In the
article "Pharmaceutical Disposal", Iburch (2015) mentions that
'pharmaceutical contamination' is a rising concern throughout the United
States. Medicinal products infiltrate sewerage by many means. One of them being
commonly practiced is by people 'flushing unwanted or unused medications'. Even
though there are 'sewage treatment' systems, they are not made to get rid of
'these contaminants', which is a growing issue. The presence of drugs have been
found in water sources and ‘drinking water supplies’ after being
tested. ‘Pharmaceutical drug contamination’ has been found to affect ‘fish
and aquatic life’ but has yet to be found to affect humans. ‘Take-back events
and permanent drop-off locations’ are available in New York and Connecticut for
people to safely dispose their medications.
While I
agree with the author that pharmaceutical disposal plays a big part in
contaminating water sources, there are also other major factors to consider.
Medication consumed by animals or humans does not entirely get absorbed by the
body, and the medications that do not get absorbed by the body are excreted
through urine and faeces. Other pharmaceutical and personal care products
(PPCPs) like perfume, cosmetic, soap and skin products that are used on
clothing or skin can also enter water sources after being washed off. All these
PPCPs get flushed or washed down into water sources.
The
author mentions that ‘fish and aquatic life’ are affected but he fails to
mention that animals that prey on fishes and other aquatic life may get
affected as well. Shah (2010) reports that vultures who ate animals that
consumed pharmaceuticals were exposed and affected which shows that exposure to
pharmaceuticals can cause a chain effect to happen. Iburch includes that humans
have yet to be affected. However, it is a growing issue. Future health problems
may start to surface after consuming drinking water that contains
pharmaceuticals.
In the
article, Iburch concludes that a critical part of solving the issue is to ‘stop
flushing drugs’. He also mentions that there are ‘take-back events and
permanent drop-off locations’ available in New York and Connecticut. Though the
issue is happening throughout the nation, the author did not mention other
alternatives of disposing medications if the drop off locations are not
accessible to other people. There are other means of disposing unused or
expired medications. An article from Harvard Health Publications (2011) provides
other ways to dispose medications like mixing medications with ‘sawdust, cat
litter, coffee grounds’ etc. before disposing to prevent the misuse of
medications and to minimize the chances that stray animals might consume them.
People can also reduce the quantity that they purchase so that disposal of
expired or unused medications can be minimized. The public needs to be educated
on how to handle their medications safely and also the importance of it.
In
conclusion, the Iburch webpage gave a brief introduction to the contamination
of water sources through flushing of drugs, the effects of it and also the
action taken, although there are other major factors to consider like PPCPs and
how other animals can be affected through a chain effect. The author could also
give more information to educate the public on other methods of disposing
medication.
References:
Burch, LW. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical
Disposal. Retrieved
Hirsch K. (2013,
September 16). Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products. Retrieved
Shah S. (2010, April 15). As Pharmaceutical Use Soars, Drugs
Taint Water and
Wildlife. Retrieved
from:
Harvard Medical School (2011, June 1). Drugs in the Water. Retrieved from:
National Capital Poison Center. (N.D.). Protect the Water Supply. Retrieved
from:
Utah
State University. (N.D.). Pharmaceuticals. Retrieved from:
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