Water temperature affects the biotransformation and accumulation of a psychoactive pharmaceutical and its metabolite in aquatic organisms

Pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) have been shown to accumulate in aquatic and riparian food-webs. Yet, our understanding of how temperature, a key environmental factor nature, affects uptake, biotransformation, the subsequent accumulation PhACs organisms is limited. In this study, we tested what extent bioconcentration an anxiolytic drugs (temazepam oxazepam) affected by two temperature regimes (10 20 °C) temazepam biotransformation its metabolite (oxazepam) organisms. We used European perch (Perca fluviatilis) dragonfly larvae (Sympetrum sp.), which represent predator prey species high ecological relevance food chains boreal temperate ecosystems. Experimental were exposed target pharmaceuticals at range concentrations (0.2–6 µg L?1) study concentration dependent differences biotransformation. found that was significantly reduced higher temperatures. Also, had strong effect on fish, with production being two-fold °C compared 10 °C. contrast, no dependency for detectable parent compound would result measurable oxazepam organism. Our results highlight while may share same ecosystem, their exposure change differently across gradients environment.