Produtos farmacêuticos ameaçam bacias hidrográficas europeias

Abstract

The concern with the presence of pharmaceuticals and their potential impacts on aquatic ecosystems, associated with the lack of systematized information, due to legislative gaps, motivated this literature review. Published studies on pharmaceuticals’ detection and quantification in treated effluents from WWTPs and in watersheds, in Portugal, Spain, France and the United Kingdom were consulted. The transversality of

this problem was proved, reflected in the representativeness of the ther- apeutic groups. In WWTP effluents, anti-infectives for systemic use are

the most quantified group in Portugal, while in Spain for the musculo- skeletal system stand out, and for the gastrointestinal tract and metabo- lism in the United Kingdom. With regard to watersheds, differences were

also detected, with drugs for the musculoskeletal system dominating in Portugal, anti-infectives for systemic use in France and for the nervous system in the United Kingdom.