Yes, caffeine, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, novobiocin and tamoxifen have an effect on Corbicula fluminea (Müller, 1774)

• Ruditapes philippinarum was exposed to four pharmaceuticals during 14 days.
• General stress and biochemical biomarkers measured in digestive gland tissues of clams.
• General stress increased when increasing concentrations of pharmaceuticals.
• Pharmaceuticals at environmental concentration had an effect in clams
• Biomarkers constitute suitable responses for pharmaceutical toxicity assessment.

Reports indicating the presence of pharmaceutical in fresh water environment in the ng L−1 to  µg L−1 range are occurring with increasing frequency. It is also a fact that pharmaceuticals may produce adverse effects on aquatic organisms. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding how these emergent contaminants may affect aquatic biota. The goal of this research was to evaluate the sublethal responses in Corbicula fluminea such as, general stress (lysosomal membrane stability [LMS]), biomarkers of phase I and II (etoxyresorufin O-deethylase [EROD], dibenzylfluorescein dealkylase [DBF], gluthathione-S-transferase [GST]), oxidative stress (gluthathione reductase [GR], gluthathione peroxidase [GPX], lipid peroxidation [LPO]), and biomarkers of effect (DNA damage) after 21 days of exposure to caffeine, ibuprofen, carbamazepine, novobiocin and tamoxifen at 0.1, 1, 5, 10, 15, 50 µg L−1. Environmental concentrations tested in this study caused general stress and produced changes on biomarkers tested. LMS, responses from phase I and II enzymatic activity, oxidative stress, and biomarker of effect represent important ecotoxicological information, and will provide a useful reference for the assessment of selected drugs and the effects which these compounds may have on aquatic invertebrates, using C. fluminea as a bioindicator species.