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Effects of pharmaceutical substances on environmental organisms

Illustration showing how five example medicines can have negative effects on animals, using a selection of medications whose active pharmaceutical substances are particularly common in the environment: 1. Antibiotics can slow the growth of environmental bacteria and algae. 2. Painkillers can cause organ damage in fish. 3. Blood pressure medications can disrupt reproduction in aquatic insects. 4. Diabetes medications can lead to the feminisation of fish. 5. Epilepsy medications can cause developmental delays

Pharmaceutical substances are highly biologically active and can have harmful effects on living organisms in the environment.

Source: Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection 2021

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Short link: www.uba.de/m113590en