Untitled

Insights in Pharmaceutical Pollution: The Prospective Role of eDNA Metabarcoding

“…This is attributed to their ability to accumulate contaminants from the surrounding water and their vulnerability to experiencing adverse effects [358]. The predominant chronic adverse impacts of pharmaceuticals on fish species primarily manifest as locomotor and reproduc-tive dysfunctions, hematological and hormonal imbalances, immunotoxicity, disruption of endocrine function, genotoxicity, oxidative stress, physical deformities, teratogenic effects, and a deterioration in the overall physiological state of the organisms [39,[358][359][360][361]. The initial exposure of fish to xenobiotics in aquatic environments occurs via their gills, leading to potential structural impairments and physiological changes in these tissues [400,401].…”

“…The initial exposure of fish to xenobiotics in aquatic environments occurs via their gills, leading to potential structural impairments and physiological changes in these tissues [400,401]. However, the degree of consequences of pharmaceutical substances in the various health aspects of fish depends on species, sex, and the phase of the life cycle, as well as on the dose and duration of the substances [361,402,403]. Furthermore, the presence of pharmaceuticals in aquatic environments has also been observed to influence the behavior of fish, comprising alterations in activity, sociality, and feeding rate, as well as aggression and reproductive behaviors [362][363][364][365].…”