From rm-walsh@comcast.net Fri Mar 4 19:58:50 2005 From: rm-walsh@comcast.net (RM Walsh) Date: Fri, 4 Mar 2005 14:58:50 -0500 Subject: [Pharmwaste] Drugs in the environment: sources Message-ID: <000e01c520f4$964c50a0$6500a8c0@Library> This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C520CA.ACCF5A40 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable While traces of pharmaceuticals have been found as environmental = contaminants, I've never seen estimates of the relative contributions = of various possible sources: Consumer unused drug discards Consumed but under-metabolized drugs passing into wastewater Agricultural sources Industrial sources Is anyone aware of any work done to come up wit an estimate? ------=_NextPart_000_000B_01C520CA.ACCF5A40 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
WHAT TO=20
DO: REGISTER=20
FOR THE NERC CONFERENCE! The=20
agenda and registration information are available online at www.nerc.org.
This is=20 an opportunity to clean out your medicine cabinets and bring all = unwanted=20 medications, including pet medications, to the event for proper disposal = as well=20 as learning about this growing environmental concern and how to take=20 action.
WHAT=20
TO BRING TO THE COLLECTED: =20
=B7 =20 Expired or unwanted = prescriptions=20 and medicine,
=B7 =20 Vitamins,
=B7 =20 Veterinary medications, =
=B7 =20 Homeopathic treatments, and =
=B7 =20
Over the counter=20
medicines.
WHAT WILL =
HAPPEN:=20
There will be a police officer and pharmacist present to supervise the=20
collection. All medicine =
will be=20
sent to a waste facility for secure incineration. NO=20
MEDICINE WILL BE RE-USED OR RE-SOLD.
WHAT ABOUT PERSONAL = INFORMATION ON=20 BOTTLE LABELS? Please use a marker to cross off your=20 name.
WHAT INFORMATION WILL BE =
ASKED OF=20
YOU? =
You will be=20
asked a few general questions, such as town of residence, why the medicine is no =
longer wanted=20
and how long they=92ve been kept. No personal=20
information will be requested.
IMPORTANT=20
INFORMATION ABOUT UNWANTED MEDICINE
You=20 have the opportunity to safely dispose of your unwanted prescription = drugs at no=20 cost. Spread the = word to your=20 friends and family. This is an important new program that will help to = protect=20 your health, your children and grandchildren=92s health, our community = and the=20 environment.
For=20 more information, contact Lynn Rubinstein=20 (lynn@nerc.org).
http://pubs.acs.org/subscribe/journals/esthag-w/2005/mar/= tech/bb_estrogens.html
Technology News = –
March 9, 2005
Estrogens light up genetically modified fish
Masato Kinoshita, Kyoto = University
The glow in the liver of this = transgenic medaka fish could mean bad news for the environment. In research = posted to ES&T Research ASAP website = this week, Japanese researchers describe how they genetically engineered medaka to = create the first transgenic fish capable of serving as a live environmental = monitor. They chose the medaka because it is a small fish able to survive in = fresh- and seawater over a broad temperature range—handy traits for = environmental monitoring. To create medaka that can reveal the presence of = environmental estrogens, the scientists inserted a gene for green fluorescent protein = (GFP) into the fish’s genome so that the light-emitting protein is = produced in tandem with an estrogen-responsive liver glycoprotein. Because the = hatchlings seen above lack abdominal pigmentation for 14 days, any liver = fluorescence can be directly observed for up to 2 weeks. The authors envision using the transgenic medaka hatchlings for real-time monitoring of sewage = effluents or surface waters. Insertion of the GFP system into another medaka strain = that remains pigment-free through adulthood would allow for longer-term surveillance, suggests Masato Kinoshita of Kyoto University, the = corresponding author. —BARBARA BOOTH
Laurie J. Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, = MS 4555
Tallahassee, Florida = 32399-2400
PH: (850) 245-8759
FAX: (850) 245-8811
Laurie.Tenace@dep.state.fl.= us
view our mercury web pages at:
= http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/default.htm
The Maine Drug Implementation Group
report, minus appendices (we will add those later, when time =
permits) is
now on the OPLA website at:
http://www.state.me.us/legis/=
opla/reports2.htm
Stevan Gressitt, M.D.
I will be out of the office from March 21 until March = 28, 2005. Please call 464-7500 if you need an immediate response, = and they will appropriately direct your call.
------_=_NextPart_001_01C52C78.D1D3CC22-- From Irene.Gleason@dep.state.fl.us Mon Mar 21 19:34:26 2005 From: Irene.Gleason@dep.state.fl.us (Gleason, Irene) Date: Mon, 21 Mar 2005 14:34:26 -0500 Subject: [Pharmwaste] FW: Prescription Drugs Message-ID: <235D938CD7D0AF4EA5FC1F6284C40AF1714B54@tlhexsmb4.floridadep.net> FYI -----Original Message----- From: James Talbot [mailto:James.Talbot@Seattle.Gov]=20 Sent: Monday, March 21, 2005 1:16 PM To: Mailing list for HHW professionals. Subject: Re: Prescription Drugs In Seattle-We use to take some pharmaceuticals, but regulations on = restricted drugs (our interpretation of laws) precluded our accepting it anymore = (We sure could not tell the difference on some little white pills). We now advise customers to destroy drugs, remove from containers and wrap in = opaque plastic and dispose of in general garbage. We used to have people flush down the sewer, but water quality and = treatment issue were of a concern. The issue of contract labor or the appearance = of the valuable drugs "missing' from the site or the disposal stream after = our workers handled them was more liability than we wanted to take on. Jim Talbot Supervisor -HHW SPU-Solid Waste (206)-684-7485 pager 982-4322 james.talbot@seattle.gov >>> BDonnelly@co.broome.ny.us 2/24/2005 8:31:58 AM >>> I was wondering if anyone has a policy or possibly has done a collection = for Prescription Drugs. I was told that Portland, ME did a pilot, however I don't have any information regarding it. I was also thinking there may = be some regulations restricting it. Thank you, =20 Brian Donnelly Broome County DSWM 286 Knapp Rd. Binghamton, NY 13905 (607)763-4305 bdonnelly@co.broome.ny.us