Gupta Anuradha, Kumar Sandeep, Bajpai Yashi, Chaturvedi Kavita, Johri Parul, Tiwari Rajesh K, Vivekanand V, Trivedi Mala
Flavin Labs Private Limited, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India.
J. Somaiya College of Science and Commerce, Mumbai, India.
Front Microbiol. 2024 Feb 14;15:1339469. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1339469. eCollection 2024.
Pharmaceuticals, recognized for their life-saving potential, have emerged as a concerning class of micropollutants in the environment. Even at minute concentrations, chronic exposure poses a significant threat to ecosystems. Various pharmaceutically active micropollutants (PhAMP), including antibiotics, analgesics, and hormones, have been detected in underground waters, surface waters, seawater, sewage treatment plants, soils, and activated sludges due to the absence of standardized regulations on pharmaceutical discharge. Prolonged exposureof hospital waste and sewage treatment facilities is linked to the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Conventional water treatment methods prove ineffective, prompting the use of alternative techniques like photolysis, reverse osmosis, UV-degradation, bio-degradation, and nano-filtration. However, commercial implementation faces challenges such as incomplete removal, toxic sludge generation, high costs, and the need for skilled personnel. Research gaps include the need to comprehensively identify and understand various types of pharmaceutically active micropollutants, investigate their long-term ecological impact, develop more sensitive monitoring techniques, and explore integrated treatment approaches. Additionally, there is a gap in understanding the socio-economic implications of pharmaceutical pollution and the efficacy of public awareness campaigns. Future research should delve into alternative strategies like phagotherapy, vaccines, and natural substance substitutes to address the escalating threat of pharmaceutical pollution.
药品因其拯救生命的潜力而闻名，但已成为环境中一类令人担忧的微污染物。即使浓度微小，长期接触也会对生态系统构成重大威胁。由于缺乏关于药品排放的标准化法规，在地下水、地表水、海水、污水处理厂、土壤和活性污泥中已检测到各种具有药物活性的微污染物（PhAMP），包括抗生素、镇痛药和激素。医院废物和污水处理设施的长期接触与抗生素耐药菌的存在有关。传统的水处理方法证明无效，促使人们使用光解、反渗透、紫外线降解、生物降解和纳滤等替代技术。然而，商业实施面临着诸如去除不完全、产生有毒污泥、成本高以及需要技术人员等挑战。研究差距包括需要全面识别和了解各种类型的具有药物活性的微污染物，调查它们的长期生态影响，开发更灵敏的监测技术，以及探索综合处理方法。此外，在理解药品污染的社会经济影响和公众意识运动的效果方面存在差距。未来的研究应深入探讨吞噬疗法、疫苗和天然物质替代品等替代策略，以应对日益严重的药品污染威胁。
