Pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment: A critical review of the evidence for health effects in fish

Abstract

The authors review the current data on the presence and reported biological effects in fish of some of the most commonly detected pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment; namely nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), fibrates, β-blockers, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), azoles, and antibiotics. Reported biological effects in fish in the laboratory have often been shown to be in accordance with known effects of pharmaceuticals in mammals. Water concentrations at which such effects have been reported, however, are generally, between μg L⁻¹ and mg L⁻¹, typically at least 1 order of magnitude higher than concentrations normally found in surface waters (ng L⁻¹). There are exceptions to this, however, as for the case of synthetic oestrogens, which can induce biological effects in the low ng L⁻¹ range. Although generally effect levels for pharmaceuticals are higher than those found in the environment, the risks to wild fish populations have not been thoroughly characterised, and there has been a lack of consideration given to the likely chronic nature of the exposures, or the potential for mixture effects. As global consumption of pharmaceuticals rises, an inevitable consequence is an increased level of contamination of surface and ground waters with these biologically active drugs, and thus in turn a greater potential for adverse effects in aquatic wildlife.