Environmental Fate of Chiral Pharmaceuticals: Determination, Degradation and Toxicity

摘要: Pollution of the aquatic environment by pharmaceuticals is major concern. Indeed pharmaceutical pollutants have several undesirable effects for many organisms, such as endocrine disruption and bacterium resistance. They are resistant to degradation processes, making their removal difficult slow. Pharmaceuticals reach due inefficient waste water treatment plants (WWTP), improper disposal unused medicines. In environments concentrations at trace levels ngL−1–μgL−1 range. Many chiral. occur in nature a single enantiomer or mixtures two enantiomers, which different spatial configuration can thus be metabolized selectively. spite similar physical chemical properties, enantiomers interactions with enzymes, receptors other chiral molecules, leading biological response. Therefore they affect living organisms manner. The fate still largely unknown. Biodegradation toxicity enantioselective, contrast abiotic degradation. Thus accurate methods measure enantiomeric fractions crucial better understand biodegradation process estimate pharmaceuticals. We review (1) general properties compounds, (2) current knowledge on environment, (3) analytical determine composition environmental matrices, (4) processes (5) organisms. discussed gas chromatography (GC), high performance liquid (HPLC), electrochemical sensors biosensors. These correct quantification regarding that if an more less toxic preferentially degraded, assessed exposure based measurements achiral methodologies would overestimate underestimate ecotoxicity. using few examples important therapeutic classes usually detected environment. Few ecotoxicity studies also given occurrence differs regard biochemical processes.