text: These biological targets are conserved across species, making pharmaceutical pollution of the environment a danger to species who possess the same targets. For example, the synthetic estrogen in human contraceptives, 17-R-ethinylestradiol, has been shown to increase the feminization of fish downstream from sewage treatment plants, thereby unbalancing reproduction and creating an additional selective pressure on fish survival. Pharmaceuticals are usually found at ng/L to low-μg/L concentrations in the aquatic environment. Adverse effects may occur in non-target species as a consequence of specific drug target interactions. Therefore, evolutionarily well-conserved drug targets are likely to be associated with an increased risk for non-targeted pharmacological effects.