Abstract
Drugs of human origin are now dispersed in all ecosystems, and non-target exposed biota are likely to be impacted in the future by a large number of substances with unpredictable consequences. One of the potential effects of drugs (and other substances with pharmacological activity) is the exertion of selective pressure, favouring an artificial process of selection, in which sensitive organisms may be favoured. We bring to discussion the consequences expected from chronic environmental exposure of biota to two major classes of chemicals that are nowadays released thoroughly into the environment: stimulants and neuroendocrine drugs.Conservation Science Vol.2(1) 2014: 12-16
Highlights
Drugs of human origin are dispersed in all ecosystems, and non-target exposed biota are likely to be impacted in the future by a large number of substances with unpredictable consequences
Pharmaceutical substances are, contrarily to what occurs for a large number of anthropogenic compounds, biologically active, and will continue to exert their effects once they are released into the ecosystem
The individual effects caused by pharmaceutical exposure may have consequences in the long term, and for the entire ecosystem
Summary
Drugs of human origin are dispersed in all ecosystems, and non-target exposed biota are likely to be impacted in the future by a large number of substances with unpredictable consequences. Pharmaceutical substances are, contrarily to what occurs for a large number of anthropogenic compounds, biologically active, and will continue to exert their effects once they are released into the ecosystem. An increasing number of studies have shown the homology or processes that can be affected both in target and non-target organisms, exposed via environment to pharmaceutical drugs.
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