Figure 1.

Pharmaceuticals can disperse through the environment via multiple and potentially complex pathways some of which are shown here. Sources of pharmaceuticals in the environment (yellow boxes) include pharmaceutical manufacturing, livestock, aquaculture and pets, and human patients. Pharmaceuticals can then disperse directly into the environment or via sewage treatment plants and landfill (red ovals). The fate of pharmaceuticals in aquatic (boxes with blue waves) and terrestrial (green boxes with white dashes) environments can result in uptake of pharmaceuticals into wildlife. Simple food webs are shown to illustrate the potential for pharmaceuticals to bioaccumulate. (Online version in colour.)