Need of Designing Model for Screening of PPCPs (Ecopharmacology) and Therapeutic Drugs (Pharmacoenvironmentology) in Aquatic and Terrestrial Environment

ABSTRACT

Man consumes drug for various medical and non-medical reasons. There are innumerable incidents where these medicines played havoc on humankind. If they are boon to man, they are also afflicting diseases. But, what about human drugs when they have an effect on environment? There has been growing concern among scientists and environmentalists about the vast amount of drugs that end up in the environment one way or another. Adverse consequences of drugs may influence socio-economic environment. Low levels of human medicines (pharmaceuticals) have been detected in many countries in sewage treatment plant (STP) effluents, surface waters, seawaters, groundwater and some drinking waters. For some pharmaceuticals effects on aquatic organisms have been investigated in acute toxicity assays but the chronic toxicity and potential subtle effects are only marginally known.