Freshwater ecosystems are threatened by multiple anthropogenic stressors including climate warming and pharmaceutical contaminants (PhACs). A recent study published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials highlights how commonly observed PhAC concentrations in water, in combination with warming, disrupt freshwater communities and ecosystem functioning.
Researchers from KBE, in collaboration with the Faculty of Fisheries and Water Protection of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and KU Leuven (Belgium), investigated how common aquatic arthropods respond to these stressors in outdoor mesocosm experiments. They found that PhACs had negative effects on individuals as they led to reduced energy availability and increased oxidative stress in winter, while in summer, PhACs unexpectedly boosted energy levels but lead to reduced abundances. More alarmingly, the observed sublethal physiological changes had substantial cascading effects on ecosystem functions, including reduced leaf litter decomposition and lower aquatic insect emergence.
The findings emphasize that low, environmentally relevant concentrations of PhACs in water can alter freshwater ecosystem stability, especially when combined with rising temperatures. This underscores the urgent need for improved wastewater management and environmental policies to mitigate the impacts of emerging contaminants and climate change on aquatic ecosystems.
For more details, read the full study here: Journal of Hazardous Materials
Contact: EN: Claire Duchet, Ph.D. (
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