Antipsychotics as environmental pollutants: An underrated threat?

Area of Science:

• Environmental Chemistry
• Pharmacology
• Ecotoxicology

Background:

• Antipsychotics, a diverse drug class, are increasingly prescribed for conditions like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and dementia-related symptoms.
• These drugs exhibit complex pharmacology, interacting with multiple neurotransmitter systems, earning them the moniker 'dirty drugs'.
• Their widespread use and incomplete metabolism lead to their presence in the environment via patient excretion and wastewater.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the environmental presence and potential ecological impact of antipsychotic drugs.
• To underscore the inadequate removal of antipsychotics by conventional wastewater treatment technologies.
• To draw attention to the underappreciated role of antipsychotics as environmental pollutants.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on antipsychotic pharmacology, usage, and environmental detection.
• Analysis of wastewater treatment processes and their efficacy in removing pharmaceutical compounds.
• Synthesis of data on environmental concentrations and ecotoxicological effects of antipsychotics.

Main Results:

• Antipsychotics are detected in various environmental matrices, including wastewater, surface waters, and drinking water.
• Wastewater treatment plants are not designed to fully eliminate these complex pharmaceutical compounds and their metabolites.
• Environmental concentrations may be sufficient to impact aquatic organisms, with potential for bioaccumulation and behavioral changes.

Conclusions:

• Antipsychotics pose a significant, yet underestimated, environmental risk due to their persistence and biological activity.
• Their presence in aquatic ecosystems warrants further investigation into long-term ecological consequences.
• There is a critical need to address pharmaceutical pollution, particularly from widely used drugs like antipsychotics.