Degradation of PPCPs in the Environment

Gilbertson et al. (1990) generally concluded that the fate of PPCPs in the environment is dependent on the physicochemical properties of the compounds. Such properties include molecular structure, shape, size, speciation, solubility, degradability, and... 

This chapter provides an overview of the analysis of TPs in the environment of three important classes of synthetic chemicals namely pesticides, human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, and personal care products (PPCPs). A series of analytical protocols applied to determine and analyze TPs of manmade chemicals originating from photolysis as well as from microbial degradation in the environment and wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) is presented. Furthermore, strategies for identifying unknown TPs of xenobi-otic compounds including pesticides and PPCPs are presented based on the combination of mass spectrometric techniques and NMR, IR, and optical detection systems like DAD and FL. 

A lot of research about the metabolism of PPCPs in clinical practice has been conducted under the auspices of pharmacology. As alluded to above, drug metabolism in the body results in the breakdown of the compound into metabolites that are chemically simpler, just like what chemical and biological processes attain in the environment. When such breakdown occurs in the environment, it is typically referred to as degradation. Initial steps in the degradation process in the environment also involves modification of the active sites (similar to phase I processes in our bodies) but... 

Effects of Temperature in PPCP Dynamics and Degradation in the Environment... 

It is not yet known whether the relatively low environmental concentrations found for PPCPs produce adverse effects on aquatic and terrestrial biota or whether the toxicity of complex mixtures might be totally different from that of individual compounds. Consideration should also be given to metabolites excreted by humans and to biological degradates at treatment plants and elsewhere in the environment. 

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