Pharmaceuticals: An Emerging Problem
of Environment and Its Removal Through
Biodegradation
13
Kritika Sharma and Garima Kaushik
Abstract
Human pharmaceuticals are consumed in high quantities worldwide and this
amount will keep on increasing because of improving health care systems and
longer life expectations. Due to their extensive use and release in the environment, these compounds have been found to cause harmful impacts in various
environmental matrices. Pharmaceuticals can be exposed into the environment by
various routes like manufacturing units of pharmaceuticals and effluents from the
hospitals, irrigation to agricultural lands (e.g., biosolids and reuse of water),
human and animal use, etc. The fate of pharmaceuticals depends on various
physicochemical and environmental factors. Consequently, they enter surface
water systems where they may pose effects on aquatic life and finally may enter
the human water cycle. So, the removal of these compounds has become an
urgent need of time. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are not adequate
to degrade all type of pharmaceutical compounds. Hence, cost-effective and
environment friendly techniques are required for eliminating these compounds
from the ecosystem. Biodegradation is one such reliable method for removing
harmful chemicals compounds without disturbing the environment. This work
reviews the presence, fate, and microbial degradation of drugs and also suggests
viable options for their removal.
13.1 Introduction
The use of chemical substances for agricultural and other household activities is
gradually increasing. They are accountable to expend various emerging compounds
in the environment. Various drugs are extensively used for human and veterinary
K. Sharma · G. Kaushik (*)
Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan,
Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
A. Singh et al. (eds.), Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7493-1_13
267
of Environment and Its Removal Through
Biodegradation
13
Kritika Sharma and Garima Kaushik
Abstract
Human pharmaceuticals are consumed in high quantities worldwide and this
amount will keep on increasing because of improving health care systems and
longer life expectations. Due to their extensive use and release in the environment, these compounds have been found to cause harmful impacts in various
environmental matrices. Pharmaceuticals can be exposed into the environment by
various routes like manufacturing units of pharmaceuticals and effluents from the
hospitals, irrigation to agricultural lands (e.g., biosolids and reuse of water),
human and animal use, etc. The fate of pharmaceuticals depends on various
physicochemical and environmental factors. Consequently, they enter surface
water systems where they may pose effects on aquatic life and finally may enter
the human water cycle. So, the removal of these compounds has become an
urgent need of time. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are not adequate
to degrade all type of pharmaceutical compounds. Hence, cost-effective and
environment friendly techniques are required for eliminating these compounds
from the ecosystem. Biodegradation is one such reliable method for removing
harmful chemicals compounds without disturbing the environment. This work
reviews the presence, fate, and microbial degradation of drugs and also suggests
viable options for their removal.
13.1 Introduction
The use of chemical substances for agricultural and other household activities is
gradually increasing. They are accountable to expend various emerging compounds
in the environment. Various drugs are extensively used for human and veterinary
K. Sharma · G. Kaushik (*)
Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth Sciences, Central University of Rajasthan,
Ajmer, Rajasthan, India
# Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
A. Singh et al. (eds.), Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-7493-1_13
267