A proof of concept study demonstrating that environmental levels of carbamazepine impair early stages of chick embryonic development.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an anticonvulsant drug used for epilepsy and other disorders. Prescription of CBZ during pregnancy increases the risk for congenital malformations. CBZ is ubiquitous in effluents and persistent during wastewater treatment. Thus, it is re-introduced into agricultural ecosystems upon irrigation with reclaimed wastewater. People consuming produce irrigated with reclaimed wastewater were found to be exposed to CBZ. However, environmental concentrations of CBZ (μgL−1) are magnitudes lower than its therapeutic levels (μgml−1), raising the question of whether and how environmental levels of CBZ affect embryonic development.