Table 1 Various studies that report the notable occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environmental
matrices
Reference
Pharmaceuticals
Remarks/highlights
He et al.
[31]
Acetaminophen, salicylic acid,
salicylamide, ibuprofen, naproxen,
ketoprofen, clarithromycin, trimethoprim, roxithromycin, azithromycin, sulfamethoxazole, sulpiride, thiamphenicol,
atenolol, diphenhydramine, and
pirenzepine
Thirty-six pharmaceuticals, majority of
them were antibiotics and analgesics,
had high predicted environmental concentrations in influent. Nine pharmaceuticals in the effluent showed high
toxicity based on predicted environmental concentrations/predicted no
effect concentration ratio
Felis et al.
[41]
Aminoglycosides, β-lactams, glycopeptides, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides and trimethoprim,
tetracyclines
Occurrence and environmental implications of antimicrobial pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment
WWTPs are indeed the main source
responsible for the prevalence of these
factors in the aquatic environment
Nantaba
et al. [42]
Trimethoprim, azithromycin, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, ibuprofen,
sulfamethazine, enoxacin,
sulfacetamide, atenolol, oxytetracycline,
metoprolol, tetracycline, erythromycin,
roxithromycin, bezafibrate, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin,
sparfloxacin, metronidazole, diazepam,
acetaminophen, carbamazepine, and
fluoxetine
Occurrence of pharmaceutical residues
in Africa’s largest freshwater lake
Twenty-four pharmaceuticals were
detected in water from Lake Victoria,
Uganda
Su et al.
[43]
Caffeine, carbamazepine, azithromycin,
bezafibrate, metoprolol, sulfadiazine,
sulfamethoxazole, clarithromycin,
erythromycin, roxithromycin, and
trimethoprim
Spatiotemporal distribution of 27 pharmaceuticals in the Chaobai River
Agriculture area presented the highest
pharmaceutical concentrations
The acute toxic pressure in the river was
mainly driven by caffeine
Stroski
et al. [6]
Atenolol, carbamazepine, metoprolol,
naproxen, sulfapyridine, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim
Seven pharmaceuticals were detected in
Canadian Arctic wastewater
Abundances of pharmaceuticals varied
between communities and treatment
methods
Reis et al.
[44]
Phenazone, ibuprofen, ketoprofen,
phenylbutazone, betamethasone, ranitidine, loratadine, cimetidine,
clarithromycin, erythromycin, paroxetine, scopolamine, omeprazole,
trimetroprim, atenolol, fenofibrate, gemfibrozil, atorvastatin, fluconazole, prednisone, metformin, amoxicillin,
ampicillin, caffeine, and enoxacin
Trace levels of pharmaceuticals were
detected in superficial and drinking
water
Conventional drinking water treatment
plants were not able to remove the
pharmaceuticals completely
Drier periods were related to the highest
concentration of the pharmaceuticals
Drinking water treatment plants’
removal efficiency shows a great variation over the year
Greenham
et al. [45]
Acetaminophen, caffeine, atorvastatin,
lorazepam, cotinine, metformin,
Twelve of top-used pharmaceuticals
and 2 metabolites were assessed
(continued)
40
R. Parra-Saldivar et al.
matrices
Reference
Pharmaceuticals
Remarks/highlights
He et al.
[31]
Acetaminophen, salicylic acid,
salicylamide, ibuprofen, naproxen,
ketoprofen, clarithromycin, trimethoprim, roxithromycin, azithromycin, sulfamethoxazole, sulpiride, thiamphenicol,
atenolol, diphenhydramine, and
pirenzepine
Thirty-six pharmaceuticals, majority of
them were antibiotics and analgesics,
had high predicted environmental concentrations in influent. Nine pharmaceuticals in the effluent showed high
toxicity based on predicted environmental concentrations/predicted no
effect concentration ratio
Felis et al.
[41]
Aminoglycosides, β-lactams, glycopeptides, macrolides, fluoroquinolones, sulfonamides and trimethoprim,
tetracyclines
Occurrence and environmental implications of antimicrobial pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment
WWTPs are indeed the main source
responsible for the prevalence of these
factors in the aquatic environment
Nantaba
et al. [42]
Trimethoprim, azithromycin, sulfamethoxazole, diclofenac, ibuprofen,
sulfamethazine, enoxacin,
sulfacetamide, atenolol, oxytetracycline,
metoprolol, tetracycline, erythromycin,
roxithromycin, bezafibrate, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, norfloxacin,
sparfloxacin, metronidazole, diazepam,
acetaminophen, carbamazepine, and
fluoxetine
Occurrence of pharmaceutical residues
in Africa’s largest freshwater lake
Twenty-four pharmaceuticals were
detected in water from Lake Victoria,
Uganda
Su et al.
[43]
Caffeine, carbamazepine, azithromycin,
bezafibrate, metoprolol, sulfadiazine,
sulfamethoxazole, clarithromycin,
erythromycin, roxithromycin, and
trimethoprim
Spatiotemporal distribution of 27 pharmaceuticals in the Chaobai River
Agriculture area presented the highest
pharmaceutical concentrations
The acute toxic pressure in the river was
mainly driven by caffeine
Stroski
et al. [6]
Atenolol, carbamazepine, metoprolol,
naproxen, sulfapyridine, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim
Seven pharmaceuticals were detected in
Canadian Arctic wastewater
Abundances of pharmaceuticals varied
between communities and treatment
methods
Reis et al.
[44]
Phenazone, ibuprofen, ketoprofen,
phenylbutazone, betamethasone, ranitidine, loratadine, cimetidine,
clarithromycin, erythromycin, paroxetine, scopolamine, omeprazole,
trimetroprim, atenolol, fenofibrate, gemfibrozil, atorvastatin, fluconazole, prednisone, metformin, amoxicillin,
ampicillin, caffeine, and enoxacin
Trace levels of pharmaceuticals were
detected in superficial and drinking
water
Conventional drinking water treatment
plants were not able to remove the
pharmaceuticals completely
Drier periods were related to the highest
concentration of the pharmaceuticals
Drinking water treatment plants’
removal efficiency shows a great variation over the year
Greenham
et al. [45]
Acetaminophen, caffeine, atorvastatin,
lorazepam, cotinine, metformin,
Twelve of top-used pharmaceuticals
and 2 metabolites were assessed
(continued)
40
R. Parra-Saldivar et al.