Drugs in the environment - Impact on plants: A review

Abstract

Medicines, like food, are necessities. Many of the commonly used pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics and NSAIDs end up in the environment and are detected in it (especially in water) at concentrations in the ng·L⁻¹- μg·L⁻¹ range. Although the concentrations of individual drugs in the environment are low, their high biological activity can cause them to be toxic to the environment. This review analyzes and summarizes the effects of drugs, primarily antibiotics and NSAIDs on photosynthesizing organisms, i.e., algae, aquatic and terrestrial plants. Acute drug toxicity to algae and plants occurs most often at high, often non-existent environmental concentrations, while sublethal effects occur at low drug concentrations. The review also points out the problems associated with ecotoxicological studies and the lack of systemic solutions to better assess the risks associated with the presence of drugs in the environment.