NSAIDS AS EMERGING PHARMACEUTICAL POLLUTANTS: IMPACTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES

One of the widely prescribed medicines around the world is NSAIDs, which may continuously contaminate the environment as a result of domestic wastewater, hospital effluents, and pharmaceutical industry effluents owing to poor efficacy in removing such pollutants from the environment by the applied treatment methods. It results in pollution of both soil and aquatic environments, thereby increasing the risk of harmful impacts of NSAIDs on the composition of microbial populations. Bacteria have been recognized as essential for nutrient cycling, organic matter mineralisation, and maintaining ecosystem stability. Therefore, disturbances to the microorganisms caused by pharmaceutical residues may significantly impact the proper functioning of ecosystems. The present study will be a narrative review on topics associated with the frequency of occurrence, fate, persistence, degradation, and ecological impacts of NSAID pollution. The up-to-date information concerning the occurrence, transformation products, and biodegradation of the most prevalent NSAIDs, e.g., ibuprofen, diclofenac, naproxen, and ketoprofen, will be addressed in this paper. It is equally vital to know about the effects of NSAIDs on the microbial structure, enzyme activities, biodegradation process, and ecology of the microbes. Bacteria, fungi, and algae play significant roles in the biotransformation of NSAIDs and elimination of their toxic effects. However, certain areas still require more research, which include low-level chronic exposure, toxicity of metabolites, and the effect of NSAIDs on the ambient environment of the microbes.