Assessment of selected pharmaceuticals
toxicity with Gammarus varsoviensis assay
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1
Zakład Badania Środowiska,
Warszawski Uniwersytet Medyczny
2
Wyższa Szkoła Gospodarki Euroregionalnej
im. Alcide De Gasperi w Józefowie
Publication date: 2015-12-31
JoMS 2015;27(4):323-344
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The problem of pollution of aquatic environment by pharmaceuticals and theirs
metabolites is not enough known and appreciate in Poland. Presence of drugs in
water, even in small concentration, can carry real consequences for aquatic organisms,
disturb biological balance in ecosystem and even it can have an impact on a human
health. Many active substances contained in pharmaceuticals are degradating very
slowly in aquatic environment. Due to their lipophilicity, they can easily accumulate
in tissues of aquatic organisms. In the aquatic ecosystems drugs occur in mixtures
with other substances, what makes difficulties in proper assessment of their real
impact on the environment. Indeed, these compounds may mutually induce or
suppress their toxic effects.
During presented research were used occurring in flowing waters crustaceans
Gammarus varsoviensis. The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate
the usefulness of scuds as bioindicators of water pollution by drugs. Fluoxetine
(antidepressant), propranolol (antiarrhythmic drug) and various mixtures there of
are used in the research.
During the research the acute toxicity of mentioned substances were analyzed
– according to Polish Standard. The growing relationship between the mortality of
tested organisms and the concentration of tested compounds was established. The
increase of toxicity of the tested drugs in its mixture was also observed.