Pharmaceuticals in soil and groundwater: Analytical methods, sources, and mitigation techniques

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Environmental Chemistry
• Toxicology

Background:

• Pharmaceuticals are widely used in human and animal health, and agriculture, leading to environmental contamination.
• Concerns exist regarding the presence and impact of pharmaceutical contaminants in soil and groundwater ecosystems.
• Limited understanding of pharmaceutical sources, identification, and mitigation in these environmental compartments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a holistic understanding of pharmaceutical sources in soil and groundwater.
• To review current methods for identifying and analyzing pharmaceutical contaminants.
• To explore effective mitigation and remediation strategies for pharmaceutical pollution.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of studies from 2011-2025 using PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science.
• Analysis of pharmaceutical sources, contamination pathways, and environmental distribution.
• Evaluation of sample collection, pretreatment, extraction, and advanced analytical techniques (e.g., LC-MS).

Main Results:

• Identified key sources of pharmaceuticals in soil (irrigation, wastewater, manure) and groundwater (wastewater, sewage, landfills).
• Detailed sample collection (soil: 1-5 g; groundwater: 20-40 mL) and analysis protocols including pretreatment and extraction.
• Highlighted various remediation methods like adsorption, phytoremediation, and bioremediation for contaminated soil and groundwater.

Conclusions:

• Wastewater effluent, agricultural practices, and waste disposal are significant contributors to pharmaceutical contamination.
• Standardized analytical methods are crucial for accurate detection and quantification of pharmaceuticals.
• Integrated remediation approaches are necessary to mitigate pharmaceutical pollution in soil and groundwater environments.