Sources and Occurrence of Pharmaceuticals Residue in the Aquatic Environment

Abstract

Large amounts of pharmaceutical items are wasted or are not utilized effectively for a variety of reasons, and as a result, they wind up in the water and have an adverse effect on aquatic ecosystems, and ultimately destroy biodiversity in aquatic life. All these actions directly affect the human�s life. There are several types of pharmaceutical wastes, and their inappropriate disposal in the environment has hazardous effects on humans, animals, as well as on the ecosystem. Pharmaceutical waste enters into the environment via several routes and gets mixed into the soil and water system which affects aquatic life. There are several methods for the disposal of pharmaceutical waste into the environment which can lessen the damage produced by this pharmaceutical waste to the ecosystem. The present chapter emphasizes on the disposal of pharmaceutical waste, veterinary medicines, nuclear medicine waste; biodegradation; and the disposal of antibiotics and their effect on microorganisms in the aquatic environment. � 2024 selection and editorial matter, Vinod Kumar Garg, Ashok Pandey, Navish Kataria, and Caterina Faggio; individual chapters, the contributors.