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Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

Pharmaceuticals in the Environment. Pharmaceuticals are increasingly being designed to have higher potency, bioavailability and degradation resistance . Concentration in environment will increase Inverted age structure Medical advancements Increased per capita consumption

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Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

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  1. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment • Pharmaceuticals are increasingly being designed to have higher potency, bioavailability and degradation resistance. • Concentration in environment will increase • Inverted age structure • Medical advancements • Increased per capita consumption • Increased spending on health care • Increasing population • Chemical persistence

  2. Ethinylestradiol (EE2) • EE2 is a synthetic estrogen used in OCs • 9 in 10 municipal waste water effluents in Canada were found to contain >1ng/L • Documented negative effects on aquatic organisms, e.g. fish populations experience skewed sex ratio, demasculinization, decreased egg fertilization, vitellogenin production in males • Potential effects on humans?

  3. Challenges • Test for acute vs. chronic toxicity tests • Limited ability to detect and remove chemicals in water • Effects of chemical “cocktails” unknown • Challenge to regulate because source is so diffuse • Accountability/liability • Pitting the need for clean water against our use of modern medicine – how do we weight the costs and benefits when there are so many unknowns?

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