**1. Introduction**

Pharmaceutical compounds are released widely into the environment without proper treatment. Proper elimination of Pharmaceutically active compound (PhACs) present in aquatic system plays an important role for preventing of diseases both in humans and animals. PhACs are structurally complex in nature and these organic compounds have some intrinsic characteristics so that treatment of drug contaminated water using conventional treatment processes namely, membrane-based separations, adsorption, ion-exchange and biological treatment are not that efficient for the industrial applications [1]. Researchers have been continuously working to progress technically, environmentally and economically comprehensive treatment techniques.

To quantify the impact of PhACs on the environment several attempts have been made in the past few years. Low levels of PhACs including antibiotics, analgesics, anti-depressants, beta-blockers, and hormones & hormone mimics are detected in


#### **Table 1.**

*Characteristics of pharmaceutical industry wastewater producing allopathic medicines [2].*

surface, ground and drinking water resources apart from wastewater effluent Globe [2]. However, the removal efficiency is highly variable, and it can be substantially less than 100%. Carballa et al. (2005) suggested that due to their relatively long environmental half-life, many PhACs may be accumulated to the measurable levels in aquatic ecosystems. Concentrations of PhACs were found to be less than one ppb, while the combined concentrations beat ppm ranges [2]. These drugs are highly active and interactive with receptors in humans and animals and are toxic in nature towards health threatening organisms such as bacteria, fungi and parasites. Moreover, human and animal health are affected by various types of organisms and also targeted by PhACs. Therefore, PhACs may have some potential effect on the aquatic and terrestrial organisms [3]. They are usually uncovered as waste for a long time. Therefore, many scientists have started to discover the effects of organisms to various PhACs [4]. Some drugs like an analgesic and anti-inflammatory are universal for their applicability in the medical field and in effluents of WWTPs. They are discharge recipient water at concentrations range of μg/L. For an example, the concentration of diclofenac is found in WWTP as 1.4 μg/L [5].

Due to presence of carboxylic moieties (-COOH) and one or two phenolic hydroxyl groups (-OH) most of these types of drugs are acidic in nature. Antibiotics are used generally to prevent bacterial infections and they are used in veterinary applications as food additives at sub-therapeutic doses to treat food efficiency and promote growth [6]. Carballa et al. [7] reported that wide application of antibiotics may lead to bacterial resistances. The occurrence of different drugs in sewage sludge of WWTPs and surface is well reported [8, 9]. Common PhACs present in various industrial effluents is summarized in **Table 1**.

#### **2. Sources of PhACs in water and wastewater**

#### **2.1 Agriculture and agriculture industry**

Variety of PhACs made from recombinant proteins potentially has greater efficacy and fewer side effects than small organic molecules [10]. Bacteria or yeast commonly produced the recombinant proteins [11]. However, pharming does not require expensive for the production of proteins or their metabolic products. Also, the production capacity can be rapidly climbed up to meet the demand. It is projected that the expense of producing a recombinant protein via pharming will be less than 60–70% of the current cost [12]. Uses of large amount of water and causes

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**Table 2.**

**Figure 1.**

*Fate and Occurrences of Pharmaceuticals and Their Remediation from Aquatic Environment*

extensive pollution are found in agricultural industry. Overflow from agricultural fields often contains fertilizers, eroded soil, pesticides and pharmaceuticals that

Varieties of antibiotics have been isolated from urban and hospital wastewater [14]. It has been found that they simply could pass through aquatic environment and be transferred to surface water [15]. Kim and Tanaka [16] suggested that both wastewater treatment processes and the microbial ecology in surface water were

Chang et al. [17] found different PhACs including analgesics, beta-blockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, alpha-antidepressants, anti-cancer drugs, antifungal agents, opiates, antibiotics, anti-coagulants, diuretics, anti-anginals, antidiabetics and hypolipidemics are detected by in hospitals effluents. Unregulated disposal of unused and expired medicines is the primary inception of PhACs into the environment from hospitals and health care facilities [17]. Rejection of syringe into the hospital drain off after application on the patient's body also an important

*Pathways for inception of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites in the environment [20].*

*Concentrations of pharmaceuticals in water and solid wastes [2].*

**Parameters Typical values** Drinking water, μg/L 0.3 Surface water, μg/L 2 Ground water, μg/L 1 Municipal sewage (treated), μg/L 10 Biosolids (treated), μg/kg 10000 Agricultural soils, μg/kg 10

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94984*

disturbed by antibiotics and disinfectants.

**2.2 Health care facilities**

source of PhACs is [18].

could able to form a major source of water pollution [13].

*Fate and Occurrences of Pharmaceuticals and Their Remediation from Aquatic Environment DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94984*

extensive pollution are found in agricultural industry. Overflow from agricultural fields often contains fertilizers, eroded soil, pesticides and pharmaceuticals that could able to form a major source of water pollution [13].
