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Pharmaceuticals Market, Consumption Trends and Disease Incidence Are Not Driving the Pharmaceutical Research on Water and Wastewater

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  • Omar Israel González Peña

    (Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Science, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada Sur No. 2501, Col. Tecnológico, Monterrey 64849, Mexico)

  • Miguel Ángel López Zavala

    (Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Science, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada Sur No. 2501, Col. Tecnológico, Monterrey 64849, Mexico)

  • Héctor Cabral Ruelas

    (Tecnologico de Monterrey, School of Engineering and Science, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada Sur No. 2501, Col. Tecnológico, Monterrey 64849, Mexico)

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals enhance our quality of life; consequently, their consumption is growing as a result of the need to treat ageing-related and chronic diseases and changes in the clinical practice. The market revenues also show an historic growth worldwide motivated by the increase on the drug demand. However, this positivism on the market is fogged because the discharge of pharmaceuticals and their metabolites into the environment, including water, also increases due to their inappropriate management, treatment and disposal; now, worldwide, this fact is recognized as an environmental concern and human health risk. Intriguingly, researchers have studied the most effective methods for pharmaceutical removal in wastewater; however, the types of pharmaceuticals investigated in most of these studies do not reflect the most produced and consumed pharmaceuticals on the market. Hence, an attempt was done to analyze the pharmaceutical market, drugs consumption trends and the pharmaceutical research interests worldwide. Notwithstanding, the intensive research work done in different pharmaceutical research fronts such as disposal and fate, environmental impacts and concerns, human health risks, removal, degradation and development of treatment technologies, found that such research is not totally aligned with the market trends and consumption patterns. There are other drivers and interests that promote the pharmaceutical research. Thus, this review is an important contribution to those that are interested not only on the pharmaceutical market and drugs consumption, but also on the links, the drivers and interests that motivate and determine the research work on certain groups of pharmaceuticals on water and wastewater.

Suggested Citation

  • Omar Israel González Peña & Miguel Ángel López Zavala & Héctor Cabral Ruelas, 2021. "Pharmaceuticals Market, Consumption Trends and Disease Incidence Are Not Driving the Pharmaceutical Research on Water and Wastewater," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-37, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:5:p:2532-:d:510130
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Delia-Andrada Duca & Mircea Laurențiu Dan & Nicolae Vaszilcsin, 2021. "Recycling of Expired Ceftamil Drug as Additive in the Copper and Nickel Electrodeposition from Acid Baths," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-14, September.
    2. Jong Kwon Im & Sang Hun Kim & Young Seuk Kim & Soon Ju Yu, 2021. "Spatio-Temporal Distribution and Influencing Factors of Human and Veterinary Pharmaceuticals in the Tributary Surface Waters of the Han River Watershed, South Korea," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(15), pages 1-15, July.
    3. Joanna Kazimierowicz & Marcin Dębowski & Marcin Zieliński, 2022. "Effect of Pharmaceutical Sludge Pre-Treatment with Fenton/Fenton-like Reagents on Toxicity and Anaerobic Digestion Efficiency," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-22, December.

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