Przemiany fotochemiczne wybranych antropogenicznych związków organicznych w wodach powierzchniowych

Abstract

Qualitative and quantitative results have shown that many classes of organic compounds used in everyday human activities reach the aqueous environment. A group of these compounds which requires special attention of researchers includes pharmaceuticals. Consumption of pharmaceuticals in developed countries has been estimated at very high level and it is still growing. Innumerable amounts of drugs are extensively used in human and veterinary medicine, as well as in agriculture and aquaculture. Pharmaceuticals are not completely metabolized in human bodies and then parent compounds as well as their metabolites are exereted. They then enter the municipal treatment systems where they can be diluted into surface waters. Pharmaceuticals undergo biotic and abiotic transformation in an aqueous environment. In particular, sunlight is the most important abiotic factor influencing their persistence in such environments. It is difficult to predict in what way sunlight may interact with dissolved organic compounds. Both quality and quantity of generated products depend on the composition of surfaee water. Very often, the formed by-produets show higher biologieal aetivity than their parent compound. The aim of the present work is to describe the photochemical behaviour of pharmaceuticals, especially nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NLPZ).