Landfill disposal of unused medicines reduces surface water releases

Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
Lial TischlerVirginia L Cunningham

Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry is conducting research to evaluate the pathways and fate of active pharmaceutical ingredients from the consumer to surface waters. One potential pathway identified by the researchers is the disposal of unused pharmaceutical products that are discarded by consumers in household trash and disposed of in municipal solid waste landfills. This study was designed to evaluate relative amounts of surface water exposures through the landfill disposal pathway compared to patient use and flushing of unused medicine pathways. The estimated releases to surface water of 24 example active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in landfill leachate were calculated for 3 assumed disposal scenarios: 5%, 10%, and 15% of the total annual quantity of API sold is discarded and unused. The estimated releases from landfills to surface waters, after treatment of the leachate, were compared to the total amount of each example API that would be released to surface waters from publicly owned treatment works, generated by patient use and excretion. This study indicates that the disposal of unused medications in municipal solid waste landfills effectively eliminates the unused medicine contribution of APIs to surface waters; greater t...Continue Reading

References

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Citations

Jul 18, 2015·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Daniel J CaldwellDouglas S Finan
Sep 26, 2015·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Jessica VestelPeter Wilson
Dec 7, 2019·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Tao ZhanYansong Qiao
Jan 23, 2020·Environmental Technology·Stavros G PoulopoulosConstantine J Philippopoulos
Mar 13, 2019·International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance·Mohamad Mahathir Amir SultanMazlin Mokhtar
Sep 25, 2018·Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts·Amanda GiangNoelle E Selin
May 31, 2020·Biomolecules·Ankica SekovanićJasna Jurasović
Apr 1, 2016·Environmental Technology·In-Hee HwangYasumasa Tojo
Apr 26, 2018·Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association·Jeongmin Park, Sang-Sup Lee
Dec 13, 2016·Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts·P DranguetV I Slaveykova
Apr 6, 2017·Environmental Science. Processes & Impacts·P DranguetV I Slaveykova
Feb 6, 2020·International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health·Faez AlnahasKhair Alhareth
Mar 22, 2020·Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research·Aphrodite TetorouStavros G Poulopoulos
Jan 29, 2021·Analytical Methods : Advancing Methods and Applications·Dylan O'FlynnBlánaid White
Jun 3, 2021·Pharmacy : Journal of Pharmacy, Education and Practice·Mst Marium BegumMd Sohanur Rahman

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