Human pharmaceuticals in the arctic - A review

Pharmaceuticals have been deemed as 'contaminants of emerging concern' within the Arctic and are a potentially perennial form of pollution. With recent innovations in detection technology for organic compounds, researchers have been able to find substantial evidence of the presence and accumulation of pharmaceutical pollution within the Arctic marine ecosystem. The pharmaceuticals, which are biologically active substances used in diagnosis, treatment or prevention of diseases, may persist in the Arctic environment and may have an impact on the resident marine biota. Thus, to understand the standing of current research on the origin, transport, bioaccumulation and impacts of pharmaceutical pollution on the Arctic marine ecosystem, this study collates research from the early 2000s to the end of 2023 to act as a baseline for future research. The study highlights the fact that there is an evident threat to the Arctic marine ecosystem due to pharmaceutical pollution. It also shows that the impacts of pharmaceuticals within the Arctic ocean are not well studied.