Susceptibility of phytoplankton to the increasing presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the aquatic environment: A review

• Published in: Aquatic toxicology 2021-05, Vol.234, p.105809-105809, Article 105809
• Main Authors: Chia, Mathias Ahii, Lorenzi, Adriana Sturion, Ameh, Ilu, Dauda, Suleiman, Cordeiro-Araújo, Micheline Kézia, Agee, Jerry Tersoo, Okpanachi, Ibrahim Yusuf, Adesalu, Abosede Taofikat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - toxicity; Aquatic ecosystems; Contamination; Drugs; Ecosystem; Fresh Water - chemistry; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Pharmaceuticals; Phytoplankton - drug effects; Phytoplankton - metabolism; Primary production; Risk Assessment; Steroids - toxicity; toxicity; Veterinary Drugs - toxicity; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity
• ISSN: 0166-445X; 1879-1514
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2021.105809

•Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) adversely affect phytoplankton life•APIs alter the physiology, metabolome, and proteome profiles of phytoplankton•APIs are a threat to the health of the aquatic food web Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals either in the form of un-metabolized, incompletely metabolized, and metabolized drugs are increasingly present in aquatic ecosystems. These active pharmaceutical ingredients from pharmaceutical industries, hospitals, agricultural, and domestic discharges find their way into water systems – where they adversely affect non-target organisms like phytoplankton. Different aspects of phytoplankton life; ranging from growth, reproduction, morphology, physiology, biochemical composition, oxidative response, proteomics, and transcriptomics are altered by pharmaceuticals. This review discusses the currently available information on the susceptibility of phytoplankton to the ever-increasing presence of pharmaceutical products in the aquatic environment by focusing on the effect of APIs on the physiology, metabolome, and proteome profiles of phytoplankton. We also highlight gaps in literature concerning the salient underlining biochemical interactions between phytoplankton communities and pharmaceuticals that require an in-depth investigation. This is all in a bid to understand the imminent dangers of the contamination of water bodies with pharmaceutical products and how this process unfavorably affects aquatic food webs.