Waterborne exposure to diclofenac, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory Pharmaceutical, in the freshwater cichlid fish Cichlasoma dimerus (Cichliformes, Cichlidae)

CHALIMONIUK G.; LOZANO I.; DA CUÑA R.; MEIJIDE F.; RODRÍGUEZ E.; LO NOSTRO F.

Montevideo

Congreso; 15th SETAC Latinamerica Biennal Meeting; 2023

SETAC Latinoamerica

In the last decades, concern over the contamination of water bodies has been increasing. Most of this pollution is due to pharmaceutically active compounds, that are increasingly present and are expected to rise over time. One of the most ubiquitous pharmaceuticals found in the aquatic environment and widely prescribed is diclofenac (DCF). It belongs to the family of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and inhibits the enzyme cyclooxygenase 1 (COX-1), in order to decrease the levels of prostaglandins and relieve pain during the inflammatory response. It reaches water bodies mostly through poorly treated sewage effluents and its impact on aquatic organisms is poorly understood.