Potentially toxic levels of pharmaceutical drugs have been found in a quarter of river locations examined across the world, a study found.
Researchers from around the world surveyed more than 1,000 sites on 258 rivers, from the Thames in London and other UK waterways to the Brazilian Amazon and rivers in major cities such as Delhi New York and Guangzhou.
The assessment measured the presence of 61 pharmaceuticals, including some compounds also linked to lifestyles such as caffeine, and whether they were above levels where they could have an effect on the environment.
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), warns that pollution of the world’s rivers by medicinal chemicals is a global problem.
www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/venezuela-new-york-london-thames-delhi-b982543.html