Toxicity of NSAID drug (paracetamol) to nontarget organism—Nostoc muscorum

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international Vol. 27; no. 28; pp. 35208 - 35216
• Main Authors: Fatima, Samreen, Asif, Nida, Ahmad, Rakhshan, Fatma, Tasneem
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.10.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetaminophen; Analgesics; Anti-inflammatory agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal - pharmacology; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biocompatibility; Chlorophyll; Cyanobacteria; Drinking water; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental science; Hydrogen peroxide; Lipid Peroxidation; Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; Nostoc; Nostoc muscorum; Oxidative stress; Oxidative Stress - drug effects; Paracetamol; Photosynthesis; Photosynthetic pigments; Pigments; Pollutants; Proline; Research Article; Sewage; Sewage effluents; Streams; Toxicity; Toxicity testing; Veterinary medicine; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Lipid peroxidation; Oxidative stress; Paracetamol; Pharmaceutical; Antioxidant; Cyanobacteria
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-09802-0

Due to many folds increase in application of human and veterinary medicines, pharmaceuticals, a new category of pollutants, have emerged in our environment. They exist as residues in rivers, sewage effluents, streams, surface, ground, and potable water. Paracetamol (acetaminophen) is one such drug that is used as an antipyretic and analgesic medicine. It is a non-steroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) and is easily available in the market because no medical prescription is necessary for its purchase and use. Paracetamol remains physiologically active even after their expiry period. Their detection in the environment in bioactive form has resulted in adverse effects on nontarget species. To determine the effect of paracetamol on aquatic photosynthetic organic (Cyanobacteria— Nostoc muscorum ), present study was performed. Paracetamol (25 mg/L, 50 mg/L, 75 mg/L, 100, 125, and 150 mg/L) exposure showed toxic responses on the test organism by generating oxidative stress (MDA, H 2 O 2, O 2 .- ). Paracetamol caused a significant decrease in growth of cyanobacteria and showed EC 50 113.68 mg/L after the 6th day of treatment. Photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll, carotenoid, and phycobiliprotein) decreased with paracetamol increase. Antioxidant enzymatic (SOD, CAT, APX, GST, and GR) and osmolyte (Proline) also increased with increase in paracetamol to counteract the oxidative stress.