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<DIV>Hi everyone,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I am always skeptical of any technology that claims to capture or destroy
pharmaceuticals and other pollutants in water. Most articles I’ve read
indicate it would take a multitude of technologies, at an extraordinary cost,
everything from settling tanks and flocculation to carbon filtration and air
stripping to remove all the pollutants from wastewater. The treatment
technologies work based on the chemical structure of the drug. For
example, carbmazepine and diclofenac can be broken down by ozone. However,
iron flocculation has no appreciable effect on removing either drug.
Another issue that is not often addressed is what do the breakdown products look
like, they are likely still pollutants and are they biologically active? With
activated carbon, some pollutants/rx are removed, but the sites on the filter
are easily filled and often break through occurs. For something like
“Obsorb”, it may work for some pollutants, but won’t work for all, and there is
the cost issue, this is essentially a silica filtration system that would have
to manage millions of gallons of water per day. And, as we all know, any
treatment technology is basically moving the pollutant to another media, e.g.
the land or air. It’s the on-going crap shoot of treatment. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>So, as you all know, I go back to beating the drum of prevention. I
know its not as financially attractive as selling the gizmo that does magic, but
it does magic without much cost. Prevention of long term chronic illness
is a good place to start. In the UK, where they passed legislation calling
on the healthcare sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% by 2030, they
are doing a complete overhaul of their system and starting with
prevention. By reducing the patients progressing to chronic disease they
minimize resource consumption and by extension, GHG. (Studies indicate 60%
of GHG produced in HC are due to products used and disposed.)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>With the advent of our new healthcare system, I have hope that we will be
focusing more on prevention, rather than treatment. As a matter of fact,
the UK has a “sustainability division” in their NationaL Health Service—let’s
lobby for something similar at CMS. And maybe we will finally start to
seriously consider non-pharmaceutical treatments rather than just piling on the
pharmaceuticals. It can be done. I know a number of people who are
refusing pharmaceuticals in lieu of alternative medicine, even things so boring
as exercise, and they are doing well. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; COLOR: #000000">Very truly
yours,<BR><BR>Catherine Zimmer, MS, BSMT<BR>Principal<BR>Zimmer Environmental
Improvement LLC<BR>Ph: 651.645.7509</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5">
<DIV style="font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=egottlieb@cityofithaca.org
href="mailto:egottlieb@cityofithaca.org">Ed Gottlieb</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Monday, October 07, 2013 9:24 AM</DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us
href="mailto:pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us">pharmwaste@lists.dep.state.fl.us</A>
; <A title=brian@returnlogistics.com
href="mailto:brian@returnlogistics.com">Brian Stenz</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Pharmwaste] Osorb</DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></DIV>
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style="FONT-SIZE: small; FONT-FAMILY: 'Calibri'; FONT-WEIGHT: normal; COLOR: #000000; FONT-STYLE: normal; TEXT-DECORATION: none; DISPLAY: inline">
<DIV>The correct link is:</DIV>
<DIV><A
href="http://www.absmaterials.com/stormwater">http://www.absmaterials.com/stormwater</A></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ed<BR><BR>>>> Brian Stenz <brian@returnlogistics.com>
10/7/2013 10:19 AM >>><BR>I'd be curious to learn what others think of
this new technology for capturing pharmaceuticals and other chemicals in
water.<BR><BR><A
href="http://www.absmaterials.com/stormwater---">http://www.absmaterials.com/stormwater---</A><BR>Note:
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