[Pharmwaste] Concentrations of prioritized pharmaceuticals ineffluents from 50 large wastewater treatment plants in the US andimplications for risk estimation

Fri Dec 6 10:59:32 EST 2013

Hi Ed and Diane, 

I would like to add to Catherine’s List.

In August The World Health Organization published a Handbook on health care waste management and highlighted a group of Pharmaceuticals called Genotoxic and stated

Any discharge of genotoxic waste into the environment could have disastrous ecological consequences.

Most Genotoxic drugs are used in cancer treatment and 27 of them are excreted heavily in the patients urine, feces and vomit for 48 hours after treatment. The WHO states that it is the responsibility of the Pharmacist to control Genotoxic waste including the human waste and it is the responsibility of those involved in paying for the treatment cover the cost. We are the United States of America, we put a car on the moon, we can collect pee in a cup.

I am attaching a list of the 27 bad actors.

Jim Mullowney

jmullowney at pharma-cycle.com 

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Ed Gottlieb
Sent: Friday, December 06, 2013 8:44 AM
To: Buxbaum, Diane; DeBiasi, Deborah (DEQ); Zimmer, Catherine; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Cc: abuxbaum at downtownwomen.com; ATL-LEADERS at LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG; cbuxbaum at sandiaprep.org
Subject: Re: [Pharmwaste] Concentrations of prioritized pharmaceuticals ineffluents from 50 large wastewater treatment plants in the US andimplications for risk estimation

Hi Diane,

I would add to Catherine's list:  

Change prescribing guidelines (based on inventory data from take-back events) to help reduce the amount of waste medications generated.

Ed Gottlieb
Chair, Coalition for Safe Medication Disposal 
Industrial Pretreatment Coordinator 
Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility
525 3rd Street
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 273-8381
fax: (607) 273-8433

>>> "Catherine Zimmer" <zenllc at usfamily.net> 12/5/2013 4:03 PM >>>

Hi Diane,

>From everything I’ve read it would take a multitude of treatment regimens to address the plethora of pharmaceuticals (and other contaminants) in our wastewater systems.  And, if we got breakdown, what would those breakdown products look like? Would they be biologically active?  What kind of pollutants would they be?  

I hate to sound like a broken record, but a better strategy is to reduce and eliminate these things at the source.  First, we stop using our surface waters as dumps.  Industry has to re-use their own water, they can’t dump into rivers, lakes, oceans.  WWTP, also re-use water.  Households get educated on health improvements that don’t use drugs and MD support alternative treatments and less toxic/persistent pharmaceuticals when necessary.  Individual households treat their sewage to remove rx.  While this is a large undertaking, it seems ultimately a better outcome than trying to treat everything being dumped into the water.  

Very truly yours,

Catherine Zimmer, MS, BSMT
Principal
Zimmer Environmental Improvement LLC
Ph: 651.645.7509

From: Buxbaum, Diane <mailto:Buxbaum.Diane at epa.gov>  

Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2013 2:44 PM

To: DeBiasi, Deborah (DEQ) <mailto:Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov>  ; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us 

Cc: abuxbaum at downtownwomen.com ; cbuxbaum at sandiaprep.org ; ATL-LEADERS at LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG 

Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Concentrations of prioritized pharmaceuticals ineffluents from 50 large wastewater treatment plants in the US andimplications for risk estimation

I am ccing some nongovernmental environmental activists on this email  Wow, how depressing.  Were most or all of these plants secondary plants? Were any tertiary?  Are there any ideas of nonprohibitive methods for reducing or eliminating the discharge of these pharmaceuticals into the receiving bodies?  Would,  in areas where there is the land, exposure to sunlight and ponds allow for the breakdown of these drugs (and how dangerous might those products be)?  Probably not possible in most urban areas and even where possible very costly. 

Diane D. Buxbaum, MPH

Environmental Scientist

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,

Region 2

Division of Enforcement and Compliance Assistance

290 Broadway (21 East)

New York, NY 10007

buxbaum.diane at epa.gov

Phone 212-637-3919

Fax 212-637-4086

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of DeBiasi, Deborah (DEQ)
Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2013 3:21 PM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Concentrations of prioritized pharmaceuticals in effluents from 50 large wastewater treatment plants in the US and implications for risk estimation

Concentrations of prioritized pharmaceuticals in effluents from 50 large wastewater treatment plants in the US and implications for risk estimation

Mitchell S. Kostich*, Angela L. Batt, James M. Lazorchak

Ecological Exposure Research Division, National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 W. Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, USA

ABSTRACT

We measured concentrations of 56 active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in effluent samples from 50 large wastewater treatment plants across the US. Hydrochlorothiazide was found in every sample. Metoprolol, atenolol, and carbamazepine were found in over 90% of the samples. Valsartan had the highest concentration (5300 ng/L), and also had the highest average concentration (1600 ng/L) across all 50 samples. Estimates of potential risks to healthy human adults were greatest for six anti-hypertensive APIs (lisinopril, hydrochlorothiazide, valsartan, atenolol, enalaprilat, and metoprolol), but nevertheless suggest risks of exposure to individual APIs as well as their mixtures are generally very low. Estimates of potential risks to aquatic life were also low for most APIs, but suggest more detailed study of potential ecological impacts from four analytes (sertraline, propranolol, desmethylsertraline, and valsartan).

Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Deborah L. DeBiasi
Email:   Deborah.DeBiasi at deq.virginia.gov
WEB site address:  www.deq.virginia.gov <http://www.deq.virginia.gov/> 
Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Office of Water Permits 
Industrial Pretreatment/Whole Effluent Toxicity (WET) Program
PPCPs, EDCs, and Microconstituents

http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Water/PermittingCompliance/PollutionDischargeElimination/Microconstituents.aspx

Mail:          P.O. Box 1105, Richmond, VA  23218
Location:  629 E. Main Street, Richmond, VA  23219
PH:         804-698-4028      FAX:      804-698-4032

  _____  

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