The pharmaceutical residues and their metabolites present in soil and water
have been considered as active pollutants, posing various health risks to humans. Major
sources from where pharmaceutical compounds enter the environment are hospitals,
pharmaceutical industries, domestic wastes, and improper disposal of medicines.
Metabolism of drugs in humans is sometimes incomplete, resulting in their excretion in
either the unchanged form or in the form of metabolites. However, biodegradation of
pharmaceutical compounds and/or their metabolites in the environment is not easy;
therefore, their repeated addition to the environment makes them even more persistent.
The pharmaceuticals, based on their physicochemical properties, bind to soil particles
or enter the aquatic system. The most adverse effect of increasing the concentration of
pharmaceuticals in environmental matrices is the development of resistance in certain
bacteria against antibiotics, which is a serious health concern. Steroidal hormones can
alter the steroidogenesis of aquatic and terrestrial life and cause endocrine disruption,
leading to cognitive and brain development problems. The concentration of
pharmaceutical residues in the environment is very low; therefore, highly sensitive
instruments for their quantification are required like liquid chromatography coupled
with mass spectroscopy (LS-MS/MS) and gas chromatography with mass spectroscopy
(GS-MS). The techniques allow the identification of various analytes with improved
detection limits. The pharmaceutical residues are considered lethal pollutants, even if
present in ng/kg or ng/l, and can cause potential harm upon exposure. This chapter
aims to review various analytical approaches for pharmaceutical residue analysis and
recent advancements made in analytical techniques.
Keywords: Active pollutants, Analytical techniques, Biodegradation, Gas
chromatography, Liquid chromatography, Mass spectroscopy, Pharmaceutical
compounds.
