On the website, “Citizen Campaign for the Environment,” Iburch (2015) reports on the adverse impact that improper pharmaceutical waste disposal has on the environment. The author states that “low levels of drugs such as antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives and steroids are found in 80% of the rivers and streams in the United States of America(USA)”. Due to this situation, these water sources are unsafe for consumption.At the same time, it harms the marine and human life by leaving them vulnerable to such pharmaceutical waste residue, albeit at low concentrations. Some side effects on living organisms include irregular hormonal cycle and antibiotic resistance to drugs. Notably, male fish were found laying eggs due to prolonged exposure to such residue (Iburch,2015). Enacting 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 myriad examples but some of the statements put forth in the article are incomplete and unsupported.
The first reason why Iburch’s argument is incomplete
is because he overgeneralizes 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),small amounts of uncontrolled liquid
pharmaceuticals, which do not exhibit anti-infective or anti-neoplastic
properties, can be flushed down into the sewers. This shows that under certain
circumstances, it is fine for a small
quantity of pharmaceuticals to be flushed down 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, the same author did not mention
anything on the root of the issue: pharmaceuticals that are purchased in bulk are
often left unconsumed. This results in these pharmaceuticals being flushed into
the sewage.
Furthermore, the examples used to illustrate the
detrimental effects that 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 that 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 myriad examples. It
would be better though 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
overgeneralisation of "flushing down unused or expired pharmaceuticals
into the sewage" make the arguments put
forth on the website inconclusive and unsupported
References :
Citizens Campaign for the Environment. (2015, March 4). Pharmaceutical Disposal.
Eisenstadt, L. (2005). Drugs in the water. Triple Point.
Harvard Medical School. (2011,June 1). 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.
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