A SHORT REVIEW ON OCCURRENCE OF PHARMACEUTICAL PRODUCTS IN DRINKING WATER

The presence of various types of pharmaceutical substances and organic pollutants in significant amounts and in traces were reported by many researchers globally. India in the past few decades has grown as one of the top five large scale producers of low-cost pharmaceutical products. More than 50% of revenue generated by Indian large scale and small-scale industries is through exports to developed countries like the United States of America. These pharmaceutical companies dispose of complex and non-biodegradable wastes into the environment, especially water resources which are either untreated or partially treated, therefore contaminating the aquatic ecosystem. These pharmaceutical products reach the ground and surface water easily through various routes such as waste water treatment plants (WTPs), pharmaceutical industries, hospital services, and through human and animal excreta and due to improper disposal of unused and expired medications. Regulatory bodies should frequently monitor the impact of these pharmaceutical products and micro pollutants on human health and aquatic ecosystems. Laws should be enforced for disposal of pharmaceutical and personal care products to prevent contamination of water bodies by employing advanced analytical detection methods like gas and liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS and LC-MS) to determine very low concentrations of pharmaceuticals in ng/L level. Drugs like Atenolol (β-blocker) and Amoxicillin (penicillin antibiotic) are excreted as such unmetabolized were detected in wastewater influent in study conducted in the UK. There is no or limited data in assessing the potential harm and health risks from exposure to these pharmaceutical products in water. No standardised protocol was laid to determine these pharmaceutical pollutants analytically. This present review is aimed in focusing on the pharmaceutical pollution of different water bodies by pharmaceutical products and their metabolites and highlights the importance of strict enforcement of laws governing prevention and removal of these pharmaceutical wastes based on previously published works.

Keywords: Pharmaceutical products, organic pollutants, wastewater treatment plants (WTPs), water resources and drinking water.