[Pharmwaste] hormonal pollution in lotic ecosystems? 'lil help here please?

[Gilliam, Allen]

Karalea,

You have hit a very hot button which has been/is being discussed globally.

There are no specific ADEQ or Federal regulations/discharge limitations for any specific pharmaceuticals at this time.  The only regulations close are directed specifically at the manufacturers themselves per 40 CFR 439, the "Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Point Source Category" @
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=a167d68a3b8e57d72caeb2a573712f41&rgn=div5&view=text&node=40:30.0.1.1.15&idno=40 which is so outdated, it's not worth looking at because its limitations are for only the intermediates in making specific pharmas; i.e., no limitations on any pharmaceuticals themselves.  Meghan Hessenhaur (ec'd above) is EPA's project manager for possible future effluent guideline (federal standards/limits) and may reply.

EPA is studying the issue as we speak from several viewpoints.  This is not an Arkansas issue, but a global one and quickly gets muddied with the politics of source reduction from the manufacturers themselves.  Quote from the Christian Science Monitor, "The pharmaceutical manufacturers sell the disease, not the drugs" (or something close to that).

Your two best bets would be to link to http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/ and begin your trek through the most recent EPA studies and for me to forward your request to the "pharmwaste listserve" (ec'd above) administered by the very capable and nationally renowned Laurie Tenace(ous).  From her listserve, you may get more answers than you wanted.  There are many, many "experts" (Dr. Stevan Gressitt, a premier) on pharmaceuticals in the environment offering up more studies than one can absorb.

Just fyi:

http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1289/ehp.8315 from the United Kingdom...

http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/projects/vitellogenin.html project's outcome: "Collapse of a Fish Population Following Exposure to a Synthetic Estrogen".

Good power point presentation from EPA's lead scientist on the issue @ http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/AssessingRisk/PPCP/upload/01_Daughton.pdf and one his special reports @ http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/pdf/errata.pdf .
"Many drugs aren't altered much by the body," Dr. Daughton explained. "They circulate, do their thing and are excreted. You will have some that will survive the entire gauntlet of processes from the time you ingest a chemical to the time it comes out the other end of the sewage treatment plant." from http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2008/sep/07/testing-drugs-tennessee-river-system-under-way/

The USGS has also been in the fray for many years.  See http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2228  &
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2305  for a couple of their studies.

I've been following this issue since early '05 and have 100s of stories and studies on pharmaceuticals' toxic/sub-lethal effects on aquatic life in your "lotic" (had to look that one up...) systems; too many to sort through to find some specific to birth control pharmas.

My favorite: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4297391

Sorry for not being anything more than a vent, but good luck on your study!

Allen Gilliam
ADEQ State Pretreatment Coordinator
501.682.0625

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Questions_Comments to ADEQ website:

I'm a student at Arkansas Tech University and I'm researching hormonal pollution in lotic ecosystems, particularly from prescription birth controls. Do you have any information on hand on this- particularly relating to Arkansas? I'm also looking for information on wastewater regulations. They seem to be unique by city. Is there any standard state regulations that I could have access to?

Karalea Wells
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