Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: No new date or venue has been set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and no negotiations will take place until the outcome is guaranteed
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted

World's rivers tremendously polluted by drugs

  • By Al Mayadeen net
  • Source: Agencies
  • 15 Feb 2022 19:11
  • 1 Shares
4 Min Read

Scientists warn that pollution from pharmaceuticals pose a "global threat to human and environmental health."

  • x
  • World's rivers tremendously polluted by drugs
    Pharmaceuticals "are almost omnipresent in rivers across the world" (nrdc.com)

According to a recent study, the concentration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in rivers globally "pose a threat to environmental and human health."

Pharmaceuticals and other biologically active substances used by people are known to harm animals, and antibiotics in the environment increase the chance of drug resistance, one of humanity's biggest concerns.

The scientists measured the concentration of 61 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) at more than 1,000 sites along 258 rivers and in 104 countries, covering all continents.

Only Iceland and a Venezuelan town where indigenous people do not utilize modern medications were unpolluted.

The most often found APIs were carbamazepine, an anti-epileptic medicine that is difficult to break down, metformin, a diabetic medication, and caffeine.

Antibiotics were identified at unsafe levels in one out of every five locations, and many sites contained at least one API at levels deemed toxic for animals, including impacts such as the feminization of fish.

APIs end up in rivers after being consumed by humans and cattle and excreted into the sewage system or directly into the environment, while some may also leak from pharmaceutical plants.

API levels were extremely high in Lahore, Pakistan, La Paz, Bolivia, and Addis Abeba, Ethiopia.

Madrid, Spain, was in the top 10 percent of places with the greatest cumulative concentrations, while Glasgow, UK, and Dallas, US, were in the top 20 percent.

"The World Health Organization and UN and other organizations say antimicrobial resistance is the single greatest threat to humanity – it's a next pandemic," said John Wilkinson, at the University of York, in the UK, and who led the study, which involved 127 researchers from 86 institutions.

Related News

Indonesia court orders compensation of families of cough syrup victims

China's Sinovac hits back at US military campaign discrediting vaccine

The Kai Tak River in Hong Kong had the most APIs in a single location, with 34 separate APIs.

The greatest drug concentrations were discovered in low-to-middle income nations such as India and Nigeria.

According to a study published in January, 5 million individuals died in 2019 from antibiotic-resistant bacterial illnesses.

The study's locations with the most antibiotic-resistant damage closely correlate with those with the most drug pollution, indicating that river contamination may be a factor in driving up resistance.

One location in Bangladesh found metronidazole levels more than 300 times higher than the acceptable limit, presumably due to leakage from pharmaceutical manufacture.

Metronidazole levels were discovered to be more than 300 times higher than the legal limit in one place in Bangladesh, likely owing to leakage from pharmaceutical manufacturing.

The study did not include measurements of illegal drugs such as cocaine and MDMA, which have been detected in rivers at levels harmful to wildlife, although future analysis of the samples may do this.

Wilkinson said, "good sewage connectivity and wastewater treatment is the key to minimizing, though not necessarily eliminating, pharmaceutical concentrations."

Another method to minimize pollution, he says, is to use drugs more cautiously, particularly antibiotics, which are widely available without prescription in many countries and are commonly used needlessly, for example, to treat colds.

Prof Joakim Larsson, of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, who was not part of the study researchers said pharmaceuticals "are almost omnipresent in rivers across the world."

“The study shows that a fairly large set of pharmaceuticals exceed ‘safe levels’, and often at a very large number of sites. Bacteria do not respect national borders, so if a new resistant bacterium develops on one side of our planet, it soon becomes a risk for everyone.”

  • pharmaceuticals
  • Pollution

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS