TY - CHAP

T1 - Conclusion

AU - Kümmerer, Klaus

PY - 2004

Y1 - 2004

N2 - Drugs and medicines are characterised by their powerful effects and wide-ranging benefits in certain areas of application. However despite their beneficial therapeutic effects, some drugs affect organisms in the environment and ecosystems, and from the point of view of environmental hygiene, contamination of groundwater and drinking water is highly undesirable, even if the compounds involved have a low acute toxicity for humans. It is not clear whether the dynamics of bacterial population in the environment are influenced by the input of antibacterials and resistant bacteria. Our current knowledge shows that harmful effects for humans are not to be expected from the intake of pharmaceuticals with drinking water. As far as humans and organisms in the environment are concerned, the extent to which a comparison of a short-lived high dose (for diagnosis and treatment) and a long-term low dose (intake via drinking water) is permissible, is open to question, not least because of the polymorphic differences in sensitivity and the responsiveness of individual persons.

AB - Drugs and medicines are characterised by their powerful effects and wide-ranging benefits in certain areas of application. However despite their beneficial therapeutic effects, some drugs affect organisms in the environment and ecosystems, and from the point of view of environmental hygiene, contamination of groundwater and drinking water is highly undesirable, even if the compounds involved have a low acute toxicity for humans. It is not clear whether the dynamics of bacterial population in the environment are influenced by the input of antibacterials and resistant bacteria. Our current knowledge shows that harmful effects for humans are not to be expected from the intake of pharmaceuticals with drinking water. As far as humans and organisms in the environment are concerned, the extent to which a comparison of a short-lived high dose (for diagnosis and treatment) and a long-term low dose (intake via drinking water) is permissible, is open to question, not least because of the polymorphic differences in sensitivity and the responsiveness of individual persons.

KW - Chemistry

KW - Sewage Sludge

KW - Resistant Bacterium

KW - Maximum Permissible Concentration

KW - Safety Data Sheet

KW - Environmental Hygiene

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/68a357d6-b393-39f3-a7f9-b03f4fbdf8f5/

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-662-09259-0_34

DO - 10.1007/978-3-662-09259-0_34

M3 - Contributions to collected editions/anthologies

SN - 3-540-21342-2

SN - 978-3-662-09261-3

SP - 499

EP - 503

BT - Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

A2 - Kümmerer, Klaus

PB - Springer

CY - Berlin

ER -