Bioaccumulation and biomagnification of pharmaceutical active compounds and endocrine disruptors in freshwater ecosystems

Tehnološkim razvojem dolazi do nove vrste onečišćenja, tzv. onečišćenje lijekovima koje poprima sve veće razmjere u prirodi ostavljajući velike posljedice na biljni i životinjski svijet, a zatim i na ljude. Ovakvo onečišćenje podrazumijeva korištenje svakodnevnih farmaceutskih proizvoda i egzogenih tvari koje mijenjaju funkciju endokrinog sustava i posljedično uzrokuju štetne zdravstvene učinke, a nazivaju se endokrini disruptori. Oni dolaze putem otpadnih voda u okoliš gdje se bioakumuliraju u organizme koji su u kontaktu s vodom. Shodno tome, najviše koncentracije pronađene su u bentoskim vrstama, što ukazuje na to da su organizmi u zajednicama dna glavni primatelji lijekova. Osim toga, zabilježena je i biomagnifikacija ovih spojeva, tj. povećanje njihove koncentracije u članovima hranidbenog lanca, proporcionalno s razinom hranidbenog lanca. Stoga su u mnogim dijelovima svijeta u slatkovodnim ribama zabilježene relativno visoke koncentracije ovih spojeva te su zamijećeni njihovi učinci na fiziologiju jedinki i populacija. Osim toga, zabilježen je i prijenos u kopneni ekosustav putem trofičkih interakcija. Zbog svega navedenog, farmaceutsko zagađenje vodnih resursa postaje važno pitanje u budućnosti zaštite okoliša, kao i zdravlja ljudi, nesvjesno izloženih uglavnom kontaminiranoj vodi i hrani.Technological development has resulted in a new type of environmental pollution affecting ecosystems, i.e. the “drug pollution”. It is the consequence of the wide everyday use of pharmaceutical products and exogenous substances that alter the function of endocrine system and consequently cause harmful health problems, called endocrine disruptors. They are released into the environment through waste waters where they are accumulated in organisms that are in contact with water. Consequently, the highest concentrations were found in benthic species, indicating that the bottom-dwelling organisms are the main recipients of drugs. In addition, biomagnification of these compounds was recorded, namely some of these compounds increase in concentration along the food chain. Therefore, relatively high concentrations of these compounds have been recorded in freshwater fish in different parts of the world, and their effects on the physiology of individuals and populations have been noted. Additionally, transfer to the terrestrial ecosystem through trophic interactions was recorded. Due to all these factors, pharmaceutical contamination of water resources is becoming an important issue in the future of environmental protection, as well as in the health of people that are unconsciously exposed to contaminated water and food