Chapter 3
Natural Attenuation of Pharmaceuticals
in the Aquatic Environment and Role
of Phototransformation
Sanjeeb Mohapatra, N. Gayathri Menon, Lokesh P. Padhye,
Sankara Sarma V. Tatiparti, and Suparna Mukherji
3.1 Introduction
Degradation of water quality due to the discharge of pollutants of emerging concern,
such as pharmaceuticals, hormones, and personal care products (PCPs), has raised
concern regarding their fate and impact on the ecosystem. Thus, in the past decade,
an increasing number of studies have focused on the occurrence, fate, and transport
of these micropollutants in the ecosystem. Major causal factors for pharmaceutical
contamination of aquatic systems are increased usage and improper disposal of pharmaceuticals across all classes. Owing to economic feasibility, India is also host to a
large number of pharmaceutical industries, which may also serve as point sources of
water contamination. Presence of extremely low concentration of pharmaceuticals,
even in the ng/L range, can cause chronic effects in aquatic and human life (Mompelat et al. 2009; Kumar et al. 2019a, b, c). The most pronounced and widely reported
chronic effect of pharmaceutical moieties on aquatic life is endocrine disruption, i.e.,
disruption in the normal functioning of sex hormones, thyroid hormones, and the neuroendocrine systems (Kim et al. 2007; Pal et al. 2010). Additionally, the occurrence
Both first and second author have equal contribution.
S. Mohapatra · S. Mukherji (B)
Environmental Science and Engineering Department, IIT Bombay, Bombay, India
e-mail: mitras@iitb.ac.in
N. G. Menon · S. S. V. Tatiparti · S. Mukherji
Centre for Research in Nanotechnology and Science, IIT Bombay, Bombay, India
L. P. Padhye
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland,
New Zealand
S. S. V. Tatiparti
Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay, Bombay, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Kumar et al. (eds.), Contaminants in Drinking and Wastewater Sources,
Springer Transactions in Civil and Environmental Engineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4599-3_3
65
Natural Attenuation of Pharmaceuticals
in the Aquatic Environment and Role
of Phototransformation
Sanjeeb Mohapatra, N. Gayathri Menon, Lokesh P. Padhye,
Sankara Sarma V. Tatiparti, and Suparna Mukherji
3.1 Introduction
Degradation of water quality due to the discharge of pollutants of emerging concern,
such as pharmaceuticals, hormones, and personal care products (PCPs), has raised
concern regarding their fate and impact on the ecosystem. Thus, in the past decade,
an increasing number of studies have focused on the occurrence, fate, and transport
of these micropollutants in the ecosystem. Major causal factors for pharmaceutical
contamination of aquatic systems are increased usage and improper disposal of pharmaceuticals across all classes. Owing to economic feasibility, India is also host to a
large number of pharmaceutical industries, which may also serve as point sources of
water contamination. Presence of extremely low concentration of pharmaceuticals,
even in the ng/L range, can cause chronic effects in aquatic and human life (Mompelat et al. 2009; Kumar et al. 2019a, b, c). The most pronounced and widely reported
chronic effect of pharmaceutical moieties on aquatic life is endocrine disruption, i.e.,
disruption in the normal functioning of sex hormones, thyroid hormones, and the neuroendocrine systems (Kim et al. 2007; Pal et al. 2010). Additionally, the occurrence
Both first and second author have equal contribution.
S. Mohapatra · S. Mukherji (B)
Environmental Science and Engineering Department, IIT Bombay, Bombay, India
e-mail: mitras@iitb.ac.in
N. G. Menon · S. S. V. Tatiparti · S. Mukherji
Centre for Research in Nanotechnology and Science, IIT Bombay, Bombay, India
L. P. Padhye
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Auckland, Auckland,
New Zealand
S. S. V. Tatiparti
Department of Energy Science and Engineering, IIT Bombay, Bombay, India
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2021
M. Kumar et al. (eds.), Contaminants in Drinking and Wastewater Sources,
Springer Transactions in Civil and Environmental Engineering,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4599-3_3
65