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Scientific background

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Pharmaceutical substances have been detected in the environment in at least 89 countries around the world.

Entry and occurrence of human pharmaceuticals in the environment

Residues of pharmaceuticals contaminate water bodies and soils worldwide. They have also been detected in groundwater and, in some cases, even in drinking water. Human pharmaceuticals enter wastewater primarily through human excretion and then pass through sewage treatment plants into water bodies. Due to increasing pharmaceutical consumption, environmental pollution is expected to rise. read more

Photo of a hand wearing a plastic glove taking a water sample in a glass container from a body of water.

Environmental effects of pharmaceutical substances

Despite the fact that, according to current knowledge, there are no known effects on human health, precautionary action should be taken to reduce the release of pharmaceutical substances into the environment, especially as there is still no knowledge of the effects of chronic intake – even at low concentrations – on humans and the environment. read more

Photo of an arm with a doctor's coat and gloves holding a globe.

Concepts and mitigation strategies

To ensure the long-term protection of ecosystems such as water bodies and soils, and for preventive health protection, the entry of pharmaceuticals into the environment must be sustainably reduced throughout the entire lifecycle of medicinal products. read more

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The UBA’s motto, For our environment (“Für Mensch und Umwelt”), sums up our mission pretty well, we feel. In this video we give an insight into our work.

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Source URL (modified on 17.06.2025):https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/en/section-scientific-background