Assessment of Pharmaceuticals in Danube River: An analysis of NORMAN database

Abstract

Abstract In recent years, various anthropogenic factors have been contributing to the deterioration of water quality in the world’s major rivers due to the discharge of untreated or improperly treated municipal wastewater, industrial effluents, and agriculture runoffs. The presence of pharmaceuticals in surface water bodies, such as in river water, is increasingly becoming an environmental concern because of their toxicological consequences on the ecosystem. Pharmaceutical contamination of river water affects every trophic level of the aquatic biota along the down streams. This review aims to analyze the presence of pharmaceuticals in the Danube, the second longest river in Europe, connecting ten countries, running through their territories or being a border. Available data on contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in the NORMAN database is used to conduct this study. Herein, temporal analysis of the distribution of CECs is presented. Further, the occurrence patterns of CECs in different countries along the Danube River basin are compared and evaluated. The results indicate that Austria, Germany, and Romania have controlled the overall pharmaceutical contamination in the river, while for Serbia and Slovakia, precautionary measures are needed. Moreover, findings from this research may be used to assess the health and environmental hazards associated with the presence of CECs in the Danube River basin. This study can assist in framing future policies to prevent adverse impacts on public health.