Effects of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products on Insects

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCP) are omnipresent in our daily lives, and these emerging contaminants require increasing attention. PPCP and their metabolites are found in treated wastewater and in biosolids resulting from wastewater treatment, thus providing routes for dissemination to soils, freshwater, and groundwater, with subsequent consequences for insects. This review explores the effects of PPCP on the molecular, physiological, and biological (including behavior) responses of insects and consequences for their microbiota. As several PPCP can bioaccumulate in insects, in particular in aquatic ones, their roles in the transfer of the drugs to riparian and terrestrial food web are discussed, as well as community-level consequences. We propose future research directions to better appreciate the side effects and unintended effects of medication on insects. Attention should be given to the effects of PPCP on insects in environmentally realistic scenarios with relevant concentrations, in combination with other environmental pollutants, and with durations of exposure.