[Pharmwaste] RE: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals Pharmwast e digest, Vol 1 # 83 - 2 msgs

Fri, 1 Jul 2005 08:36:39 -0700

In Washington State we looked at this issue as well.  Landfills on the drier
eastside of our state either re-circulate their leachate or in some cases
are unlined.  However, landfills on the wetter westside of the state
discharge their leachate to waste water treatment facilities that use
secondary treatment.  We thought recirculation of leachate in an engineered
landfill was probably pretty good protection compared to discharge to WWTPs
or groundwater, so we weren't convinced at first that we should set up an
alternative disposal location.

However, three things that we realized:  

1. It was impractical to educate consumers whether they should use the trash
to dispose of pharmaceuticals based on who their waste hauler was.

2. As Ann mentioned, there is a pretty good reason that poison control
officials recommend flushing of unwanted medications-- security and safety
issues still exist for this material.  According to the Washington State
Department of Health, nine children die each year from poisoning, 465 are
hospitalized, and 3,490 visit the doctor.  Of 24 child poisoning deaths from
1999 to 2001, 16 were due to medications.   

3. There wasn't a logical environmental reason to allow HHW pharmaceuticals
into landfills when we spend a lot of time and money to keep other HHW
materials out of the landfill, especially if they have similar designating
characteristics.  

Emma Johnson
Solid Waste and Financial Assistance
Washington State Department of Ecology

-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Pistell, Ann E
Sent: Friday, July 01, 2005 8:12 AM
To: 'pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us'
Subject: [Pharmwaste] RE: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals Pharmwaste
digest, Vol 1 # 83 - 2 msgs

In response to Ann Heil from Los Angeles?  I was taking a completely
provincial stand in that in Maine we don't have commercial landfills big
enough to treat their own leachate.(Sounds like your landfill does have its
own treatment plant.)  In Maine it all gets collected in tankers and taken
to the local POTW, which usually has secondary treatment only.   

Also, I can't believe that we are any different than other states with lined
landfills (We only have a few. Plus we still have a few that are unlined
with NO leachate collection at all.) We have monitoring wells outside all
landfill areas for the very reason that we know even lined landfills can and
do leak, due to a variety of causes.(I was the project manager for the
largest commercial landfill in the state for several years, Waste
Management's, so I speak from personal experience!) This does point out that
each state should develop disposal systems for their area - what works in LA
may not be best in a rural state like Maine.

The journal I referred originally (see below) has several interesting
studies, many of which talk about the fate of pharmaceuticals during waste
water treatment/ bank filtration etc.  It is worth reading. 

I think most would agree that landfilling would be better than flushing,
except those more concerned about diversion or accidental poisonings than
about environmental impacts.  

Ann Pistell

Today's Topics:

   1. RE: Response: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals (Volkman, Jennifer &
Charlotte Smith) (Heil, Ann)
   2. RE: RE: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals (Contents of  Pharmwaste di
gest, Vol 1 #80 - 2 msgs) (Charlotte Smith)

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Message: 1
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Response: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals
(Volkman, Jennifer & Charlotte Smith)
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 14:51:28 -0700
From: "Heil, Ann" <AHeil@lacsd.org>
To: <pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us>

I don't buy either of these arguments. I work for an agency that = operates
both sewers and landfills. One very important fact to keep in = mind about
landfills is that the volume of landfill leachate produced is = very small.
A large landfill may only produce about 10,000 gallons per = day of
leachate.  It is MUCH easier to treat 10,000 gallons per day of = leachate
than 500 million gallons per day of wastewater.  I also don't = believe it
is correct to say that landfills will eventually leak.  = Modern landfills
are lined, with leachate collections systems.

While I don't believe that landfills are the best place for waste drugs, =
the drugs are much better off in a landfill than going down the toilet. =
The only way to get people to stop flushing drugs is to give them a =
reasonable alternative.  Pharmacy collection programs are not in place.  =
Many people will not take the trouble to go to a household hazardous = waste
collection center or event.  I would rather have people putting = their
drugs in the trash, in a way that is not accessible to children or = pets,
than flushing them down the toilet.=20

Just to be clear - landfills are not the best place for drugs, but they =
are better places than sewers. If you want people not to flush, you have =
to give them an alternative that they will actually do.

Ann Heil
LACSD

-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us]On Behalf Of David Stitzhal
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 7:44 AM
To: pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Response: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals (Volkman,
Jennifer & Charlotte Smith)

The two main arguments I hear about avoiding landfill disposal are,=20 in a
nutshell:

1). Landfill leachate is sent to wastewater treatment.  Given that=20 many
drugs are not captured in current treatment processes,=20 pharmaceuticals
that have migrated into the leachate can end up in=20 the environment.

2). All landfills will eventually leak, and the leachate will migrate=20 to
soil, and possibly groundwater, below and around the landfill.

--=20
David Stitzhal, MRP
President
Full Circle Environmental, Inc.
3111 37th Place South
Seattle, WA 98144
U.S.A.
206-723-0528 phone
206-723-2452 fax
stitzhal@fullcircleenvironmental.com
_______________________________________________
Pharmwaste mailing list
Pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us
http://lists.dep.state.fl.us/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pharmwaste

--__--__--

Message: 2
From: "Charlotte Smith" <csmith@pharmecology.com>
To: "Charlotte A. Smith" <csmith@pharmecology.com>,
	"'Pistell, Ann E'" <Ann.E.Pistell@maine.gov>,
	<pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us>, <dwyatt@centralsan.dst.ca.us>
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] RE: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals (Contents of
Pharmwaste di gest, Vol 1 #80 - 2 msgs)
Date: Thu, 30 Jun 2005 20:24:12 -0500

Alert reader Dr. Stevan Gressitt noted the fact that a number of
pharmaceuticals, including barium sulfate and lithium carbonate, are
actually inorganic chemicals which is absolutely correct. The vast =
majority of drugs are, however, organic molecules and need to be considered
as = such when disposal methods are discussed.  Thank you, Steve, for
catching  = that over-generalization.=20

Charlotte A. Smith, R. Ph., M.S., HEM
President
PharmEcology Associates, LLC
200 S. Executive Drive, Suite 101
Brookfield, WI 53005
Phone: 262-814-2635
Fax: 414-479-9941
csmith@pharmecology.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Charlotte A. Smith=20
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 8:41 AM
To: 'Pistell, Ann E'; 'pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us';
'dwyatt@centralsan.dst.ca.us'
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] RE: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals = (Contents
of Pharmwaste di gest, Vol 1 #80 - 2 msgs)

Thank you, Ann, for the citation. Yes, pharmaceuticals are organic
chemicals. When you mention emission controls for the pharma industry, = are
you referring to the manufacturers running their own incinerators? I =
believe many of those have shut down. It is my understanding that RCRA =
incinerators are well scrubbed and monitored. Waste to energy plants and
other = municipal incinerators I believe need to meet certain emissions
criteria to accept non-hazardous pharmaceutical waste. I believe there is a
great deal more variance there. Of course, they may be getting small amounts
of drugs in consumer waste. Anyone else have comments on the relative
benefits of incineration vs. landfilling?=20

Charlotte A. Smith, R. Ph., M.S., HEM
President
PharmEcology Associates, LLC
200 S. Executive Drive, Suite 101
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-814-2635
Fax 414-479-9941
www.pharmecology.com
H2E Champion for Change Award

-----Original Message-----
From: Pistell, Ann E [mailto:Ann.E.Pistell@maine.gov]=20
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2005 7:37 AM
To: 'pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us'; 'dwyatt@centralsan.dst.ca.us'
Subject: [Pharmwaste] RE: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals (Contents of
Pharmwaste di gest, Vol 1 #80 - 2 msgs)

 The bottom line is this - all landfills eventually leak. The more
sophisticated one have leachate collection, which goes to a treatment =
plant and is eventually discharged to a receiving water or bulked into
sludge which may then be land spread on crop land.  We all know that
treatment plants in the US, for the most part, do not have the processes to
= capture the pharmaceuticals. =20

An interesting article on this appears in "Ground Water Monitoring and
Remediation 24, No.2/Spring 2004, pages 119-126.  Title is =
"Pharmaceuticals and Other Organic Waste Water Contaminants Within a
Leachate Plume Downgradient of a Municipal Landfill" K. Barnes, S.
Christenson et.al.

I am sure there are other articles on this if one goes looking.  The = data
that may be sorely lacking is on air emissions - although I haven't dug =
deep for it. I am concerned about cross-media transfer, that by burning we =
may be adding stuff to the air or the ash.  I think the general feeling is
that = by burning, the organics break down to harmless components, but I
would = like to see where that has been confirmed.  And, I am no expert nor
chemist, but = are some pharmaceuticals not (basically) organics???=20

Lastly, I know EPA has set emission limits for the pharmaceutical = industry
which one would hope is based on stack tests etc., sound science.  = Anyone
looked at these?

Ann Pistell
Me DEP

Today's Topics:

   1. FW: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals (Charlotte A. Smith)
   2. RE: FW: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals (Volkman, Jennifer)

Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 11:50:42 -0500
From: "Charlotte A. Smith" <csmith@pharmecology.com>
To: <pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us>
Subject: [Pharmwaste] FW: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals

Can anyone provide more information on landfill restrictions and why
hazardous waste incineration is a better solution environmentally at = this
point?  Thanks much!=3D20

Charlotte A. Smith, R. Ph., M.S., HEM
President
PharmEcology Associates, LLC
200 S. Executive Drive, Suite 101
Brookfield, WI 53005
262-814-2635
Fax 414-479-9941
www.pharmecology.com
H2E Champion for Change Award

-----Original Message-----
From: David Wyatt [mailto:DWYATT@centralsan.dst.ca.us]=3D20
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 5:03 PM
To: Charlotte A. Smith
Subject: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals

Good afternoon,

My name is David Wyatt and I am with the Central Contra Costa Sanitary
District (you will be speaking at a workshop here on the 19th of July). = I
am a Senior Technician at the Districts household hazardous waste =
collection facility (HHWCF).  We are looking for some information on the
effects of pharmaceuticals thrown in the trash.

We currently collect pharmaceuticals from households in our service area =
at our HHWCF.  The medications are packaged with poisonous materials and =
sent for incineration.  The cost of this waste stream is relatively =
inexpensive with respect to the rest of our waste costs.

I've been asked to find out why our residents cannot just throw them in =
the trash as mentioned in many reports.  Do you know of any publications =
that could provide us with information on the potential effects of
pharmaceuticals to sanitary landfills or do you know any other reasons = why
residents should not put them in the trash?=3D20

We at the HHWCF feel accepting medications at our facility is the best = and
only method of proper disposal of household pharmaceuticals.  We only = need
to educate some of our management to see it that way.

Any and all information will be greatly appreciated.  You may reply to =
this email or give me a call at (925)335-7714.

Thank you for your time. Have a great day!

David Wyatt
Sr. HHW Technician
Central Contra Costa=3D20
Sanitary District - HHWCF
5019 Imhoff Place
Martinez, CA 94553
Ph.  925-335-7714
Fax  925-335-7737
dwyatt@centralsan.dst.ca.us
www.centralsan.org

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Message: 2
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] FW: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals
Date: Wed, 29 Jun 2005 17:50:51 -0500
From: "Volkman, Jennifer" <Jennifer.Volkman@state.mn.us>
To: "Charlotte A. Smith" <csmith@pharmecology.com>,
	<pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us>

In MN, we don't have a landfill restriction or ban on pharms.

We'd be interested in actual study data.  The basic concern from our SW =
=3D people here is that the pharms would eventually leach through the =3D =
garbage and show up in the leachate which is eventually run through the =3D
same = WWTP we were trying to keep it out of, or that the landfill would =3D
= eventually leak and the pharms would move into groundwater. =3D20

With the lack of hard data, leachate contamination is only assumed, as = =3D
is the relative ability of a landfill to attenuate or absorb pharms. =3D
Incineration appears to be the best option for destruction, as with any =
=3D other poison. =3D20

-----Original Message-----
From: pharmwaste-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-admin@lists.dep.state.fl.us]On Behalf Of Charlotte A.
Smith
Sent: Wednesday, June 29, 2005 11:51 AM
To: pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] FW: Trash Disposal of Pharmaceuticals