The Growing Concern of Pharmaceuticals in the Marine Environment: Threats to Humans and Wildlife

Pharmaceuticals have attracted growing attention as emerging contaminants of concern in environmental research, primarily due to their ubiquitous occurrence, ecotoxicity, and potential for causing antimicrobial resistance. As a result of wastewater discharges and the application of veterinary drugs in aquaculture, pharmaceuticals eventually flow into the marine environment. They tend to accumulate and transfer into marine biota and then be reintroduced into the human body through the consumption of seafood. China plays a leading role in the manufacture and consumption of pharmaceuticals, as well as aquaculture production. However, the investigation of pharmaceuticals as emerging contaminants in marine biota currently remains insufficient.

Dr. Wu Rongben, a postdoc at SKLMP, conducted a research project on pharmaceutical residues in the ocean under the supervision of Prof. Kenneth Mei Yee Leung, Director of SKLMP, and Members Dr. James Kar-Hei Fang and Dr. Apple Chui, along with many other researchers. The findings of the study were published in "Environmental Science & Technology." This research focused on the levels of 51 pharmaceuticals in the oysters collected along the coasts of the East and South China Seas and evaluated the potential risks of detected pharmaceuticals in the oysters posed to both humans and wildlife. The results showed that only 9 pharmaceuticals were detected, including 4 antibiotics, 1 psychotropic drug, and 4 antihistamines. Although no significant health risks to humans were identified through the consumption of oysters, 100–1000 times higher health risks were observed to wildlife like water birds, seasnails and starfishes. This may be due to the relatively narrow feeding habits and limited food sources of wild animals.

More information: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.3c10588