Pharmaceutical contamination, as a research topic, concerns the presence and behavior of active pharmaceutical ingredients, metabolites, and excipients in environmental or biological matrices where they are unintended. It encompasses sources such as human and veterinary excretion, improper disposal, manufacturing discharges, and hospital effluents, and addresses fate processes including sorption, transformation, and bioaccumulation. Studies focus on occurrence at trace to ultra-trace concentrations, mixture effects, and modes of action that may induce ecotoxicological or sublethal impacts, including endocrine disruption and antimicrobial resistance selection. The topic also covers analytical detection methods, environmental risk assessment frameworks, and mitigation strategies like advanced wastewater treatment and source-control policies.
Urban water bodies—rivers, lakes and oceans—are in trouble globally. Large sewage volumes damage the open environment, and new chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds don't break down on their own. When they are released ...
Environment
Jul 7, 2025
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An international study by Michigan State University and partner researchers has uncovered a hidden danger lurking in animal farms around the world: Livestock manure is packed with antibiotic resistance genes that could threaten ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 30, 2025
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Antibiotics are one of the greatest triumphs in the history of medical science—but these lifesaving tools have a dark side. Their persistent use can produce "superbugs"—drug-resistant microbes that pose a danger to humans, ...
Biotechnology
Jun 27, 2025
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You probably know the feeling. It's been a few days since you last washed your hair, and it feels greasy, heavy, and tangled. You hop in the shower and apply a generous amount of shampoo to your hair.
Environment
Jun 26, 2025
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To treat bacterial infections, medical professionals prescribe antibiotics. But not all active medicine gets used up by the body. Some of it ends up in wastewater, where antimicrobial-resistant bacteria can develop.
Cell & Microbiology
Jun 11, 2025
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Microalgae of the species Monoraphidium contortum have the ability to remove antibiotic residues from water, especially sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim. This reduces the risk of environmental contamination, avoiding serious ...
Environment
May 19, 2025
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Millions of kilometers of rivers around the world are carrying antibiotic pollution at levels high enough to promote drug resistance and harm aquatic life, a McGill University-led study warns.
Environment
May 11, 2025
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University of South Australia scientists have developed a highly sensitive method to detect illegal opioids and a veterinary sedative in Australia's wastewater system, providing a vital early warning tool to public health ...
Environment
Apr 28, 2025
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Human consumption of antibiotics increased by 65% between 2000 and 2015. These drugs are not completely metabolized while passing through the body, nor completely destroyed or removed by most wastewater treatment facilities.
Environment
Apr 22, 2025
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Increases in the production and use of pharmaceutical drugs–like antibiotics, antidepressants and pain relievers–are contributing to the contamination of Canada's freshwater resources. It's not just an environmental issue, ...
Environment
Apr 17, 2025
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