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Sources of Pharmaceuticals in Water

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Interaction and Fate of Pharmaceuticals in Soil-Crop Systems

Part of the book series: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry ((HEC,volume 103))

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the increasing environmental apprehensions and persistence of numerous organic contaminants so-called emerging contaminants (ECs), including biologically active elements from pharmaceutical source industries. Several types of diverse pharmaceutical-related compounds are being detected in environmental matrices and wastewater treatment units. Owing to this broader occurrence, transformation, and detection of pharmaceutical-related compounds in water matrices, people and legislative authorities are now more concerned about potential sources and ecological consequences of ECs. This is mainly because the free movement of ECs in water matrices is posing noteworthy adverse effects on human, aquatic animals, and naturally occurring plants, even at minimal concentrations. So far, several detection and treatment processes have been proposed and exploited against numerous pharmaceutical-related ECs. The useful and side effects of pharmaceutical-related compounds have been extensively inspected. Owing to this substantial research gap, the sources and environmental persistence of pharmaceutical-related ECs and their direct/indirect adverse effects have now been the topic of intensive studies. From the surface water perspective, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are the major source of pharmaceutical-related ECs. The current chapter spotlights the widespread occurrence, numerous sources, and transportation fate of pharmaceutical-related ECs in water matrices.

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Acknowledgments

The work is a part of the project entitled “Contaminantes emergentes y priori-tarios en las aguas reutilizadas en agricultura: riesgos y efectos en suelos, produc-ción agrícola y entorno ambiental” funded by CSIC-Tecnologico de Monterrey under iLink program. All listed authors are also grateful to their representative universities/institutes for providing literature facilities.

Conflict of Interest

Authors declare no conflict of interests in any capacity, including competing or financial.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Sciences, Monterrey, NL, Mexico

    Roberto Parra-Saldivar, Carlos Castillo-Zacarías & Hafiz M. N. Iqbal

  2. School of Life Science and Food Engineering, Huaiyin Institute of Technology, Huaian, China

    Muhammad Bilal

  3. Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, IDAEA-CSIC, Barcelona, Spain

    Damiá Barceló

  4. Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Girona, Spain

    Damiá Barceló

  5. College of Environmental and Resources Sciences, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou, China

    Damiá Barceló

Authors
  1. Roberto Parra-Saldivar
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  2. Carlos Castillo-Zacarías
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  3. Muhammad Bilal
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  4. Hafiz M. N. Iqbal
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  5. Damiá Barceló
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hafiz M. N. Iqbal .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental and Food Chemistry (ENFOCHEM), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain

    Sandra Pérez Solsona

  2. Department of Environmental and Food Chemistry (ENFOCHEM), Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain

    Nicola Montemurro

  3. University of Montpellier - IRD, Montpellier, France

    Serge Chiron

  4. Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA), Parc Científic i Tecnològic de la Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain

    Damià Barceló

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Parra-Saldivar, R., Castillo-Zacarías, C., Bilal, M., Iqbal, H.M.N., Barceló, D. (2020). Sources of Pharmaceuticals in Water. In: Pérez Solsona, S., Montemurro, N., Chiron, S., Barceló, D. (eds) Interaction and Fate of Pharmaceuticals in Soil-Crop Systems. The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, vol 103. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/698_2020_623

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