diclofenac, and ibuprofen), methylxanthine (caffeine), and antibiotics (amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, and metronidazole) and physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, salinity, total dissolved salts, and turbidity) of three replicates of untreated effluents from three hospitals (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology [KNUST] Hospital, Kumasi South Hospital [KSH], and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital [KATH]) within Kumasi, Ghana. The samples were filtered, extracted by solid phase, and analyzed by PerkinElmer Flexar HPLC. Samples showed ambient temperature, around neutral pH, and high electrical conductivity, salinity, total dissolved salts, and turbidity. Acetaminophen and diclofenac were detected at concentrations of 40.00-44.00 and 77.00-553.00 <i>μ</i>g/L, respectively, in KNUST samples. Acetaminophen (266.00-510.00 <i>μ</i>g/L), caffeine (60.00-85.00 <i>μ</i>g/L), diclofenac (55.00-380.00 <i>μ</i>g/L), ciprofloxacin (44.00-45.00 <i>μ</i>g/L), and metronidazole (18.00-42.00 <i>μ</i>g/L) were detected in KSH samples. In KATH samples, acetaminophen and ciprofloxacin were found at concentrations of 29.00-114.00 and 74.00-232.00 <i>μ</i>g/L, respectively. Ibuprofen and amoxicillin in samples were below detection levels. A Pearson correlation showed an inverse relationship between temperature, pH, and acetaminophen; a direct relationship between turbidity and ciprofloxacin; and direct relationships between electrical conductivity, salinity, total dissolved salts, and acetaminophen. The last two parameters showed direct relationships with metronidazole but an inverse relationship with ciprofloxacin. The risk quotient for the detected pharmaceuticals showed low toxicity exposure (< 0.10) to algae, daphnids, and fish, except ciprofloxacin, which showed high toxicity exposure (> 1.00) to algae. The physicochemical properties of hospital effluents affect the concentrations and environmental risks of their constituents' analgesics and antibiotics.