Abstract
The first systematic screening of human pharmaceuticals in drinking water in the Czech Republic selected five substances (naproxen, ibuprofen, diclofenac, carbamazepine and 17?-ethinylestradiol) with the highest probability of occurrence or with greatest public worry (hormone 17?-ethinylestradiol). The results proves that these substances might be found in water on consumer's tap only very exceptionally and in trace concentration - from more than 100 samples taken on the taps there were only 3 samples from 2 water supplies with any substance found above limit of quantification (LOQ): ibuprofen in 3 cases (0.5 to 2 ng/l), and carbamazepine once (4.0 ng/l).
In drinking water leaving 23 treatment plants using raw water from middle or lower reaches of rivers one to three substances were found above LOQ at 19 treatment plants.