Broadening the Perspective on Reducing Pharmaceutical Residues in the Environment
K Helwig1, L Niemi2, J-Y Stenuick3
1School of Computing Engineering and the Built Environment, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
|January 17, 2023
Summary
Reducing pharmaceutical pollution requires proactive strategies beyond wastewater treatment. Integrating green chemistry, disease prevention, and sustainable prescribing offers greater environmental protection.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Environmental Toxicology
- Green Chemistry
Background:
- Pharmaceuticals in the environment pose adverse impacts.
- Global and EU policies are evolving but can be strengthened.
- Green chemistry offers long-term solutions for sustainable production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review strategies for reducing pharmaceutical environmental harm.
- To evaluate policy, green chemistry, health promotion, and sustainable prescribing.
- To explore advanced wastewater treatment and waste prevention methods.
Main Methods:
- Review of global and EU policy developments.
- Analysis of green chemistry principles and applications.
- Exploration of health promotion and disease prevention strategies.
- Examination of eco-directed sustainable prescribing practices.
- Assessment of medicines optimization and precision medicine.
- Review of waste prevention, reuse, redistribution, and take-back schemes.
- Summary of advanced wastewater treatment technologies.
Main Results:
- Health promotion and disease prevention significantly reduce medicine needs.
- Sustainable prescribing practices successfully lower harmful pharmaceutical use.
- Medicines optimization and precision medicine improve outcomes and reduce waste.
- Waste prevention initiatives like reuse and take-back schemes show high returns.
- Advanced wastewater technologies offer innovative, low-impact solutions.
Conclusions:
- End-of-pipe solutions are important but insufficient for pharmaceutical pollution.
- Upstream interventions, including disease prevention and sustainable practices, are crucial.
- A holistic approach to health and healthcare is essential for greater environmental reduction.
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