Environmental Pharmacology – An Overview

Abstract

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/57473 . IntroductionPharmacology is the science that studies the physiological and biological effects of exogenous substances which are not part of the internal milieu of a living organism whether natural or synthetic termed xenobiotics drugs, chemicals on the cells, tissues, or organs of the organisms. There are many specialized areas of pharmacology and these include clinical pharmacology which deals with the application of pharmacological principles and methods in the medical clinic with the focus on patient care and outcomes, neuro-pharmacology which deals with effects of medication on central and peripheral nervous system function, psychopharmacology which observes the effect of medication on the changed behaviours of the mind and body and how molecular events are manifested in a measurable behaviourable form. Other areas are pharmacodynamics the chemical effect on the body, pharmacogenetics the genetic variation that gives rise to differing response to drug, and the related area of pharmacogenomics, which is the application of genome technologies and the influence of the whole human genome on drug response, toxicology which studies the harmful effect of drugs or chemicals and their molecular targets and characterization, pharmacognosy the study of medicinal substances of biological origin, pharmacokinetics that deals with the effect of the body on chemical half life and lastly environmental pharmacology which can be defined as the effect of pharmaceuticals and house care products on the environment and the ecosystem HallingSorensen et al . Environmental pharmacology is a relatively new and emerging specialty of pharmacology. It involves the study of gene-environment interaction, drug-environment interaction and toxin-environment interaction. It is important to emphasize at this stage that the different terms used interchangeable with environmental pharmacology include ecopharmacology, and pharmacoenvironmentology, ecotoxicology. However, a close similarity exists between environmental pharmacology and ecotoxicology. Environmental pharmacology entails the study of environmental science, medicine, ecology, genetics and chemistry.

White Rot Fungi as Tools for the Bioremediation of Xenobiotics: A Review

“…Among the PhACs are analgesics, antibiotics, anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, steroids, hormones and X-ray contrast media. The principal routes through which PhACs are released into the environment are patient excretion, direct release into the wastewater system from hospitals, disposal through toilets and sinks and the irrigation of soils with untreated wastewater [ 214 ]. Such compounds are not totally eliminated in the conventional wastewater treatment, and residual concentrations are discharged into superficial and ground water [ 215 ].…”

Diclofenac Sensitivity to Vultures’ Death and Environmental Pharmacology

“…"ecogeneology", "ecopharmacology", and "ecotoxicology", respectively. 1 "Ecopharmacology" (ecosystem + pharmacology) as a broader term encompasses the entry of both "pharmaceutics and personal care products (PPCPs)" as well as "industrial and chemical pollutants (IACPs)" into the environment by any route and at any concentration disturbing the balance of ecology (ecosystem). This impact of PPCPs and IACPs on environment cannot be a part of pharmacovigilance activity by virtue of its definition.…”