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pharmaceutical pollution
Trends
- 1Everyday Chemicals Found to Harm Microscopic Aquatic Ecosystem Engines▼From Painkillers to Sunscreens: How Everyday Chemicals Are Hitting the Microscopic Engines of Aquatic Ecosystems
New reporting highlights how common household chemicals, from painkillers to sunscreen ingredients, are damaging microscopic organisms that underpin aquatic ecosystems. These tiny organisms, such as algae and plankton, form the base of food webs and produce much of the oxygen in water systems. Scientists are increasingly concerned that pharmaceutical residues and UV filters in wastewater are disrupting their growth and function, with potential consequences for fish, water quality, and food chains worldwide.
- 2Firefighting foam 'forever chemicals' may aid drug chemistry●Forever chemicals in firefighting foam could become a useful resource for pharmaceutical chemistry
Researchers suggest that per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the persistent 'forever chemicals' used in firefighting foam, could be repurposed rather than only destroyed. The chemicals' stable fluorine-carbon bonds, which make them an environmental hazard, are similar to structures valued in pharmaceutical chemistry, meaning recovered material might serve as a resource for making medicines instead of a waste problem.