First reports on the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment were published in the early 1970s, but it was not until better analytical instruments became available that scientists began to develop a real interest in the topic. When in the 1990s concerns began to grow about the presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water, the subject also aroused increased interest among the general public. Since then, pharmaceuticals in the environment have continued to be a hot bed of interest, as demonstrated by the huge number of publications (for an overview see the book Pharmaceuticals in the Environment. Sources, fate effects and Risk, Springer Publisher). © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.