Common medications, as well as illegal drugs, released into the environment can damage ecosystems and interfere with the growth and behaviour of animals and plants. The medicines that make us well are having untold impacts on nature, says a news piece from the Natural History Museum.

After entering the water through sewage systems, rainwater runoff and factory discharges, compounds including antidepressants, painkillers and antibiotics have been found to be exceeding safe limits in bodies of water around the world. At these levels, the pharmaceuticals can have a significant impact on the health of organisms and ecosystems, causing behavioural change, hormone disruption and toxicity.

Alejandra Bouzas-Monroy is the lead author of a new study investigating pharmaceutical water pollution. The PhD student says, ‘This is the first truly global assessment of the impacts of single pharmaceuticals and mixtures of pharmaceuticals in riverine systems.’

‘While we were expecting to find some sites where concentrations of pharmaceuticals may be of concern, we were a little surprised at the number of sites where concentrations exceeded safe values. Our findings show that a very high proportion of rivers around the world are at threat from pharmaceutical pollution. We should therefore be doing much more to reduce the emissions of these substances into the environment.’

While the study investigated 61 compounds, known as active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), there are more than 1900 which are used in human and veterinary medicine. The study concludes that more research is needed to truly understand the effect that these compounds are having on the health of our ecosystems, as well as our own health.

During their production, use, and disposal, pharmaceutical ingredients in prescription and over-the-counter drugs are released into the environment, especially in surface waters. Results from a recent study published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry indicate that pharmaceutical pollution is a global problem that is likely negatively affecting the health of the world’s rivers.

The news piece covered in PhysOrg states that approximately 43.5% of the 1,052 locations that were assessed in the study across 104 countries had concerning concentrations of pharmaceutical ingredients. Twenty-three pharmaceutical ingredients occurred at concentrations exceeding ‘safe’ concentrations, including substances from the antidepressant, antimicrobial, antihistamine, benzodiazepine, painkiller, and other classes.

The journal article, entitled ‘Assessment of the Potential Ecotoxicological Effects of Pharmaceuticals in the World’s Rivers’ can be read here.