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Pharmaceutical Pollution in Aquatic Environments: A Concise Review of Environmental Impacts and Bioremediation Systems

Summary

Medications we take for health are ending up in our water supplies in significant amounts because standard water treatment plants cannot remove them effectively. These pharmaceutical residues are harming wildlife and aquatic ecosystems, causing problems like population declines in birds, developmental issues in fish, and the spread of antibiotic resistance. Scientists are developing new bioremediation technologies, particularly using fungi and mycoremediation, to better remove these drugs from wastewater before they reach our water bodies.

Background

Pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs) are emerging contaminants found increasingly in aquatic environments due to global medication use and ineffective removal by conventional wastewater treatment systems. These compounds persist in water bodies including surface water, groundwater, and marine environments, posing significant environmental and human health concerns. The recalcitrance of pharmaceuticals in traditional treatment systems necessitates development of alternative remediation approaches.

Objective

This review comprehensively presents pharmaceuticals commonly detected in water bodies, their adverse environmental effects, and advances in bioremediation technologies for pharmaceutical removal. The focus is on analyzing bioremediation systems, particularly mycoremediation and fungal technologies, as add-on treatments for wastewater treatment plants to mitigate pharmaceutical pollution.

Results

NSAIDs, antibiotics, endocrine disruptors, antiretrovirals, and anticancer drugs are commonly detected in water bodies globally with concentrations ranging from nanograms to micrograms per liter. These pharmaceuticals cause diverse ecological impacts including population declines in wildlife, reproductive dysfunction, development abnormalities, and antibiotic resistance development. Bioremediation systems, particularly fungal technologies and mycoremediation, show promise as effective add-on treatments for pharmaceutical removal.

Conclusion

Pharmaceutical pollution represents a growing global environmental challenge requiring comprehensive remediation strategies beyond conventional wastewater treatment. Mycoremediation and fungal-based technologies offer viable alternatives for removing pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater and aquatic environments. Continued research and development of these bioremediation systems are essential to mitigate the environmental and health impacts of pharmaceutical contamination.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 35558129, PMCID: PMC9087044
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