Pharmaceuticals are biologically active and persistent substances which have been recognized as a con-tinuing threat to environmental stability. Chronic ecotoxicity data as well as information on the current distribution levels in different environmental compartments continue to be sparse and are focused on those therapeutic classes that are more frequently prescribed and consumed. Nevertheless, they indicate the negative impact that these chemical contaminants may have on living organisms, ecosystems and ultimately, public health. This article reviews the different contamination sources as well as fate and both acute and chronic effects on nontarget organisms. An extensive review of existing data in the form of tables, encompassing many therapeutic classes is presented.Keywords: Pharmaceuticals, Sources, Environmental fate, Ecotoxicological effects

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Stimulation of phytoplankton growth can be economically relevant since phytoplankton constitutes the basis of the marine food webs and is required in fish farming nurseries in the marine aquaculture industry. Zeolites are cheap, only small amounts (few milligrams per liter of culture) are required and the addition of some micro-nutrients may be omitted. Therefore, the inclusion of zeolites in algal cultures in aquaculture may have economic advantages.

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Chrysotile was tested for anionic surfactant (SDBS) removal from aqueous solutions. Results showed that the reduction was due to a catalytic process onto the chrysotile surface, which is formed of hydroxyl groups. Trap and release membrane introduction mass spectrometry using a modified direct insertion membrane probe (DIMP-T&R-MIMS) was used to monitor on-line SDBS oxidation by air in an aqueous alkaline media containing chrysotile. It was possible to estimate the amount of CO 2 formed in SDBS catalyzed reaction through quantification of CO 2 formed by the hydrolysis of MgCO 3 . A mass balance for the SDBS reaction is proposed. DIMP-T&R-MIMS monitoring identified no VOCs or SVOCs as degradation intermediates, but CO 2 was detected to account for SDBS degradation. Hence, simple chrysotile adsorption is excluded as a main process of SDBS consumption, and a ''SDBS in-CO 2 out'' mechanism on the chrysotile surface accounts for the experimental observations.

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Both PZN significantly promoted the algal yield even in the absence of added silicon, a limiting nutrient for diatom growth. The PZN acted as a silicon buffer while providing a source of silicon required for growth. In addition, PZN released into the seawater small but significant amounts of the limiting micro-nutrient manganese (its concentration doubled during the experiments), while simultaneously removing relatively high quantities of zinc from the seawater. The presence of PZN inhibited the releasing of chelated compounds. These changes (sorption/desorption) caused by the PZN in the concentrations in the solutions used as culture media of P. tricornutum were probably responsible for the differences in both the diatom growth and exudation observed in the tested cultures.

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