1a Sources of PPCPs

Origins and Fate of PPCPs in the Environment

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Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
- OTC
- Prescriptions
- Internet pharmacies
National Exposure Research Laboratory
- Black market
- Nutraceuticals
Environmental Sciences Division
1b Environmental Chemistry Branch
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• Underground leakage from sewage system infrastructure alt e ra Meta 7 • Disposal to landfills via domestic refuse,
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• Disposal of euthanized/medicated animal carcasses serving as food for scavengers (1c) a nsform medical wastes, and other hazardous wastes
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• Leaching from defective (poorly engineered) landfills and cemeteries
• Release of treated/untreated hospital wastes to domestic sewage systems
(weighted toward acutely toxic drugs and diagnostic agents, as opposed to long-term 8 • Release to open waters from aquaculture (medicated feed and resulting excreta)
medications); also disposal by pharmacies, physicians, humanitarian drug surplus • Future potential for release from molecular pharming (production of therapeutics in crops)
3
• Release to private septic/leach fields (3a) 9 • Release of drugs that serve double duty as pest control agents:
• Treated effluent from domestic sewage treatment plants discharged to surface waters, re-injected examples: 4-aminopyridine, experimental multiple sclerosis drug used as avicide;
into aquifers (recharge), recycled/reused (irrigation or domestic uses) (3b) warfarin, anticoagulant rat poison; azacholesterol, antilipidemics avian/rodent repro-
• Overflow of untreated sewage from storm events and system failures directly to surface waters (3b) ductive inhibitors; certain antibiotics used for orchard pathogens; acetaminophen,
4 analgesic brown tree snake control; caffeine, stimulant coqui frog control
• Transfer of sewage solids ("biosolids") to land (e.g., soil amendment/fertilization)
• "Straight-piping" from homes (untreated sewage discharged directly to surface waters) 10 Ultimate environmental transport/fate:
• Release from agriculture: spray drift from tree crops (e.g., antibiotics) • most PPCPs eventually transported from terrestrial domain to aqueous domain
• Dung from medicated domestic animals (e.g., feed) - CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) • phototransformation (both direct and indirect reactions via UV light)
5 • physicochemical alteration, degradation, and ultimate mineralization
• Direct release to open waters via washing/bathing/swimming • volatilization (mainly certain anesthetics, fragrances)
6 • some uptake by plants
• Discharge of regulated/controlled industrial manufacturing waste streams • respirable particulates containing sorbed drugs (e.g., medicated-feed dusts)
• Disposal/release from clandestine drug labs and illicit drug usage
Christian G. Daughton, U.S. EPA-Las Vegas March 2006 http://epa.gov/nerlesd1/chemistry/pharma/images/drawing.pdf
(original February 2001) from: http://epa.gov/nerlesd1/chemistry/pharma/