Untersuchungen zum Vorkommen polycyclischer Moschus-Duftstoffe in verschiedenen Umweltkompartimenten

New flavors have been detected in GC/MS chromatograms of surface and sewage waters and fish analyzed for nitro musk compounds. This article names the polycyclic musk flavors 1,3,4,6,7,8-hexahydro-4, 6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta-(g)-2-benzopyrane (HHCB, known for instance under the trade names: Galaxolide® and Abbalide®), 7-acetyl-1,1,3,4,4,6-hexamethyltetralin (AHTN, known for instance under the trade names: Tonalide® and Fixolide®) and 4-Acetyl-1,1-dimethyl-6-tert.butylindane (ADBI, known for instance under the trade names: Celestolide® and Crysolide®). These substances, which are widely used in the cosmetics and flavor industries, here have been established for the first time in the aquatic environment. HHCB, AHTN and ADBI — as relatively non-polar lipophilic chemicals — like organochlorine pesticides and PCBs after extraction and consecutive purification by gel permeation and silicagel adsorption chromatography are accessible to analysis by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Mass spectra show typical mass fragments which allow an unambigous identification and quantification. First results for surface and sewage waters and fish underline the persistence and a relatively high bioconcentration potential of these substances and suggest their ubiqitious distribution in the aquatic environment.     

Solar-induced generation of singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radical in sewage wastewaters

Singlet oxygen (¹O₂) and hydroxyl radical (·OH) play an important role in the degradation of pollutants in surface waters. However, the mechanism underlying the photochemical generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH in wastewaters is poorly known. Here we studied the photo-induced generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH in different sewage treatment plant units. The correlation between the generation of ¹O₂ and ·OH and the water constituents was discussed. Our results show that in sewage units the ¹O₂ formation rate ranges from 2.19 × 10^?8 to 6.74 × 10^?8 mol L^?1 s^?1, and the ·OH formation rate ranges from 1.7 × 10^?11 to 3.06 × 10^?10 mol L^?1 s^?1. The average ¹O₂ formation rates in the various sewage units are similar to those in wetland and estuarine waters containing rich dissolved organic matter and 2–4 times higher than those in lake and seawater samples. The average ·OH formation rates of the sewage units are 5–50 times higher than for other water samples reported. The ·OH generation rate increased with the iron content with a correlation coefficient of 0.85, which indicates that the photo-Fenton reaction plays a dominant role in ·OH generation in sewage wastewater.     

Long-term assessment of the environmental fate of heavy metals in agricultural soil after cessation of organic waste treatments

The current study examined the anthropogenic accumulation and natural decrease in metal concentrations in agricultural soils following organic waste application. Three common organic wastes, including municipal sewage sludge, alcohol fermentation processing sludge, and pig manure compost (PMC), were applied annually to an agricultural soil under field conditions over 7 years (1994–2000) at a rate of 12.5, 25, and 50 ton ha^?1 year^?1 and the soil accumulation of three metals of concern (Cu, Pb, and Zn) was monitored. Subsequently, organic waste amendments ceased and the experimental plots were managed using conventional fertilization for another 10 years (2001–2010) and the natural decrease in metal concentrations monitored. Although Cu and Zn concentrations in all experimental plots did not exceed the relevant guideline values (150 mg kg^?1 for Cu and 300 mg kg^?1 for Zn), significant increases in metal concentrations were observed from cumulative application of organic wastes over 7 years. For instance, PMC treatment resulted in an increase in Cu and Zn from 9.8 and 72 mg kg^?1 to 108.2 and 214.3 mg kg^?1, respectively. In addition, the natural decrease in Cu and Zn was not significant as soils amended with PMC showed only a 16 and 19 % decline in Cu and Zn concentrations, respectively, even 10 years after amendment ceased. This research suggested that more attention must be paid during production of organic waste-based amendments and at the application stage.     

Photochemical reaction of peroxynitrite and carbon dioxide could account for up to 15 % of carbonate radicals generation in surface waters

The carbonate radical (CO ₃ ^?· ) is a photoinduced transient species occurring in surface waters. The carbonate radical can transform both natural compounds and xenobiotics. For instance, it can react with electron-rich substrates such as anilines, phenols and organic sulfur compounds. Here we used the APEX software to assess photochemical reactions, including the formation rates of transient species, based on water chemistry and depth, under summertime irradiation conditions. We found that the reaction between peroxynitrite and carbon dioxide is a potentially significant source of CO ₃ ^?· in sunlit surface waters, and could account for up to 10–15 % of the total CO ₃ ^?· formation. The peroxynitrite pathway to CO ₃ ^?· would be most significant at pH 7–8 and would be enhanced in waters with elevated nitrate and low alkalinity. Therefore, the proposed process could add to the known photochemical sources of CO ₃ ^?· in surface-water environments.     

Phototransformation of <Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">l</Emphasis>-tryptophan and formation of humic substances in water

Humic substances are poorly known, though they represent a major pool of non-biotic organic carbon on earth. In particular, there is little knowledge on the formation of humic substances by irradiation of organic matter dissolved in waters. Specifically, it is known that humic substances can be formed from proteins by photochemical processes in surface waters, but the role of single amino acids and their transformation pathways are not yet known. Therefore, here we studied the phototransformation of aqueous l-tryptophan under simulated sunlight. Irradiated l-tryptophan solutions were analyzed by absorption, fluorescence, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies, chromatography, potentiometry and mass spectrometry (MS). The solutions appeared turbid after irradiation; therefore, nephelometry and dynamic laser light scattering were used to characterize the suspended particles. Results show that about 95% of l-tryptophan was degraded in 8-h irradiation, undergoing deamination and decarboxylation of the amino acidic moieties to release ammonium and formate. The MS signal at m/z 146 suggests the formation of 3-ethylindole, while pH-metric and NMR data revealed the presence of hydroxylated compounds. The phototransformation intermediates of l-tryptophan had fluorescence and absorption spectra similar to those of humic substances, they were able to produce ^·OH upon irradiation and tended to aggregate by both ionic and hydrophobic interactions. Overall, our findings reveal for the first time the nature of products formed upon phototransformation of l-tryptophan. Interestingly, the transformation of l-tryptophan is quite different from that of the previously studied l-tyrosine, although both compounds produce humic-like materials under irradiation.     

Environmental Impact on Coastal Waters off Rio De Janeiro Due to Sewage Discharge via Submarine Outfall

A survey was made in an area of 28 km² around the outlest of Ipanema's submarine outfall in order to evaluate the impact of the raw domestic sewage effluent on coastal waters. Nutrient concentrations, dissolved oxygen, particulate matter and other physico-chemical parameters were measured monthly for 15 months. Copper and lead concentrations were also determined for two of the samplings.

The outfall has been in operation for 18 years, and the parameters measured within the observation area appear to be in steady state. From the observed radial concentration gradients within the survey area, a real extension of the steady state distribution of particulate matter and of sewage-derived nitrogen was estimated. the stationary cloud of particulate organic matter was about 150 km². From its total inventory and the discharge rate, a mean residence time of the particles in the sea of 56 days is estimated, prior to their being decomposed by bacterial action or settling to the bottom. for sewage derived N (as ammonia or nitrate), the steady state amount (above background) covers an area of about 60 km² and leads to a mean residence time of 5 ± 1 days in the ocean. Phosphorus is readily absorbed by the phytoplankton.

The presence of temperature gradients established by cold upwelling waters controls the dispersion of the sewage material and the rising of the sewage plume to the surface waters.     

广州市某A2/O工艺城镇污水处理厂出水对大型溞的生殖毒性作用

城镇污水处理厂废水中存在大量生物毒性物质,但该废水对动物的生殖能力影响研究还十分缺乏。利用大型溞暴露实验,检测广州市某采用A~2/O工艺的城镇污水处理厂出水的急性毒性和生殖毒性。48 h急性毒性实验表明,所有水样均未表现出急性毒性效应。慢性生殖毒性(14 d)测试结果表明:(1)从进水到缺氧池出水均能显著提高第一胎产溞数量;(2)进水和沉砂池出水显著增加受试期总产溞数量;(3)从厌氧池到出水工艺段受试溞的第一胎产溞时间均推后;(4)好氧池出水的毒性显著降低,但仍然对大型溞具有生殖毒性。研究表明,好氧池(A~2/O)工艺能够显著去除具有大型溞生殖毒性的物质,但污水处理厂废水的生殖毒性仍需要引起关注。     

Bewertung der Umweltgefährlichkeit von Stoffen

By sending a questionnaire to all companies of the pulp and paper, textile finishing and leather industries in Germany a study ascertained wastewater data concerning the general situation, treatment processes and specific amounts. With these data standard figures used in the EU for the assessment of chemical substances were checked. The volume flows of the industrial sewage treatment were determined for the facilities of all three branches which discharge their wastewater directly to the receiving waters. The 10 percentile score of these facilities amounted to only a quarter of the EU standard figure of 2,000 m³/d. This value is related to a standardised waste water treatment plant within the EU, which treated the wastewater of 200 l/d from 10,000 inhabitants. The analyses of the entire branch in each case yield dilution factors of 20–70% of the EU standard value of 10. Only the full tanning leather companies yielded a dilution factor of 10. The volume flows of the sewage treatment plants of the facilities discharging to the sewer system exceeds 2,000 m³/d in call cases.     

Utilisation des mesures de charge énergétique,d'ETS et de 14C-assimilation pour le suivi de l'activité microplanctonique dans des eaux côtières sous l'influence de rejets urbains

The influence of the sewage from the city of Marseilles, France, upon the marine microplanktonic assemblages was followed over a period of one year (May 1980–April 1981) at five stations and three sampling depths. Measurements of the ¹⁴C assimilation rate, adenylate energy charge, and the electron-transport system (ETS) were compared with parallel phytoplankton and bacteria counts. In the coastal waters near the sewage outlet the phytoplanktonic organisms were stressed, as attested by the low values of both assimilation rate and energy-charge ratios; the living microbiomass in these waters was essentially of bacterial origin. In waters situated 4 to 5 km away from the outlet, and therefore not directly under its influence, higher mean P:B and EC ratios indicated the presence of a predominantly living phytoplanktonic assemblage. Nevertheless, the metabolic stress induced by the inflow of polluted water to the waters near the sewage outlet did not prevent the occurrence of a spring bloom. The electron-transport system measurements and their relationship to the effective bacterial counts are in good accordance with the literature data describing laboratory cultures, and indicate intense heterotrophic activity in the waters nearest to the sewage outlet. This activity is most probably of bacterial origin: perhaps some of the terrestrial germs introduced into the marine environment remained viable, perhaps the considerable volume of organic matter introduced into this area induced heterotrophic development, or perhaps both factors combined. Simultaneous consideration of biochemical and physiological data with the structure and composition of the microplanktonic populations could explain the apparent contradiction between the high level of nutrient supply and the lack of photoautotrophic growth noted in previous studies in this area. However, the considerable amounts of fresh organic matter present in the waters near the sewage outlet at Cortiou indicate the necessity for great care in the use of biochemical parameters such as chlorophyll or AMP for the estimation of microplankton biomass; such estimates can be biased by the presence of non-degraded detrital particles of biological origin.     

Removal of nitrogen from wastewaters by anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) using granules in upflow reactors

Nitrogen pollution of waters has sometimes caused severe eutrophication, leading to the death of fishes and most aquatic life. There is therefore a need for efficient and cost-effective methods to remove nitrogen from ammonium-rich wastewaters. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) is a promising process to remove nitrogen because this process directly oxidizes ammonium (NH₄ ⁺) to dinitrogen gas (N₂) under anoxic condition. Nonetheless, a challenge of this process is that chemolithoautotrophic Anammox bacteria grow slowly at the beginning, thus resulting in low Anammox biomass and instability of reactors. Such issues can be overcome by granulation of the Anammox sludge. Here, we review the characteristics of the Anammox bacteria, and the formation, structure and flotation of Anammox granules under high hydraulic loadings. We also evaluate the performances of full-scale granular Anammox processes. The major points are: 1) Anammox bacteria secrete a large amount of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), up to 415 mg g^?1 of volatile suspended solids (VSS), containing many hydrophobic functional groups that facilitate biomass granulation. 2) Granulation enhances the sludge settling property and retention time, which contributes to the extremely high nitrogen removal rate of 77 kg m^?3 d^?1 of Anammox upflow reactors. 3) Flotation of Anammox granules frequently occurs under nitrogen removal rate higher than 10 kg m^?3 d^?1, which is mainly due to the overproduction of EPS under high hydraulic conditions.     

Seasonal changes in inorganic nutrient concentration in the alexandria western harbour (Egypt)

Surface and bottom water samples were collected on a monthly basis from six locations in the Alexandria Western Harbour between April 2002 and March 2003. Total nitrogen, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, total phosphorus, reactive phosphate and silicate were analysed. The average content of total nitrogen ranged from 81.1 to 65.7?µmol?l^?1 in the surface and bottom waters, respectively, while ammonia ranged from 13.77 to 15.79?µmol?l^?1 in surface and bottom waters, respectively. Also, the average concentration of nitrite was relatively higher in surface waters than in bottom waters (0.89 and 0.61?µmol?l^?1, respectively). The results of this study also indicated a considerable temporal variation in nitrate concentrations which ranged from 1.12 to 13.83?µmol?l^?1. Total phosphorus displayed an irregular pattern throughout the year, ranging from 1.9 to 11.8?µmol?l^?1 in surface waters and from 1.7 to 9.1?µmol?l^?1 in bottom waters. The results of PO₄-P analysis showed higher values in surface waters (0.28–2.75?µmol?l^?1) than in bottom waters (0.10–1.70?µmol?l^?1). The average concentration of silicates was relatively lower in the surface than in the bottom waters (8.97 and 10.1?µmol?l^?1, respectively). The analysis of variance (ANOVA) among seasons and sites revealed significant differences for ammonia, total nitrogen and phosphate, while nitrate showed no significant differences among stations. Finally, silicate did not show any significant variance among sites and seasons (ANOVA, P?>?0.05).     

Humanpharmakawirkstoffe in der Umwelt: Einträge, Vorkommen und der Versuch einer Bestandsaufnahme

Background

The presence of a large spectrum of pharmaceutical agents has been reported for aquatic environments (surface—and groundwater) and other aquatic media (influents and effluents of sewage treatment plants) in Germany and beyond, including their occurrence in drinking water. Considering the large number of pharmaceuticals produced for human use and released into the environment, various authors (Sattelberger 1999, Hanisch et al. 2004, Castiglioni et al. 2006, IWW 2006, Stockholm County Council 2006) tried to compile ‘priority lists’ focusing on those substances with environmental relevance. The following agents are included in all lists: ciprofloxacine, clarythromycine (antibiotics), carbamazepine (anti-epileptic agent), bezafibrate (lipid reducer), clofibric acid (lipid reducer metabolite), ethinylestradiol (sex hormone) and cylophosfamide (cytostatic agent). The agents erythromycine and sulfamethoxazole (antibiotics), ibuprofen, indometacine, propyphenazone (analgesics), atenolol (beta-blocker) and ifosfamide (cytostatic agent) can be found in three of four priority lists.

Results

Pharmaceuticals mainly enter the aquatic environment via effluent water, coming from wastewater treatment plants (including hospital and household sewerage), untreated discharges (e.g, secondary transfer of active agents into ground- and surface waters via sewage sludge application in agriculture and via landfill leachate) and leakages in the municipal sewer network.

Discussion

Potential activities towards a reduced release of pharmaceuticals into the environment should consider primarily the origin of the exposure to allow a separation of drug containing flows already at the source. Following the latter it would be possible to minimize the contamination of spring-, ground- and surface waters which serve as raw water resources for drinking water supply. However, considering the actual water pollution with pharmaceuticals and other substances, ‘end-of pipe’ techniques in the sewage and drinking water treatment are absolutely essential.

Conclusions

Sustainability criteria (e.g. protection of drinking water resources, habitats and biocoenoses, recycling and economizing use of resources) and economic aspects of modern sewage disposal concepts require a useful choice and combination of technical measures as components of centralized and decentralized sewage and drinking water treatment methods. It is though not realistic to cover and eliminate all pharmaceutical agents of environmental relevance equally effective even if a catalogue of potential technical treatment methods is elaborated thoroughly. Therefore, a concentration of efforts on selected drug agents, at least following initially some of the priority lists, is recommended.

Recommendations and Perspectives

The contamination of the water cycle with pharmaceuticals is nevertheless not exclusively to be solved via the application of technical methods. The BMBF (Federal Ministry for Education and Research) funded project start (Management Strategies for Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water, www.start-project.de) therefore tries by implementation of a transdisciplinary approach to integrate technical-, behavioral-, and agent-orientated management strategies towards a more comprehensive and sustainable problem solution.     

Dissolved nutrient dynamics along the southwest coastal waters of India during northeast monsoon: a case study

Dissolved nutrients, Chl-a and primary productivity were measured from seven transects along the coastal waters of the southeastern Arabian Sea during northeast monsoon. Ten major estuaries were chosen to study the influence of estuarine discharge on the nutrient dynamics in the coastal waters. The mean water discharge of the estuaries in the north (64.8?±?18?×?10⁵?m³?d^?1) was found to be higher than those in the south (30.6?±?21.4?×?10⁵?m³?d^?1), whereas the nutrient concentrations were found to be higher in the estuaries of the south. The results from the offshore waters were discussed in accordance with the depth contour classification, that is, shelf (depth?≤?30?m) and slope waters (depth?≥?30?m). Our results suggest that the estuarine discharge plays a major role in the nutrient distribution in near shore shelf waters, whereas in shelf and slope waters, it was mainly controlled by in situ biological processes. The inorganic form of N to P ratios were found to be higher than Redfield ratio in slope waters when compared with shelf waters, suggesting that PO₄^3? (<0.15?µmol?L^?1) is a limiting nutrient for primary production. The multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the nutrient dynamics in the coastal waters was controlled by both biological and physical processes.     

铅在模拟预处理稳定塘中的归宿

本文较全面地研究了城市污水中的铅在模拟预处理稳定塘中的归宿。不论在哪种预处理稳定塘中,悬浮颗粒态锅的沉降作用是去除污水中铅的主要作用。进入城市污水中的铅,大部分和污水中的悬浮物结合转变成悬浮颗粒态铅,它们输入到模拟预处理预处理稳定塘,这些悬浮颗粒态铅即可在很短的时间内（１ｄ）通过沉降作用得以有效地去除。停留时间分别为１,２,３,５和１０ｄ的实验表明,模拟预处理稳定塘对城市污水中铅的去除率可达５２－     

Possible solutions for sludge dewatering in China

In China, over 1.43×10⁷ tons of dewatered sewage sludge, with 80% water content, were generated from wastewater treatment plants in 2007. About 60% of the COD removed during the wastewater treatment process becomes concentrated as sludge. Traditional disposal methods used by municipal solid waste treatment facilities, such as landfills, composting, or incineration, are unsuitable for sludge disposal because of its high water content. Disposal of sludge has therefore become a major focus of current environmental protection policies. The present status of sludge treatment and disposal methodology is introduced in this paper. Decreasing the energy consumption of sludge dewatering from 80% to 50% has been a key issue for safe and economic sludge disposal. In an analysis of sludge water distribution, thermal drying and hydrothermal conditioning processes are compared. Although thermal drying could result in an almost dry sludge, the energy consumption needed for this process is extremely high. In comparison, hydrothermal technology could achieve dewatered sewage sludge with a 50%–60% water content, which is suitable for composting, incineration, or landfill. The energy consumption of hydrothermal technology is lower than that required for thermal drying.     

Are barnacle larvae able to escape from the threat of UV?

Earlier laboratory experiments suggested that environmental levels of UV-B radiation can damage the eyes of barnacle naupliar larvae and impair their phototactic behaviors. However, since barnacle larvae may avoid UV by migrating to deeper waters, it is not known whether such impairment would actually occur under field conditions. For the first time, this study provides both field and laboratory evidences to show that prevailing UV-B in the natural habitat of barnacle larvae could be an important environmental factor affecting natural barnacle populations. We here showed that although barnacle nauplii may avoid UV-B irradiation by downward migration, the amount of UV energy (9.8 × 10⁻⁶ J) received by a naupliar eye during downward migration in the natural water column is within the same order of magnitude as the total energy (7.5 × 10⁻⁶ J) sufficient to cause damages to naupliar eye and impair their phototactic responses. It is possible that solar UV-B prevailing at shallow waters would pose a similar threat to other zooplankton species over large geographic scale.     

Photodegradation of the pure and formulated alpha-cypermethrin insecticide gives different products

Alpha-cypermethrin is a broad-spectrum insecticide widely used in the treatment of rice crops, mainly commercialized as a CONTEST^® formulation. The photodegradation of alpha-cypermethrin and of the commercial formulation has not yet been systematically investigated in paddy water under natural conditions. Here, paddy water solutions of alpha-cypermethrin and CONTEST^® formulation at 5.0 mg L^?1 were irradiated under simulated sunlight for 10 days. Hydrolysis experiments were carried out on the same solutions preserved in the dark. Analysis by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the identification of photodegradation products. Results show that degradation of pure alpha-cypermethrin and the formulation counterpart produces both common and different photodegradation products. Five out eleven photodegradation products were identified for the first time, in particular three in the alpha-cypermethrin paddy water solution and four in the formulation. Our findings underline the importance of carrying out photodegradation experiments directly on the commercial formulation, since degradation products could be different from the pure insecticide.     

Hydrogeochemical and biomedical insights into germanium potential of curative waters: a case study of health resorts in the Sudetes Mountains (Poland)

Germanium is considered to be a non-essential element; however, little is still known about its significance for living organisms. It exerts prophylactic and therapeutic effects in the treatment of serious diseases such as cancer, HIV infection, and others. Germanium does not exhibit acute toxicity, but, as it tends to accumulate in various organs and tissues, undesirable and even dangerous side effects have been reported after prolonged and/or high dosage application. In general, inorganic compounds of germanium are more toxic than its organic compounds. Further studies should be performed to elucidate the exact molecular mechanism of germanium action, to determine the safe and effective dose of germanium via curative/mineral waters, and to understand the applications and benefits of using germanium-enriched waters in balneotherapy. The geochemistry of curative (cold CO₂-rich, thermal) waters from spas in the Sudetes (Poland) was clarified in terms of components and mineral phases which might govern germanium. Germanium and silicon in thermal (above 20 °C) waters presumably result from the solubility of silicates in crystalline (granites, gneisses) aquifer rocks and might be controlled by neo-formed quartz. The cold CO₂-rich waters revealed a significant diversity of aqueous chemistry and relationships of germanium with iron, silicon, or arsenic. Locally, both in sedimentary (sandstones) and metamorphic (gneisses) aquifer rocks, primary (silicates) and/or secondary (oxides) iron-containing minerals likely release germanium into solution. In the CO₂-rich waters of the western part of the K?odzko Region, germanium distinctly correlates with arsenic. It is hypothesized that both elements are co-sourced from crystalline basement and/or migration of substances of post-magmatic origin along deep-seated dislocations related to the seismically active Po?í?í-Hronov fault zone. This area was proposed as the most prospective one for finding waters rich in germanium in the Sudetes.     

城市回用水中多环芳烃致癌风险评价

为评价人群暴露于城市回用水中16种多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs)对于人体健康的潜在风险,采用气相色谱-质谱(GC-MS)联用的分析化学方法对不同季节回用水中16种PAHs进行定量分析;在此基础上采用美国国家科学院和国家研究委员会提出的环境健康风险评价方法,分析不同回用条件下具有中国水体基质特色的城市回用水中PAHs健康风险.结果显示,回用水样中16种PAHs的总浓度为1 422.85 ng·L-1,污水处理厂二级出水水样16种PAHs的总浓度为1 791.77 ng ·L-1,经过处理后回用水中PAHs含量有所降低.风险评价分析结果显示,回用水在城市绿化、农业灌溉和景观娱乐3种不同回用途径下多环芳烃的致癌风险分别为788×10-8、2.77×10-6、3.04×10-6,总致癌风险为5.89×10-6.以上结果可以得出,回用水在城市绿化、农田灌溉和景观娱乐接触过程中多环芳烃所增加的致癌风险很低,回用水中多环芳烃的健康风险处于可接受水平.     

Arzneimittel in der aquatischen Umwelt

The German Environmental Advisory Council evaluated German water protection policies in its last environmental report (2004) concluded that despite some great successes in this area there is still considerable need for action. Specifically, diffuse nutrient and chemical substances inputs remain an unsolved problem. The contamination of surface and groundwater with pharmaceuticals has been identified as an environmental risk increasing in pertinence. Pharmaceuticals and their metabolites are being detected in the whole aquatic environment, which they enter through sewage, soil contamination by agriculture, and waste storage facilities. Different pharmaceuticals have been tested for acute toxicity on various aquatic organisms, but almost nothing is known about chronic toxicity of these contaminants. This knowledge, however, is essential for estimating the ecotoxicological potential of pharmaceutical residues. In the opinion of the Environmental Council different strategies are necessary, to reduce the contamination of the environment with pharmaceuticals. Farmers should refrain from using pharmaceuticals for prophylactic purposes or from using hormonally or antibiotically active substances in livestock feed additives, so as to reduce inputs of veterinary drugs. As regards human medications, packaging should better correspond to appropriate dosage amounts, and environmentally responsible disposal measures should be followed. Still under discussion are a programme for the risk evaluation of existing pharmaceuticals and a ban on the use of sewage sludge in agriculture. In the future, improvement of sewage treatment facilities, for instances through membrane technologies, will offer further potential to reduce inputs of hazardous substances.