Lec 21

Question 1

detecting pharmaceutical pollution

Answer 1

Liquid Chromatography

Mass spectroscopy

Mass spectroscopy

Question 2

Commonly detected pharmaceuticals

Answer 2

Estradiol/Ethinyl-estradiol (synthetic estrogen)

SSRIs (antidepressant/antianxiety)

Antibiotics

Atenolol (Beta blocker for blood pressure)

Question 3

Endocrine disruptors

Answer 3

Toxins that interfere with the endocrine system

Usually synthetic hormones or hormone-mimics

Question 4

Endocrine disruptors effects

Answer 4

Mimics or antagonizes the effects of hormones

Altering the pattern of synthesis and the metabolism of hormones

Modifying hormones receptor levels

Question 5

Endocrine disruption can cause

Answer 5

Infertility

Sexual underdevelopment

Altered or reduced sexual behavior

Attention deficit or hyperactivity

Altered thyroid

Increased chance of cancer

Birth defects

Question 6

Antibiotics

Answer 6

Effectively removed by chlorination

Problem- all treated water is not chlorinated

Most is used on farm animals but farm waste is not treated like human waste

Question 7

How does pharmaceuticals reach people

Answer 7

Excreted into surface or groundwater and makes its way into drinking water

Question 8

SSRIs effect on wildlife

Answer 8

Can reduce predator-avoidance behavior

Eg. fathead minnows and sertraline (Zoloft)

Question 9

Synthetic estrogen and wildlife

Answer 9

Birth pills in the form of ethinyl estradiol (EE)

EE is a component of nearly every hormonal contraceptive in NA market

Has been found downstream from waste water treatment discharges

Acutely toxic to aquatic organisms

Can induce vitellogenin (egg yolk production) in males

Question 10

EE in ELA fish population

Answer 10

Intersex in males and altered oogenesis in females leading to a near extinction of this species from the lake

Question 11

Lake 260 at the ELA estrogen addition (EE)

Answer 11

Added estrogen 3 times a week for 5 months

Vitellogenin in fathead minnows found

Male fathead minnows develop female characteristics like an ovipositor

Question 12

Did the males recover

Answer 12

After 4 years

Question 13

Atrazine example

Effects of endocrine disruptors on wildlife

Answer 13

Atrazine exposed males were both demasculinized and completely feminized as adults

Atrazine lowers male populations as well

Question 14

Impacts to humans antibiotic resistance

Answer 14

Causes a great deal of death from illness if the antibiotic is no longer useful

Question 15

How does antibiotic resistance spread

Answer 15

Antibiotic resistant bacteria can be spread through surfaces and touch as well as ingestion of meat from antibiotic resistant meat

Question 16

Impacts to humans

Conclusions

Answer 16

For now, harmful effects to humans from pharmaceutical pollution is not observed

Except for antibiotics- antibiotic resistance concern is high

Just because humans are not impacted yet, does not mean we should ignore the problem

Question 17

Wastewater treatment and pharmaceuticals

Answer 17

Secondary treatment can remove 20-90 percent of pharmaceuticals from waste

Additional quaternary treatment can remove 99 percent of pharmaceuticals

Question 18

Quaternary treatment methods

Answer 18

Ozonation

Advanced oxidation

Activated carbon

Reverse osmosis

Nanofiltration

Question 19

Ozonation

Answer 19

Air is supplied into an oxygen tank and passed through an ozone generator to become ozone

Raw water is then passed through and makes contact with the ozone in a contact tank

Question 20

Advanced oxidation

Answer 20

Advanced oxidation processes creates oxidative agents

Oxidative agents and toxic pollutants creates biodegradable compounds

Oxidative agents and biodegradable compounds combine to create water, carbon dioxide, and inorganicsalts

Question 21

Ozonation and Advanced oxidation

waste water treatment

Answer 21

Waste water undergoes a primary treatment of ozonation and AOPs(advanced oxidation processes)

They then undergo secondary biological treatment

And then a tertiary treatment of ozonation and AOPs

Released as surface and ground water

Question 22

Drinking water treatment

Ozonation and advanced oxidation

Answer 22

Peroxidation by ozonation and AOPs

Coagulation, flocculation, and sedimentation

Filtration and disinfection by ozonation and AOPs

Goes into a distribution system

Question 23

Activated carbon

Answer 23

Wastewater is brought into a chamber that removed chemicals dissolved in water by passing through a filter containing compressed air

Question 24

Reverse osmosis

Answer 24

Applied pressure is applied on water through a semi-permeable membrane

Comes out as fresh water

Question 25

Nanofiltration

Answer 25

Pressure is used to force contaminated source water through a semi-permeable membrane

A nanofiltration membrane is capable of removing contaminants down to 0.001 microns in size

Nanofiltration removes nearly all bacteria and viruses

Question 26

Problem with quaternary treatment

Answer 26

Very expensive

Still may not remove it all

Question 27

Potential solution

Answer 27

Rethink and reduce some pharmaceutical usage

Make over the counter drugs on of many options

Start low, and work up

Consider non-hormonal or low hormone birth control if possible

Question 28

Reducing non-therapeutic pharmaceutical usage in farm animals

Answer 28

Reduce the use of antibiotics to promote growth in food animals

Reduces pharmaceutical waste

Reduces risk of evolution of antibiotics resistance

Question 29

Dispose of excess drugs properly

Answer 29

Most pharmacies in Edmonton (and Alberta) participate in ENVIRx medication take-back program