Drugs in the Environment—Risks and Solutions

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the increased usage of pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, contraceptive hormones, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, lipid regulators, anti-cancer drugs, anti-epileptic drugs, and regulating blood pressure drugs has resulted in their presence in the environment. They reach the environment through usage in human and veterinary medicine, and disposal of unused or out-of-date drugs. This is an emerging problem due to their potential influence on human health and ecological community.

We invite investigators to contribute original research articles, as well as review articles, that will stimulate continuing efforts to develop strategies that can limit environmental contamination by drugs and help remove them from contaminated sites.

Topics of interest for Special Issue include, but are not limited to the following:

• Environmental risks connected with the presence of pharmaceuticals in the ecosystems;
• Human and veterinary medicine, animal production, and disposal of unused or out-of-date drugs as sources of drugs in the environment;
• the metagenomics analysis of the ecosystems involved in the pharmaceuticals disposal sites;
• Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) and their value for pharmaceutical utilization;
• Sewage treatment plant (STP) processes for removing pharmaceutical products;
• Development of new methods allowing to the intensification of pharmaceuticals degradation;
• Biotransformation and biodegradation of drugs;
• Analysis of bioproducts from physicochemical and biological conversions of drugs.

Dr. Urszula Guzik
Dr. Danuta Wojcieszyńska
Guest Editors

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