Ecotoxicological Studies of Pharmaceuticals in Aquatic Organisms

Pharmaceuticals are widely used in human and veterinary medicine as well as agriculture and aquaculture to heal and save lives since they have been designed to interact specifically with biochemical mechanisms in higher vertebrate species at low concentrations. However, adverse effects on nontarget species may be possible despite the generally low toxicity of these compounds in mammalian species and the low levels found in the environment. The level of damage induced on aquatic organisms depends on the concentration to which they are exposed, the biological activity and toxicity of the pharmaceutical, its history of use, and its persistence in the environment. Studies on the ecotoxicity of pharmaceuticals are limited in number and are based primarily on acute toxicity studies and a few results about chronic effects on aquatic species. This chapter seeks to conduct an up-to-date review of published reports dealing with ecotoxicological studies of pharmaceuticals in aquatic organisms.