Environmental risks of medicines

In recent years, medicines for humans and animals[1] have increasingly been found in the environment. Some medicines are known to disrupt the hormone system of fish, crustaceans and shellfish. Little more is known about some medicines than that they are found in low concentrations in water and soil. However, for the majority of medicines, practically nothing is known about their occurrence in the environment and the risks they present to organisms living in their natural habitat. In other countries, traces of medicines have been found in drinking water. However, no research has been conducted into the possible consequences of exposing human beings to the presumably low concentrations found in drinking water.