engleski

Pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment

Pharmaceutical residues are present in aquatic environments such as lakes and rivers, groundwater, and even drinking water. Even low concentrations of pharmaceuticals may have significant biological effect in chronically exposed nontarget organisms. What makes pharmaceuticals different is their biological effects at low doses and resistance to inactivation before exerting their effects in organism. Those characteristics are responsible for their bioaccumulation and toxic effects in aquatic environments. Hospitals discharge pharmaceutical residues, chemical substances, pathogens and radioisotopes in hospital wastewater, thus representing a chemical and biological risk for public and environmental health. Many of these compounds are often not eliminated during waste water treatment and also not biodegraded in the environment. In that way they can end up in surface waters and even interfere with the food chain. Therefore, the improvement of cleansing systems is a major need, along with the increase of green pharmacy practices. On the other hand, some industrial countries have their methods of treatment for fluents, but none have a pharmaceutical residue and pathogen limitation before discharge in water. Some of the steps that can be taken are reducing the consumption of drugs, substitution with more ecocompatible compounds, and appropriate disposal of unwanted drugs.

pharmaceutical residues ; aquatic environment ; biological effects

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