Pharmaceutical pollution of the worlds rivers
Wilkinson J.L. Boxall A.B.A. Kolpin D.W. Leung K.M.Y. Lai R.W.S. Galban-Malag C. Adell A.D. Mondon J. Metian M. Marchant R.A. Bouzas-Monroy A. Cuni-Sanchez A. Coors A. Carriquiriborde P. Rojo M. Gordon C. Cara M. Moermond M. Luarte T. Petrosyan V. Perikhanyan Y. Mahon C.S. McGurk C.J. Hofmann T. Kormoker T. Iniguez V. Guzman-Otazo J. Tavares J.L. de Figueiredo F.G. Razzolini M.T.P. Dougnon V. Gbaguidi G. Traore O. Blais J.M. Kimpe L.E. Wong M. Wong D. Ntchantcho R. Pizarro J. Ying G.-G. Chen C.-E. Paez M. Martınez-Lara J. Otamonga J.-P. Pote J. Ifo S.A. Wilson P. Echeverrıa-Saenz S. Udikovic-Kolic N. Milakovic M. Fatta-Kassinos D. Ioannou-Ttofa L. Belusova V. Vymazal J. Cardenas-Bustamante M. Kassa B.A. Garric J. Chaumot A. Gibba P. Kunchulia I. Seidensticker S. Lyberatos G. Halldorsson H.P. Melling M. Shashidhar T. Lamba M. Nastiti A. Supriatin A. Pourang N. Abedini A. Abdullah O. Gharbia S.S. Pilla F. Chefetz B. Topaz T. Yao K.M. Aubakirova B. Beisenova R. Olaka L. Mulu J.K. Chatanga P. Ntuli V. Blama N.T. Sherif S. Aris A.Z. Looi L.J. Niang M. Traore S.T. Oldenkamp R. Ogunbanwo O. Ashfaq M. Iqbal M. Abdeen Z. ODea A. Morales-Saldaña J.M. Custodio M. de la Cruz H. Navarrete I. Carvalho F. Gogra A.B. Koroma B.M. Cerkvenik-Flajs V. Gombac M. Thwala M. Choi K. Kang H. Celestino Ladu J.L. Rico A. Amerasinghe P. Sobek A. Horlitz G. Zenker A.K. King A.C. Jiang J.-J. Kariuki R. Tumbo M. Tezel U. Onay T.T. Lejju J.B. Vystavna Y. Vergeles Y. Heinzen H. Perez-Parada A. Sims D.B. Figy M. Good D. Teta C.
22 February 2022National Academy of Sciences
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
2022#119Issue 8
Environmental exposure to active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) can have negative effects on the health of ecosystems and humans. While numerous studies have monitored APIs in rivers, these employ different analytical methods, measure different APIs, and have ignored many of the countries of the world. This makes it difficult to quantify the scale of the problem from a global perspective. Furthermore, comparison of the existing data, generated for different studies/regions/continents, is challenging due to the vast differences between the analytical methodologies employed. Here, we present a global-scale study of API pollution in 258 of the worlds rivers, representing the environmental influence of 471.4 million people across 137 geographic regions. Samples were obtained from 1,052 locations in 104 countries (representing all continents and 36 countries not previously studied for API contamination) and analyzed for 61 APIs. Highest cumulative API concentrations were observed in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and South America. The most contaminated sites were in low- to middle-income countries and were associated with areas with poor wastewater and waste management infrastructure and pharmaceutical manufacturing. The most frequently detected APIs were carbamazepine, metformin, and caffeine (a compound also arising from lifestyle use), which were detected at over half of the sites monitored. Concentrations of at least one API at 25.7% of the sampling sites were greater than concentrations considered safe for aquatic organisms, or which are of concern in terms of selection for antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, pharmaceutical pollution poses a global threat to environmental and human health, as well as to delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Antimicrobials , Aquatic contamination , Global pollution , Pharmaceuticals , Wastewater
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
US Geological Survey, Central Midwest Water Science Center, Iowa City, 52240, IA, United States
State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution, Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, 8580745, Chile
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, 8370035, Chile
Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Warrnambool, 3280, VIC, Australia
Environment Laboratories, International Atomic Energy Agency, Monaco, 98000, Monaco
ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH, Flörsheim am Main, 65439, Germany
Centro de Investigaciones del Medioambiente, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de la Plata, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientıficas y Tecnicas de Argentina, Buenos Aires, La Plata, CP 1900, Argentina
Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, LG 1181, Ghana
Plant Protection Department, Agricultural University of Tirana, Tirana, 1000, Albania
School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservacion, Facultad Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, 7550196, Chile
Faculty of Chemistry, Center for Ecological Safety, Yerevan State University, Yerevan, 0025, Armenia
School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, 2006, NSW, Australia
Department of Environmental Geosciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, 1010, Austria
Department of Emergency Management, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Patuakhali, 8602, Bangladesh
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Institute, Universidad Mayor de San Andres, La Paz, 6042, Bolivia
Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, 171 77, Sweden
Instituto Federal De Educacao, Ciencia e Tecnologia do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 1692, Brazil
Center for Research in Environmental Risk Assessment, School of Public Health of University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 01246-904, Brazil
Research Unit in Applied Microbiology and Pharmacology of Natural Substances, Research Laboratory in Applied Biology, Polytechnic School of Abomey-Calavi, University of Abomey-Calavi, BP 526 Abomey, Calavi, Benin
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Abomey-Calavi, BP 526 Abomey, Calavi, Benin
Sciences Appliquees et Technologies, Universite de Dedougou, Ouagadougou BP 176, Burkina Faso
Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N 6N5, ON, Canada
Global Monitoring of Pharmaceutical Consortium, York, YO10 5NG, United Kingdom
Centre de Recherches Hydrologiques, LInstitut de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres, Yaounde, BP 4110, Cameroon
Departamento de Ingenierıa Geografica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, 9170022, Chile
Environmental Research Institute, School of Environment, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Chemical Pollution and Environmental Safety, MOE Key Laboratory of Theoretical Chemistry of Environment, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
Department of Chemistry, Universidad del Valle, Cali, 25360, Colombia
National Pedagogical University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, 8815, Democratic Republic Congo
Faculty of Sciences, Department F.-A. Forel for Environmental and Aquatic Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, 1205, Switzerland
Ecole Normale Superieure, Departement des Sciences et Vie de la Terre, Universite Marien Ngouabi, BP 69, Brazzaville, Congo
Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment, Kingston University London, Kingston, KT2 7LB, United Kingdom
Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, 40101, Costa Rica
Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Rudjer Boskovic Institute, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
Nireas International Water Research Center, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, 1678, Cyprus
Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, 165 00, Czech Republic
Institute of Biotechnology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, 1176, Ethiopia
Laboratory of Ecotoxicology, Institut National de Recherche pour lAgriculture, lAlimentation et lEnvironnement, Villeurbanne, 69100, France
Department of Water Resources, Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources, Banjul, Gambia
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Biosystems Engineering, Georgian Technical University, Tbilisi, 380075, Georgia
Center for Applied Geoscience, University of Tubingen, Tubingen, 72074, Germany
School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Athens, 10682, Greece
Research Centre in Sudurnes, University of Iceland, Reykjavık, 600169, Iceland
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 502285, India
Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, India
Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Management Technology Research Group, Bandung, 40132, Indonesia
Education and Extension Organization, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Tehran, 1588733111, Iran
Department of Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin, Dublin, D14 E099, Ireland
Spatial Dynamics Lab, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland
Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190501, Israel
Centre de Recherches Oceanologiques, Abidjan, 7XP 56V, Cote dIvoire
School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan
L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Nur-Sultan, 010000, Kazakhstan
Department of Geology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya
Department of Biology, National of University of Lesotho, Maseru, 180, Lesotho
Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia, Monrovia, 1000, Liberia
Department of Environment, International Institute of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Seri Kembangan, 43400, Malaysia
Centre dExpertise et de Recherche en Tel em edecine et E-Sante, Centre Hospitalier Mere - Enfant, Le Luxembourg, Hamdallaye, Bamako, Mali
Department of Global Health, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development, Amsterdam Universty Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, 1012 WX, Netherlands
Department of Fisheries Technology, Ecotoxicology Research Laboratory, Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, 100001, Nigeria
Department of Chemistry, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, 50700, Pakistan
Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute, Al-Quds University, West Bank, Abu Dies, Palestine
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, 0843-03092, Panama
Facultad de Medicina Humana, Universidad Nacional del Centro del Peru, Huancayo, 12004, Peru
Department of Environmental Science, Southern Leyte State University, Hinunangan Campus, Hinunangan, 6608, Philippines
Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, United Kingdom
Department of Chemistry, School of Environmental Sciences, Njala University, Bo, Sierra Leone
Veterinary Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, SI 1000, Slovenia
Water Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, 0184, South Africa
Seoul National University, Seoul, 599, South Korea
College of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Juba, Juba, South Sudan
IMDEA Water Institute, Science and Technology Campus, University of Alcala, Alcala de Henares, 28801, Spain
International Water Management Institute, Colombo, 10120, Sri Lanka
Department of Environmental Science, Stockholm University, Stockholm, 114 19, Sweden
Institute for Ecopreneurship, School of Life Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Muttenz, 4132, Switzerland
Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan, 320, Taiwan
Institute of Resources Assessment, University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Institute of Environmental Sciences, Bogazici University, Istanbul, 34342, Turkey
Faculty of Science, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, 9MM5 6GF, Uganda
Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Hydrobiology, Ceske Budejovice, 37005, Czech Republic
Department of the Environment, O. M. Beketov National University, Urban Economy in Kharkiv, Kharkiv, 61002, Ukraine
Faculty of Chemistry, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, 11200, Uruguay
Departamento de Desarrollo Tecnologico, Centro Universitario Regional del Este, Universidad de la Republica, Rocha, CP 27000, Uruguay
School of Science and Mathematics, College of Southern Nevada, Henderson, 89002, NV, United States
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, N1G 2W1, ON, Canada
Future Water Research Institute, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7700, South Africa
Department of Environment and Geography
US Geological Survey
State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution
Center for Genomics
Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria
Life and Environmental Sciences
Environment Laboratories
ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH
Centro de Investigaciones del Medioambiente
Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies
Plant Protection Department
School of Public Health
Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservacion
Faculty of Chemistry
School of Chemistry
Department of Environmental Geosciences
Department of Emergency Management
Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Institute
Department of Microbiology
Instituto Federal De Educacao
Center for Research in Environmental Risk Assessment
Research Unit in Applied Microbiology and Pharmacology of Natural Substances
Department of Zoology
Sciences Appliquees et Technologies
Department of Biology
Global Monitoring of Pharmaceutical Consortium
Centre de Recherches Hydrologiques
Departamento de Ingenierıa Geografica
Environmental Research Institute
Department of Chemistry
National Pedagogical University of Kinshasa
Faculty of Sciences
Ecole Normale Superieure
Department of Geography
Central American Institute for Studies on Toxic Substances
Division for Marine and Environmental Research
Nireas International Water Research Center
Faculty of Environmental Sciences
Institute of Biotechnology
Laboratory of Ecotoxicology
Department of Water Resources
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Biosystems Engineering
Center for Applied Geoscience
School of Chemical Engineering
Research Centre in Sudurnes
Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology
Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Education and Extension Organization
Department of Planning and Environmental Policy
Spatial Dynamics Lab
Department of Soil and Water Sciences
Centre de Recherches Oceanologiques
School of Engineering and Digital Sciences
L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Department of Geology
Department of Biology
Environmental Protection Agency of Liberia
Department of Environment
Centre dExpertise et de Recherche en Tel em edecine et E-Sante
Department of Global Health
Department of Fisheries Technology
Department of Chemistry
Al-Quds Nutrition and Health Research Institute
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Facultad de Medicina Humana
Department of Environmental Science
Lancaster Environment Centre
Department of Chemistry
Veterinary Faculty
Water Centre
Seoul National University
College of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies
IMDEA Water Institute
International Water Management Institute
Department of Environmental Science
Institute for Ecopreneurship
Department of Environmental Engineering
Institute of Resources Assessment
Institute of Environmental Sciences
Faculty of Science
Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences
Department of the Environment
Faculty of Chemistry
Departamento de Desarrollo Tecnologico
School of Science and Mathematics
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
Future Water Research Institute
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026