Pharmaceuticals in the Soil and Plant Environment: a Review

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals are a class of biologically active compounds used in human and veterinary medicine, while some of them may be applied for feed production and plant growth stimulation. To systemise the knowledge on pharmaceuticals in plant and soil environment, a literature review was performed. Active substances of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are typically released into the environment through agricultural application of wastewater and sewage biosolids containing pharmaceuticals, derived from wastewater discharged by households, hospitals and other medical facilities. Another, no less important, source of pharmaceutical release are natural fertilisers (manure and slurry). The fate and behaviour of pharmaceuticals in the soil, including their mobility and availability to plants, depends on the soil physical, chemical and biological properties as well as on the properties of the substance itself. Pharmaceuticals introduced into the soil are taken up and retained in various plant parts. In general, the highest accumulation coefficients have been found in vegetative plant parts, in the following decreasing order: roots> leaves> stems, while the lowest in generative parts, such as grains of cereals.

Enhanced Efficiency of the Removal of Cytostatic Anthracycline Drugs Using Immobilized Mycelium of Bjerkandera adusta CCBAS 930

“…From the application point of view, the removal of xenobiotics should be safe for the environment, and the products of their biodegradation/biotransformation should be non-toxic. Due to their cytotoxic properties, the presence of anthracycline antibiotics in the aquatic environment may pose a threat to other organisms, e.g., plants, and aquatic and soil biota [51,52]. Moreover, biodegradation of pharmaceuticals by oxidoreductases take place through different pathways and several intermediates and end-products are generated during the reaction.…”

“…One of the main aspects of efficient biodegradation of pharmaceuticals is decreasing phytotoxicity. Irrigation of land with ineffectively treated sewage containing residues of pharmaceuticals causes the accumulation of these substances in the soil, which then penetrate into plants [52]. Pharmaceuticals have the potential to alter plant physiology and key biochemical pathways [55].…”

From Sewage Sludge to the Soil—Transfer of Pharmaceuticals: A Review

“…It is proven that plants can accumulate micropollutants [ 93 , 94 ]. Pharmaceuticals reach plant organisms through diffusion and transpiration.…”

Szarvasmarhatartó telepen alkalmazott ivarzásindukáló hormonok megjelenése a hígtrágyában

“…Ezeknek a talajoknak az SE szintje így elérheti a több száz, de még a több ezer ng kg -1 -ot is (ZHANG et al, 2015;GUDDA et al, 2022). A gyógyszerek mobilitását, viselkedését a talajban a növények számára való elérhetőséget a talaj fizikai, kémiai és biológiai tulajdonságai, ill. a hatóanyagok fiziko-kémiai paraméterei határozzák meg (GWOREK et al, 2021). Ez potenciális kockázatot jelent a mezőgazdasági termelésre, ugyanis a talajba került gyógyszermolekulák egy részét a növények felvehetik és különböző részeikben (gyökér, levél, szár, generatív termés) raktározhatják (GWOREK et al, 2021;ERDAL és DUMLUPINAR, 2011).…”