Systematic Literature Review of Diffusion Coefficient Studies for Pharmaceutically-Active Compounds

• Main Authors: Gonzales, Gerard Daniel L., Luzano, Rachel Leah V., Unabia, David Bryan G., Vasco, Victoria Gail N., Soriano, Allan N.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: diffusion coefficient; PHACs; systematic literature review; environment; human life; Medicine and Health Sciences
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/sinaya/vol2/iss1/4; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/sinaya/article/1056/viewcontent/4_Science_and_Technology_Manuscript__4_Systematic.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Pharmaceutically-active compounds (PHACs) such as analgesics, antibiotics, hormones, and antiseptics have been proven beneficial to human life as they can cure illnesses and increase life expectancy. However, heightened usage has led to their emergence in various bodies of water. This has negatively impacted humankind and the environment due to these compounds’ toxicity levels and adverse health effects on living organisms. Therefore, this systematic literature review evaluated the existing literature on the diffusion coefficients of various PHACs. The diffusion coefficient of these compounds serves as a parameter that measures their transport through hydrological mediums and is inversely proportional to molecular size. This review focused on the prevalence of different types of PHACs, the methods used in these diffusion studies, and other affecting parameters. Upon conducting the review, it was determined that analgesics, followed by antibiotics, were the most frequently reported and studied PHACs found in bodies of water. Moreover, the Taylor Dispersion Method and molecular modeling were the most popular methods of diffusion coefficient. At the same time, measurements using electric conductivity were preferred mainly due to convenience in terms of simplicity and cost-effectiveness. Observations of related parameters, such as temperature and molecular size, mostly aligned with the previously established theory with diffusion coefficients of PHACs’ particles, have a direct relationship with temperature and an inverse relationship with molecular size.