Element A: PRESENTATION AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROBLEM

Problem Statement

According to a 2008 study from NBC Associated Press, 41 million Americans were exposed to pharmaceuticals in drinking water due to improper waste disposal and human excretion. Pharmaceutical contaminants in water can lead to long-term human health effects and negative impacts on aquatic environments.

Artifact 1

Artifact Summary

The environmental toxicity issues caused due to pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) were addressed by this source. PPCPs mean a variety of substances such as branded drugs, unbranded medications, cosmetics, and more. The paper discusses how these substances find their way into the environment through wastewater treatment systems, poor disposal methods (ie; flushing), and other routes. In addition, it highlights the health and ecological concerns that are connected to bioaccumulation and pollution of water bodies, wildlife as well as land. Several kinds of chemical components within PPCPs are elaborated by DTSC along with long-term exposure outcomes and obstacles regarding their disposal path.

Artifact Critique

The DTSC’s article provides a wide-ranging survey of PPCP toxicological concerns, turning it into an important reference for getting to know the environmental pollution raised by these substances. Thus, this piece performs well in making people aware of the problem and exposes different toxicants associated with it and their possible enduring impacts on humankind as well as ecosystems. It, however, would improve if more detailed data or examples demonstrating how PPCPs affect specific ecosystems or people’s health were included. At the same time, while emphasizing the need for better waste disposal practices, there are no concrete and practical measures that an individual or policymakers can use to relieve this problem. Including specific examples elsewhere could make it more relevant to practitioners in other parts of the world.

Source

Kanan, S., Moyet, M., Obeideen, K., El-Sayed, Y., & Mohamed, A. A. (2022). Occurrence, analysis and removal of pesticides, hormones, pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants in soil and water streams for the past two decades: a review. Research on Chemical Intermediates, 48(9), 3633–3683. https://doi-org.lrc-proxy.abtech.edu/10.1007/s11164-022-04778-7

Artifact 2

Artifact Summary

This paper focuses on the environmental contamination caused by chemical pollutants. These pollutants include pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and hormones. All of these pollutants are used globally and end up in waterways, both intentionally and unintentionally. The researchers go into many aspects of this issue such as pollutant sources, detection methods, ecological harm, and decontamination methods. It is highlighted that the most common origins are agricultural runoff, industrial waste, and pharmaceutical byproducts. Some of the detection methods listed are chromatography, mass spectrometry, and biosensors. These technologies are new and still advancing, hence their high cost. As for decontamination, the article highlights removal processes like photocatalytic degradation and adsorption, but these methods are not 100% effective. The article also covers how pollutants affect water systems including bioaccumulation in wildlife and the impact on human health.

Artifact Critique

This artifact provides validity by offering a comprehensive review of past research, showing the extensive work being done to detect and manage contaminants in the environment. However, it also highlights shortcomings, such as the challenges in fully decontaminating pollutants due to their persistence in ecosystems and bioaccumulation, which suggests a need for further research. The unique aspect it adds to the overall research is its detailed focus on pollutant detection technologies with environmental remediation strategies, emphasizing the role of newer techniques like photocatalysis and luminescence-based sensors for practical application in pollutant removal.

Source

Artifact 3

Artifact Summary

Researchers have found various drugs in drinking water, including antibiotics, contraceptives, antidepressants, and many more. Some studies have shown that the drugs can have negative effects on aquatic organisms and could lead to antibiotic resistance in humans. A lack of guidelines for the levels of pharmaceuticals in the water is a significant issue. Experts are saying to invest in better wastewater treatment to remove pharmaceuticals before they are able to enter the water supply. In the US, government agencies are increasing efforts to monitor drug levels in drinking water.

Artifact Critique

This article provides insight into how this is a governmental issue, not just a local concern. Showing that many scientists have their questions about how this can prevented and what should or should not be done. This source would give us a better understanding to the issue on a bigger scale.

Source

Pharmaceuticals lurking in U.S. drinking water. (n.d.). NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/pharmaceuticals-lurking-u-s-drinking-water-flna1c9461352

Artifact 4

Artifact Summary

This article provides great information about pharmaceuticals in water. The article mentions how the source of pharmaceuticals in water is not just from manufacturing plants. The article provides an illustration of the flow of pharmaceuticals. The article provides a transcript of “The USGS South Atlantic Water Science Center that released a podcast titled "Emerging Contaminants, Pharmaceuticals in South Carolina Rivers and Streams". USGS Research Ecologist Dr. Paul Bradley discussed with Ray Douglas the USGS Toxic Substances Research on emerging contaminants in rivers and streams.

Artifact Critique

The article is a great valid research source that provides information on contaminants in rivers and streams. The academic interview would add as a great research source. The interview talks about rivers and streams from all of the United States, not just South Carolina.

Source

Water Science School. (2018, June 6). Pharmaceuticals in Water | U.S. Geological Survey. Www.usgs.gov. https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/science/pharmaceuticals-water

Artifact 5

Artifact Summary

This article outlines a detailed plan for evaluating the presence and amounts of pharmaceutical products, drugs, and personal care products in bodies of water, specifically in Europe. The authors focus on methodology, outcomes, tools, and techniques, as well as policy data. Their research focuses on water sources including rivers, groundwater, and wastewater. To corroborate their practices they follow the systematic guidelines from PRISMA-P, and drawing from relevant, accurate, preexisting studies. Researchers involved in this project aim to assess levels of different contaminants and identify regional contamination variations. Altogether, their overall goal is to provide data to support public policy on water quality and pollution control.

Artifact Critique

This research analysis proves reliable by adhering to internationally recognized systematic review protocols (PRISMA-P) and the use of advanced, and highly accurate analytical tools. The systematic and meta-analytic approach ensures comprehensive data gathering, but the paper also highlights the need for further research, particularly in the gaps regarding regional contamination levels and the lack of regulations for certain emerging contaminants. It adds a unique contribution by offering a structured methodology to assess water contamination in Europe, potentially guiding future policy on environmental and public health issues.

Source

Serrano Valera, M., Martínez-Alcalá, I., Piuvezam, G., Mateo-Ramírez, F., Pimenta, I. D. S. F., & Vela, N. (2024). Pharmaceutical products, drugs and personal care products in European waters: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 19(8), 1–7. https://doi-org.lrc-proxy.abtech.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0308975

Artifact 6

Artifact Summary

A wide range of pharmaceuticals has been found in the drinking water of about 41 million Americans, according to the Associated Press investigation. While the concentrations of the drugs are small, the long-term effects on humans and their health are a reason for concern. The drugs will enter the water supply because of the disposal of the medications in the waste through excretion. Scientists are worrying about the consequences on human health. Testing has shown that there are pharmaceuticals present in the drinking water of metropolitan areas across the US. Wildlife, urban areas, and rural communities are also affected by this globally.

Artifact Critique

This article provides specific details as it relates to us on a more “local level,” as talking about the US. Scientists are seeing this as an issue, along with the people themselves, the statistics in this article show us the scale of the issue and will be able to provide much support in helping us find a solution whether it is related to testing or preventing.

Source

Collier, R. (2012). s. CMAJ, 184(2), 163–164. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.109-4086

MARKET RESEARCH

In order to get information on how knowledgeable the public is about the presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water and whether individuals contribute to pharmaceuticals entering waterways based on their methods of medication disposal, we conducted an online survey that targeted individuals aged 16 and older, as they are more likely to be involved in medication disposal and are assumed to have greater maturity in managing such responsibilities. We surveyed 95 participants locally (Asheville, NC) and sought to determine their medication use, disposal habits, level of public knowledge about the presence of pharmaceuticals in fresh waterways, and public interest in supporting preventative measures to keep medications out of waterways.

Chart 1: How old are You?

We focused on a demographic of late teens to anywhere older than that, by including age we were able to know the age distribution of our survey. Age has a major impact on opinions and how we analyze our data.

Chart 2: DO you or someone you know take any Medications?

This question is able to tell us how many people take any sort of medicine, and relatively what percent of people take medications. It is also able to show us to what scale this issue might reach given the amount of people that responded to the survey.

Chart 3: what kinds of medications do you or people in your household use?

Asking this question gives us a look into the variety of medications that will possibly end up in waterways, and how many people take what types of medications. We can specify our research based on this as well.

Chart 3: How do you dispose of unwanted medications?

Chart 4: how knowledgeable are you on the topic of pharmacieticals found in our fresh waterways?

This question allows us to know whether people have been informed about this issue, and how big of an issue it might be to them.

If there was an affordable and easy to use way to prevent medication from entering our waterways would you support it?

Knowing if people are willing to use a solution for this issue is really helpful in the importance of the product and the level of consumer use.

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