Health effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products

Abstract Recent times have witnessed the emergence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the environment due to their increased utilizations and nondegradable properties. Further their presence and accumulation in the environment seriously affects human health. These PPCPs are a unique group of physiological modulators as their effect can be observed at low doses which increase gradually due to their bioaccumulation. Their alarming increase in the environment impacts all living beings including humans, which is a cause of much concern, as some compounds are known to be endocrine disrupters. Therefore this article reviews the current state-of-knowledge on PPCPs and their chronic or acute toxicities, as determined by a wide array of experimental protocols. The health effects posed by these contaminants are evaluated in the light of its dose-dependent persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity criteria. Available literature on the sources, transport, and impact on biological systems of PPCPs are evaluated, followed by a comprehensive review of the reported concentrations of different PPCP groups on human health. The future perspectives for research on PPCPs and their health effects are discussed considering the identified research gaps in current knowledge.