Published in Scientific Papers. Series E. Land Reclamation, Earth Observation & Surveying, Environmental Engineering, Vol. XI
Written by Alina ANTACHE, Valentina CALMUC, Stefan-Mihai PETREA, Ira-Adeline SIMIONOV, Madalina CALMUC, Aurelia NICA, Dragos CRISTEA, Mihaela NECULITA
In the last time, pharmaceutical residues have been discovered in almost all environmental matrices in the world, especially in surface water (lakes, rivers, seawater). The consumption of medicinal products contributes to the emission of pharmaceutical residues into the environment mainly through human (hospital effluents) and farm animal excretions. Once pharmaceutical residues reach in surface water, they also become incorporated into aquatic organism having a toxic effect on them. The biochemical response is dependent by the level of concentration and by the exposure time which largely contributes to the appearance of oxidative stress due to changes in the levels of antioxidant enzymes. In fish, due to detoxification and biotransformation capacity, the liver is the most important metabolizing organ, thus, one of the main defences against pharmaceutical residues. Analysis of biochemical indicators includes superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA). In the near future, the development of "green" and eco-friendly pharmaceuticals with low persistence in water surface, bioaccumulation and toxicity could help minimize accumulation in the aquatic environment.
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