Publication details
DRUGS IN THE ENVIRONMENT
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Drugs of different chemical structures are becoming increasingly important potential environmental contaminants as pharmacotherapeutic options develop. Their effects on microorganisms, plants and animals are still being discovered and described. Drugs have been present in nature since they were first prepared synthetically. One of the first synthetic drugs is Acetylsalicylic acid (patent, Bayern, 1899). Its high consumption for treatment may have caused that as early as 1977 Acetylsalicylic acid was detected on the effluent of a sewage treatment plant (Missouri River), in an amount of 8.64 (0.55-28.69) kg over a 10-month period1 . Paracetamol has also been detected in the environment and is readily accumulated worldwide (concentrations in the units or tens of ng/l). Bacteria have already been described in the literature that are able to use Paracetamol as a carbon and energy source due to specialized systems and metabolic pathways2 . In contrast, studies3 have found that snakes die after consuming Paracetamol. World consumption of Diclofenac exceeds 2,400 tonnes per year. A study4 described renal and gastrointestinal disturbances in vertebrates. The authors5 described the extinction of up to 95% of the African vulture population after consumption of Diclofenac-treated livestock. Thanks to state-of-the-art instrumental methods, we can detect and quantify even ultra-low concentrations of pharmaceutical substances in the environment and study the influence of different chemical structures on environmental constituents. By setting up the right pharmaceutical management, we can then ensure a reduction in contamination and potential changes in a wide range of pharmaceuticals that we use in the context of our lifestyle. |