Effects of two realistic pharmaceutical mixtures on natural freshwater periphyton communities

• During the last decade pharmaceuticals have been established as an important class of environmental pollutants. Main route of entry into the environment is from their regular use, which makes effluents from sewage treatment plants important sources of pollution. According to data from standard ecotoxicological tests, pharmaceuticals rarely pose an immediate risk at environmentally realistic concentrations. In reality though, pharmaceuticals act as mixtures on whole biological communities. Whether, and to what extent ecological effects can be expected under these circumstances is unknown. Hence we investigated the effects of two mixtures consisting of 15-20 pharmaceuticals on natural freshwater periphyton communities. The mixture compositions were based on effluent data from two sewage treatments plants, Ryaverket (Göteborg, Sweden) and Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne (Lyon, France). Effects on periphytic bacteria were measured as changes in metabolic diversity (Ecolog®). For the algal part of the communities, changes in pigment pattern and species composition were measured. Clear community-level effects were observed for the two mixtures

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

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)

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)