In a quarter of all rivers worldwide, residues of active substances reach potentially alarming concentrations
Almost all rivers worldwide are contaminated with common medicines – even in the Antarctic, drug residues are detectable, as a global survey reveals. In a quarter of the rivers examined, the residue concentrations were above the limit values ​​considered harmless. Paracetamol, the diabetes drug metformin and several antibiotics reached particularly high values ​​worldwide. The water is usually contaminated with several active substances at the same time.

The problem has been known for a long time: many active pharmaceutical ingredients cannot be completely removed from the wastewater by sewage treatment plants and therefore end up in water bodies. As a result, rivers and, in some cases, drinking water are contaminated with residues of antibiotics, antihypertensives, contrast media, antidepressants and painkillers. In some cases, wastewater treatment can make such residues even more toxic…
Source scinexx.de fluesse arzneimittel rueckstaende fast ueberall