Title : Pharmaceutical contaminants in the environment: Risk assessment challenges and remediation approaches
Abstract:
Pharmaceuticals are essential for maintaining human health and have become an indispensable part of modern life. However, their widespread and often uncontrolled use has led to growing concerns about environmental contamination and potential risks to human health. In recent years, pharmaceutical compounds; including active ingredients, intermediates, and raw materials—have been increasingly recognized as emerging environmental pollutants. Their frequent detection in aquatic systems worldwide has drawn significant attention, as they represent a distinct class of organic contaminants. Despite this growing awareness, substantial knowledge gaps remain regarding the quantities of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites released into the environment, their active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), metabolic and transformation pathways, and their persistence or biodegradability. Pharmaceutical effluents can directly or indirectly affect human health, particularly in regions surrounding pharmaceutical manufacturing zones, where the likelihood of environmental contamination—especially of drinking water sources is elevated. Recent epidemiological evidence has indicated a possible association between paracetamol exposure and an increased risk of neurological disorders, highlighting the urgency of monitoring and managing rising pharmaceutical concentrations in environmental effluents. Conventional wastewater treatment processes are largely ineffective at removing APIs and their metabolites from aquatic environments, while advanced treatment technologies are often constrained by high energy demands, operational costs, and limited efficiency. Consequently, there is a critical need to explore and implement effective bioremediation strategies for environmental cleanup. Furthermore, transitioning toward the development and use of more biodegradable pharmaceutical compounds is essential to achieving the long-term goals of sustainable pharmacy and environmental protection.
Keywords: Pharmaceuticals, Contaminants, Environment, Paracetamol, APIs, Bioremediation, Sustainable Pharmacy, Biodegradation.
