Open research questions in Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
961 gap statements mined from Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 3,496 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.
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What the literature leaves open
There is a need for further research on the occurrence and risk assessments of synthetic musks in food samples. The paper identifies a gap in the current knowledge on the analytical challenges of detecting synthetic musks. There is a need for more studies on the potential endocrine-disrupting effects of synthetic musks.
Synthetic musks as food contaminants: a comprehensive review of toxicity, analytical challenges, occurrence, and risk assessments · 2026 · DOIIt notes the difficulty of culturing bacteria on antibiotic-containing media and the need for a combination of culture and molecular approaches. The study also references the challenge of understanding the diversity of antibiotic-resistant taxa in coastal marine environments.
Antibiotic Resistance in Seawater Bacterial Communities Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast · 2026 · DOIThe study is the first investigation of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and polyphenols in the Nyabugogo River and, more broadly, in Rwanda. Comparable scientific studies from Rwanda and the region are limited, constraining direct comparison of observed concentrations and patterns with previously reported findings.
Occurrence and concentration variability of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and polyphenols in Nyabugogo River, Rwanda · 2026 · DOIThere is a need to investigate the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria at each stage of the wastewater treatment process. The study highlights the importance of developing comprehensive countermeasures against antibiotic resistance.
Conjugative Transfer Potential of Antibiotic Resistance from Wastewater-derived Coliforms to riverine Escherichia coli · 2026 · DOIOne challenge is the conditional nature of biotransformation on spatial distribution and history of biological activity. Another challenge is the need to distinguish hydraulic residence time from compound-relevant reactive contact time. The paper also identifies the challenge of converting retardation to Kd assuming linear, reversible sorption.
From laboratory measurements to field predictions of Ionizable organic micropollutants: a critical review and a proposed prospective validation framework · 2026 · DOILimited knowledge on the relationship between antibiotic concentrations and residue levels in edible plant tissues.
Low-Dose Ciprofloxacin Exposure Modulates Growth, Total Phenolic Content, and Residue Accumulation in Lactuca sativa L. Grown Hydroponically · 2026 · DOIThe impact of ultraviolet-based combined disinfection processes on the formation and toxicity of Ciprofloxacin disinfection byproducts is not well understood. The study aims to fill this gap by investigating the removal efficiency of CIP and the identification of DBPs under different disinfection systems.
Impact of Ultraviolet-Based Combined Disinfection Processes on the Formation and Toxicity of Ciprofloxacin Disinfection Byproducts in Water · 2025 · DOIThere is a lack of understanding of the effects of caffeine on freshwater invertebrates. The study aims to fill this gap by investigating the behavioral and physiological effects of caffeine on the freshwater snail Physella acuta.
Effects of Caffeine Exposure on Behaviour, Development and Physiology of the Freshwater Snail Physella acuta (Draparnaud, 1805) · 2025 · DOIThe lack of effective disinfection strategies in mechanized sericulture production. The need for new disinfection methods to address the potential introduction of silkworm pathogens in mechanized environments. The gap in understanding the effects of different disinfectants on bacterial communities in mechanized silkworm-rearing environments.
Sericulture Mechanization Poses New Challenges for Environmental Disinfection—Evaluating the Effects of Three Newly Introduced Disinfectants · 2025 · DOIInvestigate the effects of different disinfection methods on CIP removal and DBP formation in real-world water treatment systems. Examine the toxicity of DBPs to other aquatic organisms. Explore the potential applications of UV-based combined disinfection in removing other pollutants from water.
Impact of Ultraviolet-Based Combined Disinfection Processes on the Formation and Toxicity of Ciprofloxacin Disinfection Byproducts in Water · 2025 · DOIComparable scientific studies from Rwanda and the region were limited, - River discharge and flow rates in the tributaries and drainage channels were not measured concurrently with contaminant concentrations, - Direct source attribution was not…
Occurrence and concentration variability of pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and polyphenols in Nyabugogo River, Rwanda · 2026 · DOIThe study was conducted at a single site, - The study only considered two sampling campaigns, - Seasonal variation cannot be fully ruled out, - Broader validation across multiple sites and seasons…
Addressing conventional and emerging contamination in resource-limited rural water supplies: a full-scale before-after evaluation of a process upgrade and exploratory surrogate analysis of PFAS and antibiotic removal · 2026 · DOIValidation of the findings across multiple sites and seasons, - Investigation of the effects of seasonal variation on the upgraded process, - Exploration of the applicability of the upgraded process to other rural water supply…
Addressing conventional and emerging contamination in resource-limited rural water supplies: a full-scale before-after evaluation of a process upgrade and exploratory surrogate analysis of PFAS and antibiotic removal · 2026 · DOIThe study was a cross-sectional environmental surveillance study, - The study had a limited number of samples (28 surface-water samples and 72 human plasma samples), - The study only used DNA with a concentration above 100 ng/µL for library…
Surveillance of Pathogenic Bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants in Surface Water and Human Plasma Using Metagenomic Sequencing in the Ngamiland and Okavango Delta Regions · 2026 · DOIFurther studies are needed to explore the potential overlaps between environmental and human AMR determinants, - Longitudinal studies could be conducted to monitor changes in AMR determinants over time, - Studies could be done to investigate the effects of antimicrobial use on the development of AMR…
Surveillance of Pathogenic Bacteria and Antimicrobial Resistance Determinants in Surface Water and Human Plasma Using Metagenomic Sequencing in the Ngamiland and Okavango Delta Regions · 2026 · DOIFurther studies involving multiple WWTPs and more frequent sampling across different seasons are required to determine the generalizability of the present findings - Further studies using naturally developed river biofilms, broader environmental sampling, and more sensitive approaches are needed to determine the actual state of ARG…
Conjugative Transfer Potential of Antibiotic Resistance from Wastewater-derived Coliforms to riverine Escherichia coli · 2026 · DOIDesigning stronger prospective laboratory-to-field tests, - Investigating the predictive contribution of independently supplied information, - Developing a structured basis for designing stronger prospective laboratory-to-field…
From laboratory measurements to field predictions of Ionizable organic micropollutants: a critical review and a proposed prospective validation framework · 2026 · DOIFurther physiological and molecular analyses are needed to confirm the underlying mechanisms, - Longer-term validation under real production conditions is required, - Investigation of uptake kinetics and detoxification enzymes or CIP transformation…
Low-Dose Ciprofloxacin Exposure Modulates Growth, Total Phenolic Content, and Residue Accumulation in Lactuca sativa L. Grown Hydroponically · 2026 · DOIThe sample size was limited, - Ecological risk assessments were restricted to pesticides, - The study focused on surface soil samples…
Non-Targeted and Targeted Analysis of Organic Micropollutants in Agricultural Soils Across China: Occurrence and Risk Evaluation · 2025 · DOIFurther studies on the mechanisms of soil pollutant accumulation and behavior are needed, - Investigation of the effects of different cropping systems on soil pollutants, - Development of standardized soil ecotoxicity benchmarks and consistent assessment…
Non-Targeted and Targeted Analysis of Organic Micropollutants in Agricultural Soils Across China: Occurrence and Risk Evaluation · 2025 · DOIFurther studies on the effects of light on AMX removal, - Investigation of other factors influencing the removal capacity, - Exploration of the potential applications of the microalgal biomass in wastewater…
Removal of the Antibiotic Amoxicillin from Polluted Freshwater by Biosorption Using the Living Biomass of the Microalga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii · 2025 · DOIAddress the influence of the heating step on the composition or biological activity of some compounds, - Extend the surveillance of wastewater by measuring estrogenic or genotoxic activity…
Simplified experimental designs, - Limited mechanistic understanding, - Ambient complexity, - Lack of research on combined pollution effects, - Limited understanding of long-term microbial adaptation and molecular-scale…
Review of the Effects of Antibiotics on Nitrogen Cycle and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Aquaculture Water · 2025 · DOIInvestigating combined pollution effects, - Studying long-term microbial adaptation and molecular-scale mechanisms, - Examining the effects of different antibiotic classes and concentrations on nitrogen cycling and GHG…
Review of the Effects of Antibiotics on Nitrogen Cycle and Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Aquaculture Water · 2025 · DOIInvestigation of the long-term effects of the disinfectants, - Evaluation of other disinfectants, - Study of the effects of disinfectants on different types of sericulture…
Sericulture Mechanization Poses New Challenges for Environmental Disinfection—Evaluating the Effects of Three Newly Introduced Disinfectants · 2025 · DOI
Most-cited papers in Pharmaceutical and Antibiotic Environmental Impacts
- Understanding the mechanisms and drivers of antimicrobial resistance · The Lancet · 2015 · 2,270 citations
- Pharmaceutical pollution of the world’s rivers · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2022 · 1,446 citations
- Emerging pollutants in the environment: present and future challenges in biomonitoring, ecological risks and bioremediation · New Biotechnology · 2015 · 1,104 citations
- A Review of Antibiotic Use in Food Animals: Perspective, Policy, and Potential · Public Health Reports · 2012 · 995 citations
- Conventional and emerging technologies for removal of antibiotics from wastewater · Journal of Hazardous Materials · 2020 · 776 citations
- Treatment technologies for emerging contaminants in wastewater treatment plants: A review · The Science of The Total Environment · 2020 · 752 citations
- Antimicrobials and Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria: A Risk to the Environment and to Public Health · Water · 2020 · 745 citations
- Management Options for Reducing the Release of Antibiotics and Antibiotic Resistance Genes to the Environment · Environmental Health Perspectives · 2013 · 725 citations
- Emerging contaminants of high concern for the environment: Current trends and future research · Environmental Research · 2021 · 703 citations
- Prevalence and hazardous impact of pharmaceutical and personal care products and antibiotics in environment: A review on emerging contaminants · Environmental Research · 2021 · 689 citations
Most recent work
- Antibiotics in wastewater treatment plants and receiving waterbodies: Occurrence, Removal and Risks · Environmental Pollution · 2026
- Regulation of Antibiotic Use in Livestock: European and International Strategies to Prevent and Control Antimicrobial Resistance and Ensure Animal Welfare · Antibiotics · 2026
- Antibiotics or Heavy Metals in Livestock Wastewater: Which One Is the Main Driver for the Development and Spread of Antibiotic Resistance under Coexposure? · Environmental Science & Technology · 2026
- Phages drive the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes by facilitating host adaptation to heavy metal stress · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2026
- Substrate-mediated trade-offs between pollutant removal efficiency and ecological risks in constructed wetlands treating multi-antibiotic wastewater · Water Research · 2026
- DOM-mediated inhibition of ciprofloxacin photodegradation: Dual roles of antioxidant quenching and triplet-state interactions · Water Research · 2026
- Drought drives elevated antibiotic resistance across soils · Nature Microbiology · 2026
- Integrating AMR surveillance into wastewater monitoring systems in 2025: a position on the implementation of Article 17 of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) · Eurosurveillance · 2026
- Livestock antimicrobial use embodied in global supply chains · Nature Sustainability · 2026
- Antimicrobial Resistance in the Food Chain: Bridging Knowledge Gaps for Effective Detection and Control · Antibiotics · 2026
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