Pharmaceuticals and their transformation products in environment and plants

Abstract

Antibacterial drugs, analgesics, anti-infective, contrast media, antiepileptics, anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, and hormones are transferred to the environment from hospital and agricultural effluents, pharmaceutical industrial waste, human and animal excrements from households and sewers. Residues of pharmaceuticals in water and soil cause damage to the ecosystem. Their transformation products could be equally or more toxic and persistent than parent compounds. Some metabolites save biological activity in the environmental objects, including antibacterial activity. The objective of this review is to describe the environmental occurrence, transformation, eco-toxicity, analytical practices, degradation, and removal strategies used to control and prevent environmental contamination by pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, coccidiostatic agents, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, beta-adrenomimetics, anthelmintics, hormones). Their determination in routine analysis through simple on-site devices and approaches is of great interest. Instrumental analysis is making progress in the advancement of qualitative and quantitative methods. Gas and liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry are commonly used because of their high specificity, simultaneous multicomponent determination opportunities, and low detection limits. Highly sensitive methods generally with accurate mass spectrometric detection are required. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry is an effective method. The use of green chemistry principles is preferred for both on-site and instrumental analysis, because fewer toxic reagents and solvents are required. The most promising approach for water treatment and manure detoxification is to merge chemical and biological strategies. Persistent pharmaceuticals will be most effectively eliminated by a combination of different treatment technologies.