This is the first book covering the topic of stereochemistry of pharmacologically active compounds and illicit drugs (PACs) in the environment. The composition of the chiral drug can be changed during wastewater treatment, in the environment, and during drinking water treatment. Therefore the very same chiral molecule might have different activity/toxicity at different stages of its environmental life cycle, which will depend on its origin and exposure to environmental factors. Knowledge of stereochemistry of chiral PACs is therefore of critical importance when assessing environmental impacts from PACs as different stereoisomeric forms (e.g. enantiomers or diastereoisomers) of the same pharmaceutical might reveal different toxicity to different organisms at different trophic levels. This book covers several aspects of drug stereochemistry including stereoselective synthesis, pharmacology, (eco)toxicology and environmental legislation.

Topic includes Synthesis of chiral PACs; Chirality in human PACs; Chiral analysis of PACs in the environment; Emerging opportunities in analytical chemistry of chiral substances