The text below is from this website: https://pharmaceuticals-in-the-environment.org/

The German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) has initiated a research project awarded to IWW Water Centre and adelphi to define the state of knowledge on the global relevance of pharmaceuticals in the environment. Main goals of the project were:

- Compile Measured Environmental Concentrations (MEC) of human and veterinary pharmaceuticals

from all five UN regions.

- Compare regional consumption data and future trends.

- Assess the relevance of emission pathways (production, use, disposal) on a global scale.

- Assess the role of infrastructure, population, pharmaceutical availability, agricultural practice, etc. on

emissions of pharmaceuticals into the environment.

- Provide databases and maps to illustrate the global relevance of pharmaceuticals in the environment

as an emerging issue.

- Prepare possible activities for inclusion into the global plan for action.

Results

A database of Measured Environmental Concentrations  (MEC) has been compiled from 1016 publications, comprising 123,000 database entries. The analysis shows that:

- Pharmaceuticals have been detected in the environment in 71 countries, covering all five UN regional groups

- 631 different pharmaceuticals (and their transformation products) have been measured in the environment, with partial overlap between regions

- Several globally marketed pharmaceuticals have been found in both developing and industrialized countries

- In many countries, pharmaceuticals have been measured at ecotoxicologically relevant concentrations

- Urban wastewater discharge is a dominant emission pathway globally, but emissions from production, animal husbandry, and aquaculture can be important locally

Conclusion:  Pharmaceuticals are globally found in the environment, not just in industrialized countries.

 Dear Timothy

In many countries like Iran many projects have been doing due to vast environmental pollution and contamination especially in heavy metal and Nitrate and Nitrite presence in food and medicinal plants.

What is your exact and specified point?

Thanks Marlene! The literature on ECs is growing and my question was more related to water and soils. Presence of these contaminants in food and medicinal plants is relevant as a pathway of toxicity. 

Marlene, you seem to be well informed on the study of emerging pollutants in the environment. If you happen to need a collaborator or know someone who needs a collaborator from Ghana, I am available