Neuroactive drugs and other pharmaceuticals found in blood plasma of wild European fish

• To gain a better understanding of which pharmaceuticals could pose a risk to fish, 94 pharmaceuticals representing 23 classes were analyzed in blood plasma from wild bream, chub, and roach captured at 18 sites in Germany, the Czech Republic and the UK, respectively. Based on read across from humans, we evaluated the risks of pharmacological effects occurring in the fish for each measured pharmaceutical. Twenty-three compounds were found in fish plasma, with the highest levels measured in chub from the Czech Republic. None of the German bream had detectable levels of pharmaceuticals, whereas roach from the Thames had mostly low concentrations. For two pharmaceuticals, four individual Czech fish had plasma concentrations higher than the concentrations reached in the blood of human patients taking the corresponding medication. For nine additional compounds, determined concentrations exceeded 10% of the corresponding human therapeutic plasma concentration in 12 fish. The majority of the pharmaceuticals where a clear risk for pharmacological effects was identified targets the central nervous system. These include e.g. flupentixol, haloperidol, and risperidone, all of which have the potential to affect fish behavior. In addition to identifying pharmaceuticals of environmental concern, the results emphasize the value of environmental monitoring of internal drug levels in aquatic wildlife, as well as the need for more research to establish concentration-response relationships. © 2020 The Author(s)

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Miljövetenskap (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Environmental Sciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Farmakologi och toxikologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Pharmacology and Toxicology (hsv//eng)

LANTBRUKSVETENSKAPER  -- Annan lantbruksvetenskap -- Vilt- och fiskeförvaltning (hsv//swe)

AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES  -- Other Agricultural Sciences -- Fish and Wildlife Management (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Aquatic environment

Behavior

Ecotoxicology

Pharmacological effect

Psychoactive pharmaceuticals

Read-across

Binary alloys

Fish

Potassium alloys

Risk assessment

Uranium alloys

Aquatic wildlife

Central nervous systems

Environmental concerns

Environmental Monitoring

Human therapeutics

Low concentrations

Pharmacological effects

Plasma concentration

Blood

Psychoactive pharmaceuticals

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)