Fate and Transportation of Pharmaceutical Residues and PPCPs in the Aquatic System Physiological Effects and Hazards

Today, aquatic ecosystems are being affected by a large number of human-made chemical mixtures. Pharmaceuticals and active ingredients in personal care products (PPCPs), including prescription analgesics, antibiotics, hormone regulators, non-prescription drugs, fragrances, sunscreen agents, cleansers, and numerous others, are within this spectrum of chemicals. These widespread human and veterinary post-consumed PPCPs can be continually introduced into aquatic systems as complex mixtures via sewage/wastewater treatment plants, raising serious concerns about their potential adverse effects on aquatic species at low doses. Information on the incidence and fate of PPCPs in the water body is scarce. This chapter reviews the current state-of-the-art PPCPs work published and the attempts to examine PPCPs fate, transport, and the ecotoxicological risks they pose to the freshwater and marine environment. Finally, future perspectives for PPCPs research in aquatic environments are discussed in light of identified research gaps in current knowledge, which will allow an understanding of how these compounds may influence aquatic ecosystem functions. © 2024 selection and editorial matter, Vinod Kumar Garg, Ashok Pandey, Navish Kataria, and Caterina Faggio; individual chapters, the contributors.