Antiretroviral drug residues in the environment: the case of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda

Antiretroviral drug residues have been detected within various environmental compartments in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. For this review, a total of 958 articles were screened at title and abstract level, of which 21 were assessed at full text level for eligibility. Eligibility required quantitative data on environmental antiretroviral residues within the study area. 13 articles published in 7 different journals were included in the study. In Kenya, nevirapine, lamivudine, zidovudine, stavudine and efavirenz residues have been detected in the waters of different regions. Nevirapine, lamivudine, zidovudine residues have also been detected in the sediments of different regions within Kenya. In Tanzania, lamivudine residues have been detected in broiler chicken and domestic pig samples. Whilst in Uganda, lopinavir and saquinavir residues have been detected in chicken and pig samples. Detection of human designated antiretroviral drugs in domestic animals is daunting. There were no studies screening for antiretroviral drug residues in air or plants within the study region.