Risk assessment of selected pharmaceuticals on wildlife with nanomaterials based aptasensors

Pharmaceuticals have improved human and veterinary health tremendously over the years. But the implications of the presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment on terrestrial, avian, and aquatic organisms are still not fully comprehended. The bioaccumulation and biomagnifications of these chemicals through the food chain have long-term effects on the wildlife. The detection and quantification of such pharmaceutical residues in the environment is a tedious process and quicker methods arc needed. Aptasensors arc one such quick and reliable method for the identification of pharmaceutical residues in the wildlife. Aptasensors arc a class of biosensors that work on the principles of biological recognition of elements. The aptamers are unique biological recognition elements with high specificity and affinity to various targets. Their efficiency makes them a very promising candidate for such sensitive research. In this review, the pharmaceutical threats to wildlife and their detection techniques using aptasensors have been discussed.

Automated summary

The long-term effects of pharmaceutical residues on wildlife are still not fully understood, but quick and reliable methods for their detection are needed. Aptasensors, based on biological recognition, are highly specific and have the potential to be used for the detection of pharmaceutical residues in wildlife.