Thanks to continuously developing analytical techniques, we are increasingly able to detect a wide range of active ingredients in ever smaller amounts. Furthermore, through ecotoxicological tests and environmental risk assessment methods, we can find answers as to what impact individual micro-pollutants have on the aquatic life in surface waters. All this data serves, on the one hand, as information for lawmakers, thus priority pollutants are included in European legislation. On the other hand, it provides feedback for professionals working in pharmaceutical manufacturing and medicine regarding drug design and use.
