Detection and analysis of pharmaceutical products from the waste water system at the university teaching hospital of Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

In the last decade, the use of pharmaceuticals has grown worldwide, leading to their presence in the environment. In fact, medical care waste increases due to the rise in number and shape of medical services, centers and the increasing importance of pharmaceutical use.1 Pharmaceuticals are biologically active substances specially designed to act on living things (humans and animals) and because of that, the potential exists for unexpected impacts at low concentrations. They are disposed or discharged into the environment through a variety of sources. These include: human activities, pharmaceutical industries, illicit drug use, agribusinesses, veterinary drugs and hospitals.2 Many studies have reported the presence of pharmaceuticals in various water samples including hospital waste waters1,3 in countries like Italy, Spain, USA, Germany and even Nigeria. As at the time of this research, no data is available in Cameroon.