Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India

Krishna Roy; Umakant Kumar; Amrita Raj Bharti; Animesh Kumar; Shashi Prabha Dubey

Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India

Krishna Roy, Umakant Kumar, Amrita Raj Bharti, Animesh Kumar, Shashi Prabha Dubey | International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing | Vol 12, Issue 1 | pp. 28-51 | ISSN: 2455-5576

Abstract

The article examines the emerging yet under-documented issue of pharmaceutical contaminants in Bihar’s aquatic environment, focusing on their types, occurrence, sources, and implications for ecology and human health. Pharmaceuticals and personal care products-including antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, beta‑blockers, and hormones – are conceptualized as pseudo-persistent pollutants because continuous inputs from households, healthcare facilities, and diffuse anthropogenic activities sustain their presence in surface water and groundwater despite individual compounds having finite half-lives. While global and national studies have demonstrated widespread occurrence of these contaminants in rivers, aquifers, and wastewater streams, Bihar remains a critical data gap despite its high population density, dependence on shallow alluvial aquifers, limited wastewater infrastructure, and close connectivity to the Ganga and its tributaries. The review synthesizes evidence from Indian PPCP and antimicrobial resistance research, as well as recent work on emerging organic contaminants in Patna’s groundwater, to infer likely pharmaceutical classes and contamination patterns across the state’s surface water, groundwater, and wastewater matrices. It outlines major anthropogenic sources – human excretion, improper household and pharmacy disposal, hospital effluents, and potential inputs from veterinary and small-scale manufacturing activities – and maps key pathways such as untreated sewage discharge, leaching from unengineered disposal sites, and agriculturally driven runoff. Environmental impacts are discussed in terms of ecotoxicity to aquatic organisms and the promotion of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and resistance genes. Human health concerns center on chronic low-dose exposure to complex pharmaceutical mixtures via drinking water, with particular emphasis on endocrine disruption, genotoxicity, and the systemic burden of antimicrobial resistance. The article also highlights analytical and governance challenges, emphasizing the need to integrate multiclass LC-MS/MS-based monitoring into Bihar’s water‑quality programs, and evaluates the limitations of conventional treatment systems alongside the promise of advanced oxidation, adsorption, and bioremediation technologies for mitigating pharmaceutical loads. It concludes by identifying priority research directions, including compound-specific mapping, PNEC-based risk assessment, geospatial hotspot identification, and development of cost-effective, context-appropriate treatment solutions tailored to Bihar’s socio-hydrological realities.

Keywords

groundwater, Antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance, surface water, Bihar, pharmaceuticals, Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs)

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How to cite this article

APA

Roy, K., Kumar, U., Bharti, A. R., Kumar, A., & Dubey, S. P. (2026). Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India. International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing, 12(1), 28-51.

MLA

Roy, Krishna, et al. “Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India.” International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing, vol. 12, no. 1, 2026, pp. 28-51.

Chicago

Krishna Roy, Umakant Kumar, Amrita Raj Bharti, Animesh Kumar, and Shashi Prabha Dubey. “Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India.” International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing 12, no. 1 (2026): 28-51.

Vancouver

Roy K, Kumar U, Bharti AR, Kumar A, Dubey SP. Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India. International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing. 2026;12(1):28-51.

BibTeX

@article{RoyK2026,
author = {Krishna Roy and Umakant Kumar and Amrita Raj Bharti and Animesh Kumar and Shashi Prabha Dubey},
title = {Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India},
journal = {International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing},
year = {2026},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {28--51},
issn = {2455-5576},
url = {https://journalspub.com/publication/ijocep-alljournals/article=26394}
}

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Krishna Roy, Umakant Kumar, Amrita Raj Bharti, Animesh Kumar, Shashi Prabha Dubey | International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing | Vol 12, Issue 1 | pp. 28-51 | ISSN: 2455-5576

Abstract

Keywords

groundwater, Antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance, surface water, Bihar, pharmaceuticals, Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs)

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@article{RoyK2026,
author = {Krishna Roy and Umakant Kumar and Amrita Raj Bharti and Animesh Kumar and Shashi Prabha Dubey},
title = {Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India},
journal = {International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing},
year = {2026},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {28--51},
issn = {2455-5576},
url = {https://journalspub.com/publication/ijocep-alljournals/article=26394}
}

Krishna Roy, Umakant Kumar, Amrita Raj Bharti, Animesh Kumar, Shashi Prabha Dubey | International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing | Vol 12, Issue 1 | pp. 28-51 | ISSN: 2455-5576

Abstract

Keywords

groundwater, Antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance, surface water, Bihar, pharmaceuticals, Emerging organic contaminants (EOCs)

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@article{RoyK2026,
author = {Krishna Roy and Umakant Kumar and Amrita Raj Bharti and Animesh Kumar and Shashi Prabha Dubey},
title = {Articulating Precarious Waters: A Critical Review of Pharmaceutical Contaminants, Their Pathways, and Ecological–Health Risks in the Aquatic Systems of Bihar, India},
journal = {International Journal of Chemical Engineering and Processing},
year = {2026},
volume = {12},
number = {1},
pages = {28--51},
issn = {2455-5576},
url = {https://journalspub.com/publication/ijocep-alljournals/article=26394}
}

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