Ibuprofen as an Emerging Contaminant of Concern: Occurrence in Southeast Asia Water Environment

Ibuprofen is the third most salable pharmaceutical worldwide even being sold in the absence of prescription. This drug is not thoroughly metabolized and excreted into wastewater as an unchanged molecule and its metabolites. Conventional wastewater treatment plants are insufficient to remove ibuprofen, thus this substance ends up in the effluent of wastewater treatment systems and pollutes water bodies, soil, and other ecosystems. As an emerging contaminant, continuous discharge of ibuprofen has become a threat to the aquatic environment. However, studies of ibuprofen are predominantly concentrated in developed regions. The current status of ibuprofen in developing countries such as Southeast Asia region is unclear. This review aims to inform the current status of ibuprofen research in Southeast Asian countries, particularly focusing on the occurrence in the aquatic environment. This study would fill a considerable knowledge gap on ibuprofen in Southeast Asia and contribute to global knowledge development, including the need for future studies on issues unique to the region.