[Pharmwaste] Only half of drugs, other newly emerging contaminants removed from sewage (article)

[Jim Mullowney]

Is there a way to get the full report?

 

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Tenace,
Laurie
Sent: Friday, November 22, 2013 8:33 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Only half of drugs, other newly emerging contaminants
removed from sewage (article)

 

Only about half of the prescription drugs and other newly emerging
contaminants in sewage are removed by treatment plants.

http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/november/emerging-conta
minants-report

 

That's the finding of a new report
<http://www.iwaponline.com/wqrjc/up/wqrjc2013104.htm>  by the International
Joint Commission, a consortium of officials from the United States and
Canada who study the Great Lakes.

The impact of most of these "chemicals of emerging concern" on the health of
people and aquatic life remains unclear. Nevertheless, the commission report
concludes that better water treatment is needed.

	

"The compounds show up in low levels - parts per billion or parts per
trillion - but aquatic life and humans aren't exposed to just one at a time,
but a whole mix," said Antonette Arvai, physical scientist at the
International Joint Commission and the lead author of the study. "We need to
find which of these chemicals might hurt us."

More than 1,400 wastewater treatment plants in the United States and Canada
discharge 4.8 billion gallons of treated effluent into the Great Lakes basin
every day, according to the study.

The scientists reviewed 10 years of data from wastewater treatment plants
worldwide to see how well they removed 42 compounds that are increasingly
showing up in the Great Lakes.

Six chemicals were detected frequently and had a low rate of removal in
treated effluent: an herbicide, an anti-seizure drug, two antibiotic drugs,
an antibacterial drug and an anti-inflammatory drug.

"We need to find which of these chemicals might hurt us." -Antonette Arvai,
International Joint Commission  Caffeine, acetaminophen and estriol (a
natural estrogen) also were frequently detected in sewage but had high
removal rates.

The wastewater plants had a low removal rate (less than 25 percent chance of
removing 75 percent or more) for 11 of the 42 chemicals.

"The weight of evidence suggests that at least half of the 42 substances
examined in the present study are likely to be removed in municipal
wastewater treatment plants," the authors wrote.

Previous research has linked other drugs in fish to slower reaction times to
predators, altered eating habits and anxiety.


http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/images/2013/ehn/nov/glsewage/char
t.jpg

Triclosan, an antibacterial and antifungal compound found in some soaps,
toothpastes and other consumer products, has proven acutely toxic to algae
and can act as a hormone disruptor in fish. Triclosan was found frequently,
according to the new report and plants had "medium removal efficiency."

Also, the anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac bioaccumulates in fish, but its
impact is unclear, said Diana Aga, a chemistry professor and researcher at
the University of Buffalo who studies emerging chemicals in the Great Lakes.

Aga said even without knowing exact impacts, consistently seeing antibiotics
show up in effluent is concerning.

"Even at low levels you don't want to have people ingest antibiotics
regularly because it will promote resistance," she said.

"Even at low levels you don't want to have people ingest antibiotics
regularly because it will promote resistance."  -Diana Aga, University of
Buffalo   Chemicals' showing up in wastewater effluent doesn't necessarily
mean they will be found in drinking water. But some studies have found
prescription drugs in drinking water at parts-per-trillion levels. A federal
study of 74 waterways used for drinking water in 25 states found 53 had
traces of one or more pharmaceuticals.

There are currently no federal regulations of pharmaceuticals in waste or
drinking water. However, 12 pharmaceuticals are currently on the
Environmental Protection Agency's list of chemicals under consideration for
drinking water standards.

Most researchers expected that the large lakes would dilute pharmaceuticals
quickly, but a study
<http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/drugs-in-lake-michigan
>  this summer found the drugs contaminating Lake Michigan two miles from
Milwaukee sewage outfalls. 

It's important to not place blame squarely on wastewater treatment plants,
said Michael Murray, a scientist with the National Wildlife Federation's
Great Lakes Regional Center who is on the IJC's board.

"They weren't designed to handle these types of chemicals," Murray said.
"And most municipalities in the Great Lakes are under tight budgets and
they're just doing what they can to meet requirements."

Most plants use activated sludge treatment, which uses bacteria to break
down solids that come in from the wastewater. Since the chemicals come into
the plants at such low levels, many of them readily break down, said Allison
Fore, a spokesperson for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of
Greater Chicago.

Other newer technologies, such as ozonation or carbon filters, also are
effective at removing pharmaceuticals and other new chemicals but are
expensive, Arvai said.

 

 

Laurie Tenace

Environmental Specialist

Waste Reduction Section

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555

Tallahassee, FL 32399-2400

850.245.8759

Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us

 

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