Human and environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals: differences, similarities, lessons from toxicology

Abstract

The presence of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals in the environment has caused increasing concern due their effects on ecological receptors. Improving the risk assessment of these compounds necessitates a quantitative understanding of their metabolism and elimination in the target organism (toxicokinetics), particularly via the ubiquitous cytochrome P-450 (CYP) system and their mechanisms of toxicity (toxicodynamics). This review focuses on a number of pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines of environmental concern, and the differences and similarities between ecological and human risk assessment. CYP metabolism is discussed with particular reference to its ubiquity in species of ecological relevance. The important issue of pharmaceutical mixtures is discussed to assess how emerging technologies such as ecotoxicogenomics may assist in moving towards a more mechanism-based environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals.

A Study on the Degradation of Carbamazepine and Ibuprofen by TiO<sub>2</sub> & ZnO Photocatalysis upon UV/Visible-Light Irradiation

“…Its presence in effluents of wastewater treatment plants in Greece has been reported: 0.05 μg/L were quantified in the effluent of the plant of Heraklion [11] and respectively, average concentration of 12.5 μg/L in the influent and 1.5 μg/L in the effluent was detected at Ioannina [12]. IBP has been reported to have toxic impact on microbial communities [13] and to cause the suspension of growth of L. Minor plants up to 25% [14].…”

Pharmaceuticals in the environment: an educational perspective

“…allergenic effects, should not be underestimated. Drug mixtures (Dorne et al 2007b) can (not necessarily will) produce higher toxic effects than the additive contribution of the compounds, showing synergistic effects. The increment between additive approach and experimental toxicity can be estimated by a factor between three and ten times (Hernando et al 2005).…”

Regulatory approach on environmental risk assessment. Risk management recommendations, reasonable and prudent alternatives

“…However, little is known about their biological effects on aquatic environment. In a paper by Dorne et al (2007) on human pharmaceutical products of environmental concern it could be concluded that the drug substances, fluoxetine, ibuprofen, diclofenac, propanolol and metaprolol exhibit relatively high acute toxicity to aquatic species. In addition, due to the inherent properties of these chemicals, pharmacodynamic effects were observed in the heart rate of Daphnia magna for the beta-blockers propanolol and metaprolol.…”