Review of occurrence of pharmaceuticals worldwide for estimating concentration ranges in aquatic environments at the end of the last decade

Abstract

Pharmaceutical compounds are ubiquitous pollutants detected in concentrations ranging from ng L−1 to µg L−1 in aquatic environments worldwide. Hence, assessment of the occurrence and concentration range of pharmaceuticals is of great importance. The current work assessed the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in different aquatic environments at the end of the last decade, specifically in 2018 and 2019. Every year, 100 published works on drug monitoring in several geographical areas were reviewed to estimate concentration ranges in aquatic environments. Antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), psychiatric drugs, stimulants, and beta-blockers were the most commonly detected therapeutic groups in water bodies. The identified compounds with the highest occurrence in surface water and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in both time lags were sulfamethoxazole (SML), acetaminophen (ACT), carbamazepine (CBZ), diclofenac (DCF), ibuprofen (IBU), caffeine (CFA), naproxen (NPX), and ciprofloxacin (CPF). The data set on the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and their concentration ranges can be used to create a list of priority substances found in the water supply a provide primary parameters during the implementation of best-suited technologies for the removal of pharmaceuticals in municipal WWTPs.