Readers Response Draft 2

On the website, “Citizen Campaign for the Environment, Iburch (2015) reports on the adverse impact that improper pharmaceutical waste disposal has on the environment. Improper pharmaceutical waste disposal contaminates potable water sources as mentioned in the article that “low levels of drugs such as antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives and steroids are found in 80% of the rivers and streams”. Due to this, these water sources are unsafe for consumption and usage. At the same time, it harms the marine and human life by leaving them vulnerable to such pharmaceutical waste residue, albeit at low concentration. Some side effects on living organisms include irregular hormonal cycle and antibiotic resistance to drugs. Notably, male fishes were found laying eggs due to prolonged exposure to such residue. Legislation and raising public awareness on the proper disposal of pharmaceutical waste have been put in place to mitigate the problem. The same author explains the cause and impact of pharmaceutical waste disposal with a myriad of examples. However, the statements he put forth in the article are incomplete and unsupported. For example, there was a lack of data to the quantity of pharmaceutical effluent present in the water sources and the same author did not consider other possible environmental factors that contribute to genetic mutation seen in marine life. Furthermore, Iburch did not introduce the safe methods for pharmaceutical waste disposal that is approved by regulatory bodies for the different classes of drugs too.

The first reason why Iburch’s argument is incomplete is because he over generalises the idea of “unused or expired pharmaceuticals being flushed down the toilet”. According to a pharmaceutical waste disposal guideline that was released by the World Health Organization (1999), it states that small amounts of uncontrolled liquid pharmaceuticals, which do not exhibit anti-infective or anti-neoplastic properties, can be flushed down into the sewers. Iburch also fails to elaborate on how human excretion can potentially contribute to pharmaceutical waste. Studies by the Harvard Medical School (2011) have concluded that human waste flushed into the sewage contains unmetabolized pharmaceuticals and this could potentially contaminate potable water sources. In addition, Iburch did not mention anything on the root of the issue; pharmaceuticals that are purchased in bulk were left unconsumed. This results in large amounts of unconsumed pharmaceuticals being flushed down into the sewage.

Furthermore, the examples used to illustrate the detrimental effects of pharmaceutical waste have on living organisms are not convincing due to the lack of statistical data .For instance, the concentration of pharmaceutical waste present in the potable water sources is not mentioned. Iburch states the effects of the pharmaceutical effluents have on the genetic mutation of marine life, without factoring in some other environmental factors. Eisenstaedt (2005) argues that different chemical compositions of water, temperature and other variables can potentially explain the genetic mutation seen in marine life. The lack of concrete data and research makes it hard for readers to come to a more informed conclusion that the hormones present in the pharmaceutical effluents are responsible for the genetic mutation seen.

In conclusion, the author carefully links the cause and effects of improper pharmaceutical waste disposal with a myriad of examples.It would be better if the author addresses the issue in a broader perspective, before moving into smaller details. This would give the reader a general overview of the issue. Lastly, the lack of concrete statistical data and over generalisation of "flushing down unused or expired pharmaceuticals into the sewage" make the arguments which Iburch put forth in the article inconclusive and unsupported. 

References

Iburch. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical Disposal.

Retrieved from http://www.citizenscampaign.org/campaigns/pharmaceutical-disposal.asp

Harvard Medical School. (2011,June 1). Drugs in the water

Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/drugs-in-the-water

World Health Organization. (1999). Guidelines for Safe Disposal of Unwanted Pharmaceuticals in and after Emergencies

Retrieved from http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/medicalwaste/unwantpharm.pdf

Eisenstadt, L. (2005). Drugs in the water

Retrieved from http://www.bu.edu/sjmag/scimag2005/features/drugsinwater.htm

Edited on 4 October 2015.