Sewage sludge, or biosolids, produced in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) can be used as an alternative to organic fertilizer in the agricultural field. However, it holds a large amount of anthropogenic chemicals, such as drugs and metals. The aim of the present study is to evaluate biochemical biomarker responses in earthworms (Eisenia andrei) exposed to soil presenting different sludge concentrations deriving from the largest WWTP in Southern Brazil. Treatments comprised 3%, 6%, 12%, 24%, 50%, and 75% of sludge incorporated to native forest soil, 100% of sludge and the control group (0%). Concentrations of different drugs, mainly of antibiotics, as well as high sulfur, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and phosphorus were identified in analyzed sewage sludge. Exposed earthworms were collected on the 7th, 14th, and 28th day of the experiment and subjected to analysis of lipid peroxidation levels (TBARS), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity. Treatments with 50%, 75%, and 100% of sludge were lethal to earthworms after 7 days. Based on biochemical tests performed in treatments with 3%, 6%, 12%, and 24% of sludge, the highest sludge concentrations (12% and 24%) and the longest exposure time (28 days) led to significant changes in biomarkers. Therefore, sewage sludge must be incorporated into the soil at concentrations lower than 3%, mainly due to changes in CAT, AChE, GST, and the resulting lipid damage observed at concentrations of 6%, 12%, and 24%.

Antibacterial drugs, analgesics, anti-infective, contrast media, antiepileptics, antiinflammatory drugs, beta-blockers, and hormones are transferred to the environment from hospital and agricultural effluents, pharmaceutical industrial waste, human and animal excrements from households and sewers. Residues of pharmaceuticals in water and soil cause damage to the ecosystem. Their transformation products could be equally or more toxic and persistent than parent compounds. Some metabolites save biological activity in the environmental objects, including antibacterial activity. The objective of this review is to describe the environmental occurrence, transformation, eco-toxicity, analytical practices, degradation, and removal strategies used to control and prevent environmental contamination by pharmaceuticals (antibiotics, coccidiostatic agents, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, beta-adrenomimetics, anthelmintics, hormones). Their determination in routine analysis through simple on-site devices and approaches is of great interest. Instrumental analysis is making progress in the advancement of qualitative and quantitative methods. Gas and liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry are commonly used because of their high specificity, simultaneous multicomponent determination opportunities, and low detection limits. Highly sensitive methods generally with accurate mass spectrometric detection are required. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry is an effective method. The use of green chemistry principles is preferred for both on-site and instrumental analysis, because fewer toxic reagents and solvents are required. The most promising approach for water treatment and manure detoxification is to merge chemical and biological strategies. Persistent pharmaceuticals will be most effectively eliminated by a combination of different treatment technologies.