Climate change effects on the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals: need for a monitoring plan in Italian aquatic ecosystems

The Priority Substances Directive 2013/39/EU obliges the European Commission to develop a strategic approach to deal with the water pollution due to pharmaceutical substances. Among the emerging contaminants, pharmaceuticals are one of the most concerning group of substances in aquatic ecosystems because of their worldwide use, resistance to the wastewater treatments and effects on aquatic organisms. In 2017, a European Strategy on pharmaceuticals was established to define a series of actions for addressing the all EU member states to achieve the Directive’s goals.