DESMOND OSARUMWENSE IYAMU

Paracetamol is a widely used for relieving pain and reducing fever worldwide as a non-prescription drug. It is one of the most pharmaceutical products often detected in sewage treatment plant effluents, surface water, and drinking water, so it has emerged as an imperative aquatic environmental pollutant, originating from pharmaceutical industries and human use. The experiment was carried out at the University of Benin's forensic ecotoxicology lab. This research employed column chromatography methods to extract and analyze paracetamol, from the surface water of the Ogba River in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, as well as the river's physicochemical parameters. Paracetamol was detected in water as having a concentration with mean values of 0.17555ug/ml,0.8056ug/ml, and 0.46776 ug/ml for Stations 1, 2, and 3 respectively. In sediments, Paracetamol was detected in concentration with mean values of 0.357995 ug/ml, 0.7553 ug/ml, and 1.9228 ug/ml for Stations 1, 2, and 3 respectively. The result of the water sample from the three stations sampled were observed to be high in the concentration of iron, with a mean value exceeding the WHO limit set for drinking water quality. Reduction of human exposure to pharmaceuticals through drinking-water can be achieved through a combination of preventive measures, such as regulations, public guidance and consumer education to encourage the proper disposal of unwanted pharmaceuticals and minimize the introduction of pharmaceuticals into the environment.