Occurrence, environmental impact and fate of pharmaceuticals in groundwater and surface water: a critical review.

This study focuses on occurrence, environmental impact and fate of pharmaceuticals in groundwater and surface water: a critical review.. The research employs high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques to address analytical challenges in the environmental field. In many nations and locations, groundwater serves as the population's primary drinking water supply. However, pharmaceuticals found in groundwater and surface waters may affect aquatic ecosystems and public health. As a result, their existence in natural raw waters are now more widely acknowledged as a concern. This review summarises the... Research Background and Significance Pharmaceutical compounds have become emerging contaminants of significant concern in environmental waters, including groundwater and surface water systems. These compounds originate from various sources such as human and veterinary medicine, improper disposal, and agricultural runoff. Since groundwater often serves as a primary drinking water source globally, the presence of pharmaceuticals in these waters poses potential risks to public health and aquatic ecosystems. The environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and possible toxicological effects of pharmaceuticals demand robust analytical approaches for their detection and quantification. This study critically reviews the occurrence, environmental impact, and fate of pharmaceuticals in natural waters, emphasizing the role of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) techniques in addressing analytical challenges. The review highlights the need for validated, sensitive, and reliable chromatographic methods capable of detecting trace levels of these contaminants to support environmental monitoring and risk assessment efforts. Experimental Design and Methodology The resea