Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Prevalence, Toxicity, and Remedial Approaches

摘要

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) are syntheticcompounds widely used as consumer items such as cosmetics and therapeutic drugs acrossthe globe. The inappropriate disposal of PPCPs in the environment has raised seriousconcerns regarding their potential adverse impacts on human and animal health. Hence, thepresent study aims to delve into the environmental contamination of numerous PPCPs andtheir detrimental impacts on biota and climate change. Mining of data published in therelevant literature has revealed that active ingredients of PPCPs and their metabolitesgenerally invade the ecosystem via multiple sources. Varying concentrations of thesecontaminants are reported in surface water, groundwater, and wastewater treatment plants.The majority of PPCPs pose acute and chronic toxicity to living organisms. They adverselyaffect the structure and function of the algal community along with the feeding, mating,metabolic activities, and reproductive behavior of invertebrates, fishes, and higher vertebrates,including humans. The occurrence of antibiotic resistance in bacterial populations as aresponse to PPCP contamination is another health concern. In addition, targetingmitochondrial respiratory proteins and cytochrome enzymes by PPCPs might contribute to the onset of multiple physiologicalailments. Studies have deciphered the connection between PPCP contamination and methanogenesis, which could potentiallyimpact climate change. Several degradation methods have been used for the removal of PPCPs. However, none of them completelyremove the PPCPs from samples. Therefore, developing more advanced eco-friendly approaches is warranted for better treatment ofPPCPs in water media. In addition, further investigations are required for the risk assessment of several PPCPs that have not yetbeen investigated.