Nineteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals have recently been detected in lakes, rivers and other bodies of water throughout the world. They can reach the environment through industrial or agricultural runoff, incomplete metabolism by patients, or improper disposal methods. Once in the environment, they have unknown, and potentially serious, consequences to aquatic ecosystems, including toxicity to algae and aquatic organisms. The impacts on human health are also unknown. This study explores recent advances in the degradation of pharmaceutical compounds, with a special focus on kinetics and degradation pathways. Through this knowledge, we hope to develop technologies to purify our environment and improve sustainability at a local level.