Call to action: Pharmaceutical residues in the environment: threats to ecosystems and human health: Pharmaceutical Residues in the Environment: Threats to Ecosystems and Human Health

The increasing production and consumption of pharmaceutical products by humans has led to measurable residues in the environment. They contaminate surface waters (freshwater and marine waters), soil, and groundwater, and traces may be present in treated drinking water. These residues originate from: • human excretion (urine and faeces) from households and hospitals • leaching from agricultural land and landfill sites • unsafe disposal of medicines • point source discharges from pharmaceutical manufacturing • point-of-use emissions of anaesthetic gases and pressurised metered-dose inhalers.