Environmental risk assessment of veterinary pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical residues from the treatment of humans and food animals have increasingly been detected in the environment - approximately 250 active pharmaceutical ingredients are found in surface water, Sediment, soil or groundwater.' Although measured concentrations are generally far below therapeutic doses and maximum residue limits (MRLs), there has been growing public concern that continuous low-level exposure to these bioactive substances may have an adverse impact on non-target species and ecosystems. As a result, research on the effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment has become an important issue.