Drug residues in the water

Drug residues in the water / Health News

New procedures for removing drug residues from the water

25/08/2014

Pharmaceutical residues are increasingly polluting the water in Germany. Numerous different substances have already been detected by the Federal Environmental Agency in waters, but in fact the burden is likely to be significantly higher. Because the investigations only find what they are looking for. With the support of the Federal Environment Agency, researchers at the University of Tübingen are working on a fast and safe test system that can be used to measure and monitor the harmful effects of pharmaceutical residues on site.


The researchers identified in the first part of the project „First, which medicines are particularly harmful to the environment and which living organisms are very sensitive to them“, reports the Federal Environment Agency. „Building on this, the researchers now want to develop cell-based methods for two drugs from the group of analgesics and the group of antihypertensive agents“, so the official message on. At the same time, the work is being carried out on technical improvements in water treatment, with the help of which the pharmaceutical residues should in future be removed from the wastewater as comprehensively as possible.

Medicinal cocktail in the water
With the wastewater, a veritable cocktail of active ingredients enters the water cycle, which can be dangerous not only for the animal and plant world, but in the worst case also for humans. Residues of X-ray contrast media, antibiotics, analgesics and diabetes drugs are found in ground, surface and drinking water, reports the news agency „dpa“ citing the information provided by the Federal Environmental Agency. According to official data, a total of 23 active substances have been detected in drinking water by 2011, traces of 55 different medicinal products have been found in groundwater and the number of proven active substances in lakes and rivers has even been in the three-digit range. Overall, drug residues represent a growing problem, which is also due to the steadily increasing number of new drugs.

Significant increase in drug residues in the water expected
Today, 2,500 to 3,000 active substances are already available on the market in Germany and are likely to be of a similar size in the water, citing the „dpa“ Professor of Sustainable Chemistry and Material Resources at Leuphana University Lüneburg, Klaus Kümmerer. Accordingly, the previously detected residues are probably only the tip of the iceberg. And „whenever there are new agents, the problem grows“, so Kümmerer continues. Added to this is the drastic increase in drug consumption. According to the announcement of the „dpa“ The consumption of active substances in the field of medicinal products for human use in Germany increased by 1920 tonnes between 2002 and 2012 (from 6200 to 8120 tonnes). In 2012, more than a billion packs of medicines were sold in German pharmacies. The problem is also the disposal of the drugs. Because often these are simply poured into the toilet or the sink.

Pharmaceutical industry sees no health risk
Since many preparations are based on very stable chemical compounds, significant amounts of the drugs are excreted by the patient again and get into the water cycle with the wastewater. In addition, some active substances in the human organism change their chemical compositions, resulting in substances, „which are also effective again“, quotes the „dpa“ the Professor of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the Free University of Berlin, Maria Parr. The consequences of drug residues for plants, animals and humans have been controversial among experts „Nobody can say what this cocktail does“, reports Thomas Ternes of the Federal Institute of Hydrology „dpa“. However, the pharmaceutical industry sees no special risk here. With reference to the minimum concentrations it is emphasized that no effect effects are to be expected.

Precaution requires minimization of drug residues
However, various studies have already proven in the past that the entry of drug residues can have far-reaching consequences, at least for fish. From impairments of fertility to behavioral disturbances to damage to the internal organs, here is the list of proven effects. However, studies showing clear adverse effects on humans have not yet been published. That's how the Federal Environment Agency works „according to current knowledge“ assuming that there is no long-term risk to human health, the news agency reports „dpa“. For precautionary reasons, the burden should nevertheless be minimized as far as possible. Although technological solutions already available could bring significant improvements in the treatment of wastewater, they are not implemented in the absence of evidence of endangering human health. The argument about a responsible provision proves in practice many times as blunt sword. Whether the provision as a lever is sufficient to move forward at this point is rather doubtful, explained Ingrid Chorus, head of department at the Federal Environment Agency opposite the „dpa“.

Easier degradable medicines
In order to minimize or, if possible, completely avoid drug residues in the waters, two different approaches are available. On the one hand, significantly better filtering methods could filter out a much larger proportion of the drug residues from the water, on the other hand, there is the possibility to put more in the production of drugs on readily degradable substances. This is the buzzword „Green Pharmacy“. Opposite the „dpa“ Chemistry professor Klaus Kümmerer emphasized the advantages of this method. „If I can design molecules to be effective in medicines, as intended, and at the same time be fast and fully biodegradable, then we would have solved the problem quite elegantly“, the news agency quotes the experts. However, there is little scope for influencing the pharmaceutical industry in order to increase the use of readily biodegradable funds.

Activated carbon for the removal of pharmaceutical residues
The water treatment is still predominantly still in municipal hand. Here, with the appropriate support from politicians, it would certainly be possible to achieve significant improvements. One example is the use of activated carbon, as currently being tested by the Technical University of Berlin and Berliner Wasserbetriebe. The surface water treatment plant in Berlin Tegel filters unwanted substances out of the water with its huge pipes. Here, in a smaller pilot plant, the water flowing through is additionally mixed with an activated carbon granulate. The coal stays in the water for around 30 minutes and absorbs a wide variety of trace substances. Subsequently, the granules are filtered out of the water again. In this way, according to the announcement of the „dpa“ remove significantly more residues from the water than with the previous method. Also, the use of ozone tested elsewhere has led to a significant improvement in the treatment of water. All in all, according to Professor Kümmerer, with the combination of all available methods around half of all unwanted micropollutants could be removed from the water, however, a complete purification of the water is excluded. A stronger assumption of responsibility of the pharmaceutical industry within the meaning of the „Green Pharmacy“ seems urgently needed. (Fp)


Picture credits: segovax