Environmental Impact of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products - Proper Disposal

Proper Disposal

Depending on the source and ingredients, there are various ways in which the public can dispose of pharmaceutical and personal care products. In the case of pharmaceutical products, the most environmentally safe one is to take advantage of a community drug take-back programs that collect drugs at a central location for proper disposal. Several local public health departments in the United States have initiated pharmaceutical take-back programs. In addition, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) periodically promotes local take-back programs as well as a program called the National Take Back Initiative. Currently, take back programs are funded by state or local health departments or are volunteer programs through pharmacies or health care providers. In recent years, the proposition that pharmaceutical companies should be responsible for their products “from the cradle to the grave,” has been gaining traction. This philosophy suggests that the manufacturers should fund the proper disposal of pharmaceutical products. Take back programs should exist in every community, and if further information is required on the matter the city officials should be contacted. The Environmental Protection Agency and the Office of National Drug Policy further emphasize that if no program is available to follow the subsequent measurements:

1. take the prescription drugs out of their original containers
2. mix drugs with cat litter or used coffee grounds
3. place the mixture into a disposable container with a lid, such as a sealable bag
4. cover up any personal identification with a black marker that is on the original pill containers
5. place these containers in the bag with the mixture, seal them, and place them in the trash.

After these products are properly disposed, the process of treating them for minimizing environmental impact begins. Water treatment facilities use different processes in order to minimize or fully eliminate the amount of these pollutants. This is done by using sorption where suspended solids are removed by sedimentation. Another method used is biodegradation, and through this method microorganisms, such as bacteria, feed or break down these pollutants thus eliminating them from the contaminated media.

A significant proportion of the pharmaceuticals found in sewage treated effluent have been due to human secretion; however, there are ways to properly dispose of unused medication to decrease the amount of pharmaceuticals found in sewage effluent. Some common medications are in fact flushable such as morphine sulfate, Percocet, and Percodan. More flushable drugs have been listed by the FDA and can be found online.