High traces of caffeine, paracetamol found in Philippine beaches, watersheds

Filipino marine scientists found that even beaches in the country are getting a strong dose of caffeine.

In a recent study, scientists from the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) and the University at Buffalo in New York found high concentrations of caffeine and other drugs in watersheds and beaches including Boracay Island, Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park, Davao Gulf in Davao City, Macajalar Bay in Cagayan de Oro City, and Batangas’ Mabini municipality.

After examining samples of natural water and waste water in 2019, they found that caffeine was the most abundant drug in all the samples with Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol, coming in second. 

These samples were collected in the dry and wet seasons at both densely and sparsely populated locations such as beaches, coasts and diving sites, and also canals, wells and drainages. The caffeine levels were highest during the dry season, when there was an influx of tourists. In Boracay, the samples were collected twice, during its closure in 2018 and when it reopened to visitors.

“Sa Boracay, nagkaroon ng chance mag-sample noong closed season… ‘yun ‘yung parang point na sobrang konti ng tao, so mababa din ‘yung concentration ng mga contaminants nadetect namin,” said Shyrill Mariano, the lead author of the study and a UP MSI postgraduate student. “And noong nag-open season nang April 2019, tumaas ‘yung detections sa ibang sites.”

(We had a chance to take samples during Boracay’s closed season…That was the point when there were few people so the concentration of contaminants detected were low, and when they opened in April 2019, the detections rose in the sites.)

Caffeine naturally gets diluted in water, but its lifespan varies. Studies say it has a half-life of 100 to 240 days in sea water — meaning its amount would half within that time. In riverine water meanwhile, it has a half-life of only 1.5 days. 

Paracetamol on the other hand has a half-life of 16 to 26 hours in rivers. 

The study underscored the need for  more water treatment plants in tourist sites and areas near aquatic environments, as researchers were still able to detect high levels of caffeine despite its short lifespan because there was “continuous input of untreated discharge.”

Previous research says human bodies metabolize almost 100% of caffeine, so the source of those in the water could be the direct disposal of coffee, soda, tea and other caffeinated drinks. Mariano also suggests it came from untreated wastewater from households. 

“As of now, hindi pa talaga developed ‘yung wastewater process connections, so ‘yung kitchen sink, kapag nag-dispose ka diyan ng beverage, imbis napunta siya sa wastewater treatment,  pwede diretso sa kanal, and then ‘yung kanal diretso sa nearest river or malapit sa coastal area,” she says. 

(As of now, our wastewater process connections are not that developed, so if you dispose of beverages into kitchen sinks, instead of undergoing wastewater treatment, it could flow to canals connected to rivers or coastal areas.)

This means the problem isn’t the proximity of cafes or other sources of caffeinated drinks to coasts, but the lack of treatment facilities to remove the contaminants. 

There were also high concentrations of pharmaceuticals in agricultural sites in Davao Gulf and Macajalar Bay. Davao is known to be a local producer of coffee, so the researchers drew potential links to the production process. 

On the bright side, the study found that there were no significant levels of caffeine and paracetamol on treated wastewater, mainly from the hospitals that have wastewater treatment systems. The concentrations of caffeine and paracetamol were 50 to 100 times higher in untreated water than in treated water, the study said. 

“Na-ha-highlight (ng study) ‘yung urgency na kailangan mag-establish talaga ng wastewater treatment systems not only in Metro Manila but other key areas in the Philippines like tourist sites or ‘yung mga nagiging urbanized na regions,” says Mariano. 

(Our study highlights the urgent need to establish wastewater treatment systems not only in Metro Manila but other key areas in the Philippines like tourist sites or regions that are becoming highly urbanized)

Potential harms

High levels of caffeine could harm marine life. A 2022 study said caffeine at varying levels negatively impacts reproduction and development among marine organisms such as in some species of algae. It can even cause deaths such as the case of some species of marine worms and sea urchins. 

“The concentrations [the researchers] found are very very high,” says Dr. Rosa Freitas, from the University of Alveiro in Portugal and one of the authors of the 2022 study. “Water treatment should be implemented and improved.”

Exposure to paracetamol also causes harm to marine organisms such as mussels. A 2021 study found “major adverse changes” to the gonad tissues of blue mussels that were exposed to paracetamol-treated seawater for 24 days, which could pose a risk to the organism’s reproductive ability, and subsequently, its population’s survival. 

Some of the Philippine study’s sampling sites are rich in sea life. Mabini is known for its diving sites and is connected to the Verde Island Passage, known to be the center of the center of marine shore fish biodiversity. The Tubbataha Reefs is a world-renowned marine protected area, home to over 360 species of coral and 700 species of fish. However, the researchers categorized it as the “least impacted” site due to its minimal contact with people. 

There are limited studies on how pharmaceutical contaminants interact with other external forces that harm sea life, but some studies suggest that rising temperatures caused by climate change in combination with pollutants like caffeine could amplify the drugs’ effects on certain organisms. 

Meanwhile, studies about the effects of drug-treated water on humans are still limited, but researchers warn against complacency. 

“Kahit hindi pa natin alam ang lahat ng effects niya sa general aquatic flora and fauna, it’s enough na data set to say na kailangan talagang damihan ang wastewater treatment plants,” says Dr. Caroline Jaraula, Assistant Professor and co-author of the UP MSI study. 

(Even if we do not yet know all of the effects of the drugs on general aquatic flora and fauna, it’s enough of a data set to say that we need to increase the number of wastewater treatment plants)

Taking steps

Water management in sampling sites have announced commitments to improve wastewater treatment and to build new plants. Boracay Water announced in March it is upgrading its sewage treatment plants and that it has allotted P108 million to provide free sewer connections to 1,860 households to ensure that their wastewater will be treated before they are discharged to water bodies. 

Davao City’s septage management program promises regular collection and maintenance of septic tanks in five collection areas every five years, and proper treatment of septage and disposal of waste. Cagayan De Oro’s septage management program aims to build a 200-cubic meter treatment plant in Barangay Balulang which will be connected to residential areas and business establishments to desludge their septic tanks every five years. 

In 2022, the Department of Science and Technology also said it built a “Modular Ecology-Friendly Domestic Wastewater Treatment System” in Mabini to help clean its waters. 

Apart from building plants, Jaraula also emphasizes the importance of preserving our natural ecosystems such as wetlands, mangroves and seagrasses that contribute to filtering our water bodies. 

She urged: “These natural wastewater treatment areas, hindi sana sila madestroy, madamage. Alagaan natin sila kasi inaalagaan nila tayo.”

(Let us not destroy or damage these natural wastewater treatment areas. Let us care for them, because they care for us

— LA, GMA Integrated News