Abstract

In this paper, the toxicology of pharmaceutical contaminants in the freshwater is discussed and more precisely the impact of different pharmaceutical substances on aquatic organisms and the health of the ecosystem. Pharmaceuticals have become a developing environmental threat commonly released in the freshwater systems through wastewater, agricultural effluents and not properly disposed. Even the low doses of the pharmaceuticals like antibiotics, antidepressants and hormones can affect the stability of the aquatic ecosystems by altering the species composition, reproductive behaviors and ecosystem stability. The paper has been carried out in elaborated way, bioassays, chemical analysis (including HPLC-MS) and ecological modeling have been used to assess the impacts of pharmaceutical contamination. The recent data received research information were integrated with the new findings on the levels of the pharmaceuticals in the rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Survival, behavior and production were measured using individual and mixed species bioassays. There is some early evidence that drugs actually contaminated by pharmaceutical products, in particular, antibiotics and antidepressants, lead to drastic changes regarding breeding rate and behavioral structure of aquatic life. These compounds were reported to have toxicological risks in Zebrafish and Daphnia magna where the levels of ibuprofen concentration led to a decrease in activity and reproductive success. The findings indicate that pharmaceutical contamination has severe effects on aquatic life as a massive threat to biodiversity and the environment. The research article identifies the necessity of the further studies of the long-term effects of pharmaceutical combinations and the development of sustainable and efficient wastewater treatment systems. The regulatory policies will be crucial in reducing the impact of the pharmaceutical pollutants on the environment and protecting the freshwater ecosystems.

Keywords: Aquatic toxicology, Pharmaceuticals, Freshwater systems, Ecological impact, Environmental pollution