[Pharmwaste] Fish lesions, other problems are cause for worry - PA article

Jim Mullowney jmullowney at pharma-cycle.com
Wed Sep 24 15:31:45 EDT 2014


That is what we do at Pharma-Cycle. It is a very complex problem with many
chemicals involved and the first step is to understand the problem and look
at possible solutions. I think we have the best solution and inherently I am
biased so we all should think about it.

Check out www.cytotoxicsafety.org 

 

Jim Mullowney

 

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Buxbaum,
Diane
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2014 1:00 PM
To: Price, John L. "Jack"; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Fish lesions, other problems are cause for worry -
PA article 

 

How about figuring out how to pay for and implement a form of tertiary
treatment that will render these chemicals inert. Or am I being naïve? 

 

 

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 Price, John
L. "Jack"
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2014 9:26 AM
To: pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Fish lesions, other problems are cause for worry -
PA article 

 

As “something” we can do immediately, I suggest that at least some of us
filter through that brainwashing and take more responsibility for our own
health care. We do not have to salivate a la Pavlov’s dogs at the
brainwashing of prime time TV sponsors and rush out for the latest meds.
Admittedly, that’s not a complete fix, for example, hard to choose not to
take cytotoxics when battling cancer. I swallow those repeat messages myself
on some things. But let’s not wait for a government or other “fix” to get
started when we can engage personal responsibility right now. 

 

Passing the soap box along to someone else, Jack

 

John L. (Jack) Price

Environmental Consultant

Waste Reduction MS 4555

Florida Department of Environmental Protection

2600 Blair Stone Road

Tallahassee, FL  32399-2400

Phone:850.245.8751

Fax: 850.245.8803

 <mailto:john.l.price at dep.state.fl.us> john.l.price at dep.state.fl.us

 <http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste> www.dep.state.fl.us/waste

Please Note:  Florida has a very broad public records law.  Most written
communications to or from state officials regarding state business are
public records available to the public and media upon request.  Your e-mail
is communications and may therefore be subject to public disclosure.

 

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Nancy Busen
Sent: Wednesday, September 24, 2014 9:08 AM
To: Jim Mullowney; 'Catherine Zimmer'; Tenace, Laurie;
pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Fish lesions, other problems are cause for worry -
PA article 

 

Absolutely! 

Until something is done about brainwashing the American public with 1.5
hours of prescription and OTC drug ads during prime time TV, people will
still be trudging to the doctor for a pill to fix something that may not
even be broken; and the doctor will send them on their way with a
prescription 9 out of 10 times. The oil lobby isn’t the only one with a
total disregard for the environment; the pharmaceutical lobby is running
right beside them.

 

I will now disembark from my soap box and thank you for listening.

 

Nancy Busen, Lab/Pretreatment Supervisor

City of Bentonville, Wastewater Utilities

1901 N.E. “A” Street

Bentonville, AR 72712

Phone: 479-271-3160

Fax: 479-271-3163

Email: nbusen at bentonvillear.com

 

Forget that this task of planet saving is not possible in the time required.
Don't be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to
be done and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.
....Paul Hawkins

 

 

 

 

 

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Jim Mullowney
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 2:29 PM
To: 'Catherine Zimmer'; 'Tenace, Laurie'; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Fish lesions, other problems are cause for worry -
PA article 

 

I agree totally Catharine that we need a simple solution to a seemingly
complex problem and I have been watching this for over seven years. I think
we need a someone to digest the following

1.        Daughton’s latest publication

2.       The Study on the environmental risks of medicinal products (done by
Deloitte for the European Commission)

3.       The World Health Organization Blue Book on healthcare waste
management

4.       The NIOSH alert on Hazardous drugs

5.       The 2011 letter to every hospital in the country from OSHA, NIOSH
and the Joint commission on Healthcare warning  on hazardous drugs (all
three on one letterhead)

6.       OSHA technical Manual on Hazardous Drugs (Zero exposure for
Cytotoxic Drugs)

7.       Cytotoxic Drug Contamination in Hospital and Municipal Waste Water
and its Transfer to Surface Water ( Dr. Theresa O’Keefe 2011)

8.       Guideline  on Safe Handling of Cytotoxic Drugs and related Wastes
for South Australian Health Services 2012

I have made an attempt and came to the conclusion that for some drugs such
as cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs that pass through a patient un-altered in
high concentrations that we need to collect, transport and destroy the drugs
contained in the urine and feces long before the waste enters the toilet
(urine sample, stool sample for two days).

 

Check out www.cytotoxicsafety.org and all of these studies are on the first
page, just scroll down a bit and we welcome feedback. 

Any questions please send me a note jmullowney at pharma-cycle.com or call me
at 617-755-0883 

 

Thanks 

 

Jim Mullowney 

 

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Catherine
Zimmer
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 10:29 AM
To: 'Tenace, Laurie'; pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
Subject: RE: [Pharmwaste] Fish lesions, other problems are cause for worry -
PA article 

 

How about more focus on preventing?  I had hoped this article would
literally move the discussion upstream, but instead its still waste
management. We need someone to take Christian Daughton’s last publication,
disseminate it widely to physicians and synthesize it to colloquial terms
for use with the general public.  Collection programs then need to hand this
information out to participants.  

 

Very truly yours,

 

Catherine Zimmer, MS, BSMT

Zimmer Environmental Improvement, LLC

St. Paul, MN 

Ph:  651.645.7509

 <mailto:zenllc at usfamily.net> zenllc at usfamily.net

 

From: pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us
[mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] On Behalf Of Tenace,
Laurie
Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 8:54 AM
To: 'pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us'
Subject: [Pharmwaste] Fish lesions, other problems are cause for worry - PA
article 

 

Fish lesions, other problems are cause for worry

http://www.goerie.com/article/20140923/NIE04/309239998/Fish-lesions-other-pr
oblems-are-cause-for-worry

By ANNA McCARTNEY, Erie Times-News 
Contributing writer 

 

Something is very out of sync in aquatic ecosystems around the world.

 

Evidence can be found in the unusually widespread frequency of fish lesions,
excessive mortality and intersex fish. Male fish containing eggs in their
testes have been found nationwide, including Pennsylvania's major
watersheds, according to U.S. Geological Survey research. These problems
plaguing fish and other aquatic life should be signs the water we rely on
for drinking is also in trouble.

The likely culprits are endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) that upset the
endocrine system, which regulates hormones and the reproductive system. The
sources of these chemicals are complex mixtures from agricultural animal
wastes, pesticides and herbicides, and human sources from wastewater
treatment plant effluent and other sewage discharges, according to Vicki
Blazer, fish biologist and lead Pennsylvania study author. Low-dose exposure
to EDCs at sensitive life stages can have long-term effects, including
reproductive impairment, reduced disease resistance and early mortality.

These chemicals found in pharmaceuticals (human and veterinary) and personal
care products (PPCPs), flame retardants, antibacterial products, plastics,
pesticides and fertilizers are not currently regulated or commonly
monitored. Since exposure to these EDCs has also been linked to conditions
such as low sperm counts and testicular cancer in men, as well as breast
cancer, obesity and autism, what's happening to aquatic animals should alert
us to keep these chemicals out of the environment.

In 2008, Pennsylvania Sea Grant began tackling the problem of disposal and
education. Before its first PPCP collection, funded by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency in April 2008, the only choices locally were
to flush unused meds, put them in the trash or keep them indefinitely in
home medicine chests. All these options create serious public health issues,
from drug abuse to water contamination.

In 2010, with an EPA Great Lakes Restoration grant and with Great Lakes Sea
Grant partners in New York, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, Pennsylvania Sea
Grant expanded its campaign to prevent unnecessary PPCPs from entering the
environment. Sea Grant has educated and involved the public, elected
officials, health-care professionals and others in solutions. Its campaign
has reached 1,227,057 people and safely disposed of 21,765 pounds of unused
meds.

Pa Sea Grant's collection events, data and the partnerships formed with
groups locally, throughout the Great Lakes and nationally picked up the
steam needed to address PPCP use and disposal. Groups include the Lake Erie
College of Osteopathic Medicine School of Pharmacy and UPMC Hamot, health
departments, police departments, the American Veterinary Medical
Association, universities and others. Sea Grant staff members are currently
working with the National Sea Grant Network to reach and teach more people
nationwide.

Pennsylvania and other states now have collection boxes at police
departments that accept prescription and over-the-counter and pet
medications. And during the past four years, upward of 4 million pounds have
been collected in just 32 hours during eight National Prescription Drug
Take-Back days sponsored by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and law
enforcement agencies.

However, even these are not enough to keep drugs from every home, hospital,
doctor's office, and long-term care facility out of the environment or the
hands of abusers. The U.S. Department of Justice recently announced plans to
authorize pharmacies and hospitals to serve as drop-off sites for unused
meds and an option to mail them directly to an authorized collector. Until
these rules go into effect, you can use the collection boxes or participate
in the next National Prescription Drug Take Back Day this Saturday from 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. Visit  <http://www.paseagrant.org/> www.paseagrant.org for
sites or call (800) 882-9539.

Join us next week to learn more about PPCP problems and solutions.

 

 

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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