Pharmaceuticals in the Aquatic Environment.

Abstract

Drugs for human and veterinary use have been widely used in the modern world and are considered contaminants of emerging concern in the aquatic environment. Due to the physico-chemical properties of these compounds, they can be considered as resistant to the natural degradation and to the conventional treatment of effluents, and therefore, persistent in the environment. Once dispersed in the environment, little is known about the acute and/or chronic effects of these substances and their active metabolites in the biota. To date, there is no regulation that establishes specific limits for the concentration of drugs in the environment, and studies on their presence and dynamics in the environment are still very limited, and in Brazil they are practically non-existent.Drugs and their active metabolites are released into the aquatic environment continuously. Residues can accumulate in the sediment, undergo degradation in the environment, bioaccumulate in aquatic species, accumulate in the fauna, as well as be transported by water. Moreover, the presence of antimicrobials in the environment can impact terrestrial and aquatic organisms and lead to the development of resistant bacteria.The objective of this project is to get an overview of the presence of drugs in the aquatic environment in the Metropolitan region of Campinas, SP. For this purpose, (i) a methodology will be developed to prioritize human and veterinary drugs to be monitored in the aquatic environment based on data on consumption, sales, metabolism and excretion, physical chemical properties, ecotoxicity and removal rates in treatment plants of effluents; (ii) residues of the prioritized drugs will be monitored in the Unicamp Hospital effluent and in an effluent treatment plant by analytical methods developed and validated for this purpose; (iii) evaluation of the use of drugs in fisheries by evaluation of the presence in water and fish and whether the presence of these may cause adverse effects to human health by fish ingestion (exposure assessment).The results to be obtained should provide an overview of the presence of human and veterinary drug residues in source waters and their removal at effluent treatment plants, as well as provide a discussion within the scientific community and government bodies to implement policies for ensure human health and minimize environmental impact. (AU)