Journal of Organic & Inorganic Chemistry

Effects of Mixture Toxicity of Erythromycin, Diclofenac and Ibuprofen on the Freshwater Isopod, Asellus aquaticus

Pharmaceuticals are continuously released into the
aquatic environment mostly as waste water effluents
through sewage treatment plants, run-offs, effluents from
pharmaceutical manufacturing companies etc. This results in
chronic exposure of aquatic organisms to these substances
and their metabolites. Although, the concentrations of
pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment are usually in
ngL-1 to g L-1 range, they are not likely to result in lethal
toxicity. Nevertheless, extended and unabated exposure to
low concentrations of drugs could lead to sublethal effects or
even multigenerational effects. The aim of this study was to
seek to improve the understanding of the effects of prolonged
low-level exposure of Asellus aquaticus (aquatic macroinvertebrates)
to mixtures of erythromycin, diclofenac and
ibuprofen. On exposure to the mixture, growth rate decreased,
feed intake was reduced but mortality was not significant for
A. aquaticus. The effects of these pharmaceuticals on the
growth, feeding and mortality of the test animal were as
a result of the actions of the drugs and not attributed to a
more general stress response. Although pharmaceuticals are
indispensable to human health their usage and discharge to
the aquatic environment coupled with their ecotoxicity to
aquatic life may lead to ecological problems in the near future.
Furthermore, this research confirms the suitability of the test
species (A. aquaticus) as ecotoxicological test species that is
both amenable to laboratory culture and sufficiently sensitive
to provide reliable quantification of environmental risk.

Author(s):

Ogunbanwo OMA

Abstract | PDF

Share this