Spatial occurrence and distribution of micropollutants (pharmaceuticals and personal care products) in the eThekwini catchment, South Africa

, respectively. Except for acetaminophen, desvenlafaxine, carbamazepine-10,11-epoxide, nicotine, caffeine, and 1,7-dimethylxanthine in one or two treatment plants, the majority of the PPCPs in the effluent showed an insignificant to medium aquatic risk (this level of risk is similar for the studied surface water), based on an ecotoxicological risk assessment. Given that these PPCPs are present as complex mixtures with diverse physicochemical properties and varying capacities to influence a range of molecular and cellular processes in organisms, a better understanding of their ecological risk is needed to promote environmental health.