SLSU faculty publishes a global paper on pharmaceutical pollution in a Scopus-indexed journal

Dr. Ian A. Navarrete of Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) - Hinunangan Campus had an article, titled “Pharmaceutical pollution of the world’s rivers,” published in a Scopus-indexed journal in 2022.
Dr. Navarrete co-authored with 125 researchers in assessing the concentrations of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in rivers for them to look at a global perspective. The team analyzed from 258 rivers across 104 countries on all continents. They discovered that concentrations that are safe for aquatic organisms were lower than the concentrations of at least one API sampled from the rivers. These pollutants are harmful to aquatic life and ecosystems. Some can contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance which is a global health concern.
In addition, they discovered that low- and middle-income countries with poor wastewater systems and pharmaceutical production sites have a greater concentration of these APIs in the water.
The comprehensive analysis provided a deeper insight on the situation of APIs in a global scenario. Pharmaceutical pollution represents a global threat to environmental and human health that can hinder the efforts towards achieving environmental and health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This article aligns with Sustainable Goals No. 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), and 14 (Life Below Water).