Household Disposal of Pharmaceuticals as a Pathway for Aquatic Contamination in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Pharmaceuticals are produced and used in increasingly large volumes every year. With this growth comes concern about the fate and effects of these compounds in the environment. The discovery of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment has stimulated research in the last decade. A wide range of pharmaceuticals has been found in fresh and marine waters, and it has recently been shown that even in small quantities, some of these compounds have the potential to cause harm to aquatic life. The primary pathway into the environment is the use and disposal of medicines; although much of the research in the area currently focuses on the removal of pharmaceuticals during sewage treatment processes, disposal via household waste might be a significant pathway requiring further research. To investigate the household disposal of unused and expired pharmaceuticals as a source of pharmaceutical compounds in the environment, we carried out a survey and interviewed members of 400 households, predominantly from southeastern England. We used the information on when and how they disposed of unfinished pharmaceuticals to construct a conceptual model to assess the pathways of human pharmaceuticals into the environment. The model demonstrated that disposal of unused pharmaceuticals, either by household waste or via the sink or toilet, may be a prominent route that requires greater attention.

Ecotoxicological aspects related to the presence of pharmaceuticals in the aquatic environment

“…c) Household Disposal; either topic formulations or unused medicines (out-of-date or unwanted) are discarded through the sink/toilet or via waste collection [9,37,38], before being taken to landfill sites where they appear as terrestrial ecosystem contaminants. Alternatively, they may possibly leak into surrounding water compartments [39,40]. d) Impacts due to anthropogenic activities; as, for instance, Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) sludge, which can carry non-suspected drugs and is frequently used as a fertilizer on agricultural land [41,42]; veterinary medicines, which are also excreted in urine and faeces by animals before being spread onto land via manure application as fertilisers.…”

Efeitos ambientais da disposição oceânica de esgotos por meio de emissários submarinos: uma revisão

“…Dentre essas substâncias, destacam-se compostos farmacêuticos e de cuidado pessoal 129,130,131,132,133 , desreguladores endó-crinos 4,134 , dentre outros contaminantes. O fato dos sólidos em suspensão terem sido corresponsáveis pela toxicidade do efluente sugere que as partículas contenham contaminantes adsorvidos a elas, o que já era previsto para metais e hidrocarbonetos 119,140 .…”

Pharmaceutical Waste Management in Pharmacies at the Primary Level of Health Care in Serbia - Situation Analysis

“…They behave differently in the environment and have different stability. 1 Since these components have been detected in wastewaters, in the soil and in drinking water, they have become even bigger problem. 2 Pharmaceutical products have been used and produced in large amounts nowadays.…”