A global perspective on the use, occurrence, fate and effects of anti-diabetic drug metformin in natural and engineered ecosystems

Metformin is the most commonly used anti-diabetic drug in the world. When consumed, this unmetabolised pharmaceutical compound is excreted by the body and eventually enters the environment through a variety of pathways. Based on its high consumption and excretion rates, high concentrations of metfor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 219; pp. 1007 - 1020
Main Authors: Briones, Rowena M., Sarmah, Ajit K., Padhye, Lokesh P.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.12.2016
Subjects:
aquatic environment
Diabetes Mellitus - drug therapy
drinking water
Ecosystem
ecosystems
ecotoxicology
Endocrine Disruptors - analysis
endocrine-disrupting chemicals
excretion
Fate
Global demand
glycemic effect
groundwater
Guanylurea
Humans
Metformin
Metformin - analysis
Occurrence
physicochemical properties
surface water
Toxicity
Urea - analogs & derivatives
Urea - analysis
Waste Water - chemistry
wastewater treatment
Water - chemistry
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
Water Purification
Guanylurea
Global demand
Metformin
Toxicity
Occurrence
Fate
ISSN:0269-7491, 1873-6424, 1873-6424
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Metformin is the most commonly used anti-diabetic drug in the world. When consumed, this unmetabolised pharmaceutical compound is excreted by the body and eventually enters the environment through a variety of pathways. Based on its high consumption and excretion rates, high concentrations of metformin have been detected in influents of wastewater treatment plants. Metformin and its transformation product, guanylurea, are also expected to be present in other aquatic environments based on their physico-chemical properties. Not surprisingly, guanylurea has also been detected in surface water, groundwater, and drinking water. Available information on ecotoxicological effects of metformin suggests that metformin is a potential endocrine disruptor and thus further emphasising the threat this drug could pose to our environment. This review provides a comprehensive overview of metformin and critically discusses available literature data with respect to its global use/demand, occurrence, fate and ecotoxicity in treatment facilities equipped with conventional and advanced treatment technologies, and its degradation/removal mechanisms. Final section highlights the existing knowledge gaps regarding its ultimate fate under the natural and engineered ecosystems and identifies some important research areas requiring urgent attention from regulatory makers and scientific community. [Display omitted] •Global concerns exist on the occurrence of metformin and its metabolite in the environment.•Removal efficiencies of metformin using various treatment technologies vary considerably.•Metformin is biologically transformed to guanylurea during wastewater treatment.•Guanylurea levels are higher in wastewater effluents and surface water than the parent compound.•Fate and behaviour of metformin in the environment is not known when biosolid is land-applied. Despite its high global demand, and the threat it can pose to our environment, research on the fate and behaviour of metformin under natural and engineered ecosystems is limited.
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ISSN:0269-7491
1873-6424
1873-6424
DOI:10.1016/j.envpol.2016.07.040