Analysis of Emerging Contaminants in Urban Groundwater in Abuja: Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products

This study analyses the occurrence, spatial distribution, and potential ecological and health significance of pharmaceutical compounds and personal care product residues as emerging groundwater contaminants in the urban groundwater of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. Emerging contaminants including antibiotics, analgesics, hormones, and personal care product chemicals are increasingly detected in groundwater systems globally, but their occurrence in Nigerian urban groundwater is entirely uncharacterised, representing a critical evidence gap for water safety governance. Groundwater samples were collected from twenty-two boreholes serving residential and mixed-use areas across six Abuja districts, using precleaned stainless steel bailers and trace-analyte-clean sample containers. An expanded suite of 32 pharmaceutical compounds and 12 personal care product chemicals was analysed by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Risk quotient analysis compared measured environmental concentrations against predicted no-effect concentrations for aquatic toxicity and human health. Results confirm the presence of measurable concentrations of antibiotics including sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ciprofloxacin in 78 percent of sampled boreholes, with concentrations above minimum inhibitory concentrations for selected bacteria at five boreholes. Ibuprofen and paracetamol are the most frequently detected pharmaceuticals overall. Endocrine-disrupting personal care chemicals including triclosan and methylparaben are detected in 45 percent of samples. Risk quotient analysis identifies antibiotic concentrations as the highest ecological concern category. The study raises significant concerns about antibiotic resistance promotion in the urban groundwater microbiome. Keywords: emerging contaminants, pharmaceuticals, groundwater quality, Abuja, antibiotic resistance.