Fig. 5.

Routes and fate of discharged pharmaceuticals into the aquatic environment. The pharmaceuticals and their metabolites can infiltrate the aquatic environment. After metabolism in the animal and human body followed by excretion, pharmaceuticals or their metabolites have been significantly discharged as domestic wastewater. They head to wastewater treatment plants and sometimes can transform into more persistent and toxic compounds by additional chemical reactions with the existing substances in wastewaters and the materials used in the wastewater treatment process. The majority of pharmaceuticals are water-soluble with high polarity, therefore they can easily sidestep wastewater treatment plants and enter ground and surface water. WTPs wastewater treatment plants