Pharmaceuticals and other micropollutants in wastewater pose a new challenge to wastewater professionals as well as to the pharmaceutical industry.Although few technologies for the separate treatment of urine have been developed to date, the 100-500 times higher concentrations of micropollutants promise more efficient conditions for all removal technologies known from conventional wastewater treatment.Although there is a great deal of uncertainty concerning the possible detrimental effects on the aquatic ecosystems, the precautionary principle - or possibly new scientific evidence - may give rise to more stringent demands on wastewater treatment in the future.