THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM OF CONTAMINATION OF WATER RESOURCES BY PHARMACEUTICALS

Abstract

Degradation of water resources and the scarcity of drinking water are a matter of growing concern worldwide, mainly due to the presence of emerging contaminants (EC) such as pharmaceuticals. The aim of the present study was to obtain information through published studies on the presence of drugs in environmental matrices and their effects on the aquatic environment, as well as on aquatic organisms and exposed humans. There was an increase in the number of researches, both those focused on the contamination of water resources by pharmaceuticals, and those focused on their effects on living beings. It has been observed that the pharmaceuticals studied (diclofenac, ibuprofen and paracetamol) can be found in several environmental matrices and may cause ecotoxicological effects on several non-target organisms such as algae, molluscs, fish and aquatic plants. For the pollutants studied, there is no legislation associated with their presence in environmental matrices, however the European Union (EU) has already inserted diclofenac in the list of contaminants that should be monitored. The environmental problem of contamination of water resources by pharmaceuticals involves major challenges, among them the search for measures aimed at preventing possible impacts on the environment and human health.