Personal Care Products and Human Medications in US Waterways

PPCPs and Medication Found in US Waterways

Researchers at Baylor University, working in conjunction with the United States Environmental Protection Agency, have detected residues of pharmaceutical drugs and personal care products in fish caught near wastewater treatment plants serving five major U.S. cities.

Findings from this nationwide study of human medicines in fish tissue, published in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, have prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to expand similar ongoing research to over 150 different locations.

“While this study found the residue of several pharmaceuticals and personal care products in fish tissue, it also demonstrated for the first time that fish from several different locations across the country are exposed to multiple PPCPs in effluent-dominated waterways,” said Dr. Bryan Brooks, associate professor of environmental sciences at Baylor and an aquatic toxicology expert on PPCPs who is a Baylor co-lead investigator on the study.

“The average person hopefully will see this type of a study and see the importance of us thinking about water that we use every day, where does it come from, where does it go to? We need to understand this is a limited resource and we need to learn a lot more about our impacts on it.”

The researchers tested for 36 different compounds in fish samples sourced at effluent-dominated river sites in Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Orlando – 24 originating from medicines and 12 originating from personal care products. They found residues of two compounds from personal care products (galoxolide and tonalide – fragrances used in soaps and other personal care products) and seven compounds used in pharmaceutical products. In many cases multiple compounds were detected in the same fish.

Pharmaceutical compounds detected included gemfibrozil – used to treat high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, diphenhydramine – an over the counter anti-histamine used as a sedative in non-prescription sleep aids and in motion sickness, diltiazem – a drug for high blood pressure, carbamazepine – a treatment for epilepsy and bipolar disorder, norfluoxetine – the active metabolite of the antidepressant fluoxetine and sertraline – an antidepressant medication.

Of all the compounds tested the two ingredients used in personal care products were found in the highest concentrations. Federal standards for treated water exist but no guidelines or federal testing standards are in place for pharmaceutical or most personal care products in wastewater.

Source: Cosmeticsdesign.com
Associated Press
Baylor University