Pharmaceuticals and personal care products

SAN FRANCISCO, MARCH 27 -- Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and personal care products -- cosmetics, food supplements, sunscreens, fragrances and the like -- may be released into sewage, rivers and groundwater after being ingested or applied. A daylong symposium at the 219th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, explores the implications for public health and the environment. Selected studies are described below.

• First broad overview of the subject at a major U.S. scientific meeting: So says Christian Daughton, Ph.D., of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Las Vegas, Nev., chair of the symposium. Research in Europe on the environmental fate of pharmaceuticals and personal care products outpaces the work in this country, Daughton says. Still, he adds, there are "huge gaps in the knowledge base." Daughton will highlight the overarching issues during his presentation, which kicks off the session. (C. G. Daughton, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Las Vegas, Nev.; ENVR 29; Monday, March 27, 8:40 a.m.; Hilton Imperial A, Ballroom Level. See page 105 in the final program.)

• Prescription drug residues in German waters: A sampling of 40 German rivers and streams turned up residues of 31 pharmaceuticals. Researcher Thomas Ternes believes they are not toxic to people, but could adversely affect fish and other marine life. Too little data are available to assess the risk to the aquatic ecosystem, he says. (T. Ternes, Institute for Water Research and Water Technology, Wiesbaden, Germany; ENVR 30; Monday, March 27, 9:00 a.m.; Hilton Imperial A, Ballroom Level. See page 105 in the final program.)

• Traces of cholesterol-lowering drug in German sewage and water supplies: Clofibric acid, the active metabolite in some cholesterol-lowering drugs, has been found in sewage, surface water and, in a few cases, drinking water in Germany, says German researcher Thomas Heberer. The concentration of clofibric acid in Berlin tap water correlates well with the levels of the compound in contaminated water sources. The German environmental agency found that this level of drug residue is not toxic to people. Comparative studies of sewage effluents in Greece indicated "significant differences" in the composition of drug residues. (T. Heberer, Institute of Food Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Germany; ENVR 35; Monday, March 27, 10:55 a.m.; Hilton Imperial A, Ballroom Level. See page 105 in the final program.)

• Synthetic musks in human tissues and breast milk: Sewage treatment plants do not effectively degrade the synthetic musks that impart fragrance to many cosmetics and detergents, says German researcher Thomas Heberer. They are found at "considerable concentrations" in fatty human tissue and in the milk of nursing mothers, according to Heberer. They also are found at "high concentrations" in the aquatic food chain, especially in urban areas, he notes. (T. Heberer, Institute of Food Chemistry, Technical University of Berlin, Germany; ENVR 37; Monday, March 27, 11:35 a.m.; Hilton Imperial A, Ballroom Level. See page 105 in the final program.)

• How a compound in the environment enters a cell: Many natural and manmade compounds gain entrance to cells by altering the activity of proteins called p-glycoprotein transporters. No one knows whether this includes compounds in pharmaceuticals and personal care products, says researcher David Epel. If so, he says, "toxic compounds that normally are excluded from cells might enter the cytoplasm and there wreak havoc." (D. Epel, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, Garden Grove, Calif.; ENVR 48; Monday, March 27, 3:00 p.m.; Hilton Imperial A, Ballroom Level. See page 106 in the final program.)

• Do drug residues endanger human health? Regulations are in place around the world to deal with the environmental fate of human and animal drugs, says researcher Ranga Velagaleti, formerly with ABC Laboratories in Columbia, Mo., now with BASF in Shreveport, La. The most common mechanisms for degradation and depletion of these drugs are hydrolysis, photolysis and biodegradation, he says. His talk will address these mechanisms and the "potential for decline of drug substance residues." These mechanisms, coupled with dilution from surface water and soil, could lead to "potential zero risk exposures for many pharmaceutical drugs," he believes. (R. Velagaleti, BASF Corporation, Shreveport, La.; ENVR 51; Monday, March 27, 4:00 p.m.; Hilton Imperial A, Ballroom Level. See page 106 in the final program.)