Abstract
Aquatic ecosystems are becoming increasingly impacted by a wastewater effluent. Wastewater effluent regularly contains chemical pollutants, such as antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) that should be monitored as they may have environmental effects as chemical pollutants are continuously being released. To determine whether effluent and chemical pollutants cause adverse effects on aquatic organisms, exposure studies are the standard. Studies may include fish at all life stages as biomarkers, as these chemicals may have different effects on these different stages. Various endpoints are assessed when testing chemical effects on juveniles that may reflect long-term and subsequent population effects. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a cause for concern in South Africa, as the country has the largest epidemic of the disease in the world. The disease is treated using antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) that have unknown long-term environmental impacts. Efavirenz (EFV) is a drug that is used in these therapies. It has long been considered a gold standard drug for its efficacy as well as having fewer side effects than other types of ARVs. However, EFV is also excreted from the body in both urine and faeces into sewage waste and subsequently water systems, where antiviral drugs are predicted to be some of the most hazardous drugs towards aquatic organisms...
M.Sc. (Aquatic Health)