title: Do pharmaceuticals reach and affect the aquatic ecosystems in Brazil? A critical review of current studies in a developing country.
abstract: Pharmaceutical residues are not completely removed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) becoming contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Thereby, it is important to investigate their concentrations in the environment and the possible consequences of their occurrence, including for human health. Here, we briefly reviewed the paths of pharmaceuticals to reach the environment, their behavior and fate in the environment, and the possible consequences of their occurrence. Moreover, we synthetized all the studies about the detection of pharmaceuticals in Brazilian water bodies and the available ecotoxicological knowledge on their effects. In this study, when we compare the data found on these compounds worldwide, we observed that Brazilian surface waters present considerable concentrations of 17α-ethinylestradiol, 17β-estradiol, and caffeine. In general, concentrations found in aquatic systems worldwide seems to be low; however, ecotoxicological tests showed that even these low concentrations can cause sublethal effects in biota. The knowledge about the effects of continuous exposure and mixtures is sparse. In summary, new research is urgently required about the effects of these compounds in biota-including long-term exposition and mixture tests-and on specific technologies to remove these compounds in water bodies and WWTPs, besides the introduction of new policies for pharmaceutical use.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Rua José Lourenço Kelmer, S/n-Martelos, Juiz de Fora, MG, 36036-330, Brazil. gaby_quadra@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Gabrielle Rabelo
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Quadra
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Campus Macaé, Av. Aluizio da Silva Gomes, 50-Novo Cavaleiros, Macaé, RJ, 27930-560, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Oliveira de Souza
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal Fluminense, Av. Gen. Tavares de Souza s/n°, Campus da Praia Vermelha, Niteroi, RJ, 24210-346, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafaela Dos Santos
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ecotoxicologia Marinha, Faculdade de Oceanografia, Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier, 524-Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-900, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Antonio Dos Santos
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Fernandez
mesh_terms: D001938:Brazil; D003906:Developing Countries; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D006801:Humans; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis*; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D004997:Ethinyl Estradiol; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D062065:Wastewater; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Contaminants; Drugs; Ecotoxicological tests; Exposure; Health; Pollutants; Residues; WWTPs