[Pharmwaste] list submission

[tvinson]

>From the University of Florida News:

http://news.ufl.edu/2007/09/27/shark-study/



UF toxicology lab to assess effects of pollutants on sharks
Filed under Research, Health, Environment, Veterinary on Thursday, September
27, 2007.GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Sending commonly prescribed medications down
the drain may be taking a bite out of the environment - at least when it
comes to shark habitat, University of Florida veterinary scientists say. In
fact, the combination of flushing unused medications and the natural
excretion of drug residue from antidepressants, cholesterol-regulating drugs
and contraceptives into wastewater systems could be having repercussions on
aquatic animal life in general.

Researchers at UF's College of Veterinary Medicine's Analytical Toxicology
Core Laboratory, in collaboration with Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota,
are studying the bull shark's exposure to pharmaceutical drug residue found
in the waters of the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers. Bull sharks leave
the ocean to spend time in brackish rivers and estuaries, and the river
serves as a nursery for their young. 

"Because bull sharks have the unique ability to survive in both saltwater
and freshwater environments, they are in close, frequent contact with people
- and, as a result, are frequently exposed to wastewater pollutants found in
freshwater basins," said Jim Gelsleichter, senior scientist at Mote Marine
Laboratory.

Scientists are trying to determine whether exposure to prescription residue
contaminants from water treatment plants and other sources affects the
sharks' ability to grow and reproduce. 

"Treatment plants were designed to remove pathogens like viruses and
bacterial agents, and that they do very well," said Nancy Szabo,
Gelsleichter's co-investigator and director of UF's Analytical Toxicology
Core Laboratory. But these facilities simply aren't designed to deal with
pharmaceuticals, she said. 

Evidence suggests that low-level pharmaceutical pollution is widespread. In
1999 and 2000, the U.S. Geological Survey sampled 139 streams in 30 states
for organic wastewater contaminants, including common pharmaceuticals.
Eighty percent of the streams studied contained traces of chemical
pollution. The consequences of such contamination are not yet fully known,
although some research has shown even low levels of these contaminants
affect several fish species. 

Federal guidelines for proper disposal of prescription drugs recommend
flushing them down the toilet only if the accompanying patient information
specifically says it is safe to do so. 

Gelsleichter is testing for the presence and levels of human drug
contaminants in bull shark blood by tagging bull sharks in the river basin
with passive sampling devices - silicone rubber discs that collect chemical
samples in the water for later examination. When sharks are caught by local
anglers or by the Mote team on subsequent research expeditions, the tags are
retrieved and sent to UF's Analytical Toxicology Core Laboratory for
analysis.

When the blood and silicone-rubber discs from the bull sharks arrive at the
laboratory, Szabo's team analyzes the samples to determine the variety and
concentration of chemicals present in the bull shark's environment.

The UF laboratory specializes in non-routine analysis. Szabo's team works
with researchers both at UF and elsewhere to develop appropriate methods for
measuring and analyzing whatever toxins are being examined. These techniques
are tailored specifically to each client. 

For the bull shark study, the UF laboratory has been able to use distinctive
techniques to gauge chemical levels in bull shark blood. The laboratory
worked with Mote not only to design the experiment but also to adapt the
analytical methods used to ensure valid results are produced.

"The type of work we do requires a lot of effort, and one has to have the
expertise available to know where to even begin," Szabo said.

The bull shark study, which is funded through September 2008 by the
Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program and a federal grant to the
National Shark Research Foundation, is the most recent collaboration between
the UF laboratory and Mote. The two groups have worked together for the past
nine years. 

"Our collaborative efforts have provided new data on the environmental
quality of essential fish habitat for the U.S. shark populations,"
Gelsleichter added. "This information is necessary for NOAA (National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) fisheries to have so they can manage
and conserve these populations from an ecosystem perspective."

Credits
Contact 
Sarah Carey, careys at vetmed.ufl.edu, 352-392-2213, ext. 5206



Submitted to list by:

Tim Vinson
tvinson at ufl.edu
Coordinator Research Programs and Services
Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (formerly Florida
Center...)
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