Relationship Between Pollution And Pharmaceutical Industry
Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or elements called contaminants into the environment that adversely affect living organisms and the natural world. Contaminants causing pollution are called pollutants and they can be solid, liquid, and gaseous substances. The relationship between the Pharmaceutical industry and Pollution is sophisticated.
The waste from the pharmaceutical industry has become an environmental problem. Environmental exposure to active pharmaceutical ingredients can have negative effects on the health of the ecosystem, and pharmaceutical contaminants have become a serious cause of environmental pollution in the world. Pharmaceuticals are introduced into the ecosystem, causing toxicity that affects the overall biodiversity of that ecosystem.
Pharmaceutical pollution is the contamination of the natural environment, especially water sources, by active pharmaceutical ingredients, antibiotics, and other chemicals used in drug production and consumption.
The pharma industry sector is aware of the consequences and this awareness has led to several initiatives to try to better understand the consequences of pharma production on the environment and how this can be mitigated. The sector is transforming to manage the consequences of pollution and pollutants that affect it and that are produced in its processes and align with sustainable development goals.
Another aspect is the pollution already present in the environment. The pollutant particles affect pharmaceuticals in manufacturing, storage, etc. as these pollutants can bring about incompatibilities in pharmaceuticals by disturbing their safety, efficacy, and efficiency. To produce safer drugs, the industry uses sterile conditions in processes like manufacturing, packaging, transportation, etc., and proper quality assurance tests are done so that drugs that reach the general public remain non-contaminated.
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Sources of Pharmaceutical Waste
Pharmaceutical waste is introduced into the environment at various steps, from manufacturing to disposal. This waste is a cause of pollution in the environment and can be referred to as pharmaceutical pollution.
Manufacturing: During the synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients and antibiotics, waste can be generated in the form of solvents, intermediates, and by-products. Volatile organic compounds and particulate matter are emitted during manufacturing and may need to be captured using scrubbers or filters to prevent environmental contamination. A study published in the US – Pharmaceutical manufacturing facility discharges can substantially increase the pharmaceutical load to U.S. wastewaters - says that the discharges from pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities previously have been identified as important sources of pharmaceuticals to the environment.
Packaging Materials: Excess packaging materials such as plastic, aluminum, glass, and cardboard used for APIs, excipients, and final products may be discarded if not fully utilized or if damaged during manufacturing processes. Due to poor waste management systems, most of the packaging materials leftover in the industry and after consumption of products by society are sent to landfills ultimately causing a great risk of environmental pollution by the release of toxic chemicals and gasses into the air. For the goal of sustainable development, the pharma industry is working to minimize packaging waste and to develop eco-friendly packaging material.
For further information, this topic can be studied in the article “Sustainability in Pharmaceutical Packaging” which appeared in the American Pharmaceutical Review.
Filtration and Purification Systems: Filtration and purification of APIs is done by using different solvents as filters, disposal of these filters also contributes to environmental pollution. Many pharmaceutical compounds are formulated for longer persistence in the body means they are stable even after filtration ultimately these cause pollution issues for a longer period in the environment. The industry is working in the direction of ensuring the safe disposal of used filters to prevent the release of trapped contaminants.
Disposal: Disposal of batches rejected in quality control and expired pharmaceuticals is a major cause of pharmaceutical contamination in the environment. Drugs and personal care products used by humans also contribute to contamination. Our bodies are unable to metabolize all the drugs we consume, and only a fraction is metabolized, with the remaining coming into contact with the environment through excretion. So the human consumption of pharmaceuticals often leads to the environmental release of residues via urine and feces, creating environmental and public health risks. In the case of personal care products, the unabsorbed portion of cream or lotion is washed off by water, thus contaminating the environment.
Carbon Footprints: The industry is based on energy consumption on a large scale. Energy generation and consumption produce gasses such as carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gasses that contribute to a carbon footprint. Shifting the industry from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, etc. for supplying energy to facilities can reduce emissions.
The presence of pharmaceutical substances in the environment is a global concern and the consequences of pharmaceutical drugs entering the environment through wastewater treatment plants are not yet well understood. Wastewater treatment plants are unable to filter out chemical compounds used to manufacture personal care products and drugs, so these chemicals seep into freshwater systems and the oceans.
Consequences of Pharmaceutical Pollution
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Hormonal Disruption may alter reproductive processes and lead to reproductive health issues, and developmental disorders.
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Promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria which may further spread to humans and animals, hence they face a higher risk of developing infections that are difficult to treat.
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Prolonged exposure causes toxicity to organs ultimately leading to organ damage.
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Behavioral Changes due to drugs like antidepressants, and anti-inflammatories may change feeding habits or may influence neurological health and behavior.
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Bioaccumulation in the tissues of aquatic organs ultimately causes toxicity to upper members of the food chain.
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Decrease the ability to fight infections because immunosuppressive drugs such as corticosteroids may be present.
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It kills beneficial microbes present, slows down the breakdown of organic matter, and disturbs nutrient cycling of the soil, affecting fertility.
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Increases the economic burden of water purification, mixing nutrients in the soil, and healthcare costs.
The consequences of pharmaceutical pollution are not limited to those discussed previously, most of them are not known till now, so many questions are unanswered about this topic, so it is the need of this era to study pharmaceutical pollution in depth to understand its impacts and to create effective solutions, this topic being crucial require urgent attention and can no longer be overlooked.
Addressing Pharmaceutical Pollution
Due to fast increasing impacts of pharmaceutical pollution on the environment and different ecosystems, this issue needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Some of the following steps may be taken to reduce and address this.
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Upgrading existing wastewater treatment facilities to include these technologies can significantly reduce the levels of pharmaceutical contaminants entering rivers, lakes, and oceans.
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By making drugs that are less harmful and degrade more quickly and safely into non-toxic by-products, the industry can reduce the long-term ecological impact of pharmaceutical products.
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Channels can be established to return unused and expired drugs from society for their safe disposal processing.
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Aware the public about the environmental impact of improper disposal of drugs so that they do not throw unused drugs in the trash or flush them into the toilet.
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Governments can enforce strict regulations for pharmaceutical waste disposal and emissions from manufacturing plants. Agencies can implement standards on the limit of pharmaceuticals in industrial wastewater and regular monitoring of industry wastewater can be done.
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Research and development cells of the industry can perform risk examinations on drugs to determine how unsafe the drug is for the environment.
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Development of biodegradable drugs and packaging materials should be considered.
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Adopting ‘Green Chemistry’ in drug manufacturing and disposal can reduce environmental impacts.
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A proper agency should be formed worldwide for consistent regulation, policy framing, collaborative research, education, and sharing of data related to pharmaceutical pollution.
Conducting studies on this topic can help us understand the issues of pharmaceutical pollution, develop strategies to lighten its environmental impacts, strategies to research further to answer many more questions surrounding this, and develop ways of its management.
Pharmaceutical pollution is a growing environmental concern that requires urgent action, including better waste management practices, stricter regulations, and more effective wastewater treatment technologies.
To address pharmaceutical pollution, several important questions need to be answered.
First, pharmaceutical companies should clarify what specific measures they are implementing to reduce pollution and provide information on how different compounds vary in terms of their stability in the environment and toxicity to the environment.
Additionally, government agencies should explain their roles and implement strategies to manage and reduce pharmaceutical pollution and its impact.
Crafted By: Subham Yadav