Danger of poisoning Residues of hypotensives endanger drinking water quality

Authorities raise the alarm: High residues of antihypertensive drugs endanger drinking water

For years, an often extremely dangerous high proportion of drug residues in water has been detected over and over again. Experts now report that residues of special antihypertensives in Berlin waters also pose a risk of poisoning for humans. They suggest that doctors should prescribe ecologically as unproblematic medicines.

Drug residues in waters

In recent years, drug residues in waters have been repeatedly detected in numerous studies. Although there are always new procedures in place, the residues can hardly be eliminated, according to experts. Consumers are therefore repeatedly asked, among other things, not to dispose of drug residues in the drain. A further contribution to the solution of the problem could also be the increased consideration of suitable drug alternatives.

Experts are alarming: residues of certain antihypertensive drugs endanger drinking water quality. To address the problem, physicians are advised to think about appropriate drug alternatives. (Image: PhotoSG / fotolia.com)

Residues of special antihypertensive agents pose a risk of poisoning

Residues of specialized blood pressure killers in waters not only pose a potential risk to aquatic animals, but are also important for drinking water and pose a risk of poisoning to humans.

The reported experts of the Berliner Wasserbetriebe (BWB) and the State Office for Health and Social Affairs Berlin (LAGeSo) at the heart days of the German Cardiac Society - Cardiovascular Research e.V. (DGK) in Berlin.

According to Dr. Sebastian Schimmelpfennig (BWB) and dr. For several years Claudia Simon (LAGeSo) has been increasingly finding highly effective, poorly degradable and widely prescribed medicines and their residues in the waters, for example, hypertensives of the Sartane type.

Due to their specific properties and the increasing quantities of prescriptions, they are the only antihypertensive agents that can endanger the quality of drinking water resources in Germany.

Suitable medication alternatives

The experts therefore call for a corresponding adaptation of the prescription practice by the treating physicians as an "efficient measure at the source" and argue for the increased consideration of suitable alternative medicines, according to a statement of the DGK.

Because not all Sartans have the same drug concentrations per daily dose, the study authors recommend that within the Sartane group, those products be selected that are the least environmentally critical.

"Ultimately," says the study authors, "remains the decision to choose the appropriate antihypertensive at the treating physician."

Annually 15 billion daily doses of blood pressure lowering in Germany
In Germany, 15 billion daily doses of antihypertensives are prescribed annually (2014), the average annual increase since 2007 is 4.5 percent.

The total amount of antihypertensive agents in Germany adds up to over 400 tons / year, of which more than half is caused by the active ingredients metoprolol and sartans.

The prescribed medicines usually pass through the excretions of the patients via sewage treatment plant surface waters into the water cycle.

"In the case of the Sartans, the prescribed amounts of active substance are almost completely recovered in the wastewater treatment process," the study authors say.

Sartans are also detected in comparatively high concentrations in surface waters, "even in the bank filtration for the purpose of drinking water production, only a small degradability of the Sartane is observed."

The Berliner Wasserbetriebe supply drinking water to 3.5 million inhabitants, 70 percent of which is taken by bank filtration and groundwater recharge from groundwater that is influenced by surface waters.

For this reason, the quality of surface waters has a major influence on drinking water quality. (Ad)