The pollution of rivers and rivers by our drugs is considerable, reveals a large study

The medicines we take have an impact on the Planet, especially on the rivers and streams. This is revealed by a extensive study carried out in 104 countries on all continents. Researchers at the University of York (UK) screened 258 rivers and rivers, including the Amazon, Mississippi and Mekong, with the very specific aim of measuring the level of pollution generated by the production and the consumption of medications.

The results of the analyzes (1,052 samples in total from 258 rivers spread over 104 countries) have shown that the majority of rivers are contaminated by drug residues that flow into the waste and eventually in rivers and streams. According to the study, a quarter of the sites examined present pollution levels that are potentially dangerous for aquatic species that live in these rivers.

The first inventory of drug pollution

The substances responsible for this pollution are numerous: 61 medicinal chemical compounds have been identified. They come from treatments frequently administered, such as antibioticsthe painkillersthe anti-inflammatoriesthe antidepressantsstimulants, etc.

The most polluted regions include low-income countries where production plants are located and where the Wastewater and waste is still underdeveloped. This is particularly the case in Pakistan and Bolivia. Only the rivers located in Iceland and in a Yanomami village in Venezuela seem to be relatively spared from this drug pollution.

” This study made it possible, for the first time, to draw up a representative inventory of drug pollution in rivers around the world, including many countries for which little or no information was available. This approach could be applied in the future to other types of environment such as soils, or even living organisms, in order to develop international pollution monitoring networks. “, point out the authors of the research in a press release.

Drugs in drinking water: risks not yet measured

Wastewater treatment plants fail to remove all the drugs they need to treat. Some of these molecules active ones go back into the circuit and come out of our taps. Problem: we still do not know the consequences for our health.

Article from Destination Santé, published on January 15, 2013

Numerous studies have already confirmed that treatment plants were unsuitable for the removal of many chemicals. They are incapable, for example, of eliminating all traces of active subtances of medications, often present in wastewater. The risk of finding residues of certain therapeutic molecules in thedrinking water is therefore real. According to an article in the journal Prescribethe effects of this pollution on human health remain obscure.

Whether they are used in human or veterinary medicine, many pharmaceutical substances are partly released into the environment after consumption. Eliminated by the urinary or faecal route, they then leave in the waste water either in their initial active form or in the form of derived substances. However, wastewater treatment plants do notdo not eliminate medications completely. Their effectiveness varies according to the treatment processes implemented, and it remains quite low for certain substances.

Untreated drugs in drinking water

Much research, both in France and abroad, has highlighted the persistence of residues of drugs in wastewater, treated water, and even in drinking water. As noted by the editors of the journal Prescribe, “The environmental and health risk linked to the presence of micropollutants in water, including drugs, is still poorly understood. Effects of this micropollution have been observed on certain aquatic speciesin particular a feminization of male fish. At the end of 2012, no effects on humans are yet known”.

“Without waiting for proven risks to be demonstrated, the presence of drugs in wastewater and their persistence after treatment are additional reasons to strive to reduce drug discharges”, the authors point out. According to them, it would be appropriate “to avoid overconsumption and encourage the return of unused medicines to pharmacies”.

Indeed, too many users throw the unused medications in their toilets and thus cause pollution with serious effects. It is also good to know that this recommendation does not only apply to drugs. It is also justified for all chemical productswhether for cleaning or DIY products.