Environmental Impact of Some Medications

Medical Waste and the Environment For many years, the environmental impact of medical waste has been ignored as scientists concentrated on well known contaminants generated by the agricultural and industrial sectors. Pharmacologically active compounds (PACs) used in medicine and in biochemical studies have not been treated as potentially toxic and have been routinely released to the environment. Prolonged exposure to PACs causes significant changes in the metabolism and behavior of various organisms.

Medical Waste and the Environment 1) The uncontrolled release of antibiotics to the environment leads to the development of resistant bacteria, while other drugs can act as endocrine disruptors, increasing the risk of cancer and reproductive disorders in humans and other animals. 2) Radioactive materials used in medical treatment and diagnostics is another type of environmental pollutant. It can increase radiation levels in local ecosystems because it was often disposed of as common waste. 3) Organic solvents used in the pharmaceutical industry contribute significantly to chemical waste. Most solvents are toxic to living organisms, primarily affecting the nervous and respiratory systems, the liver, the kidney, and the reproductive organs.

Antibiotic Resistance The widespread use of penicillin and other antibiotics in the second half of the 20th century lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in many strains of harmful bacteria. For example, extensive use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, those used against a wide range of bacteria, has enabled infections such as Clostridium Difficiile to thrive. Consequently, the efficiency of traditional antibiotics against common diseases has decreased significantly. Scientists need to create new drugs in order to combat bacterial infections, however, it becomes progressively more difficult as bacteria constantly become resistant to increasing numbers of antibiotics.

Antibiotic Resistance

Uses of Antibiotics Less than half of antibiotics produced are used for treatment of disease in humans. Others include:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2017/01/15/woman-dies-from-bacteria-resistant-to-all-antibiotics-why-dont-more-people-care/#3e001a367032

There are no simple solutions to the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But, it is obvious that antibiotic therapy should be restricted to the most severe cases of bacterial infections while non-medical use of antibacterial drugs should be banned completely. At the same time, the amount of antibiotic waste from hospitals and the pharmaceutical industry must be reduced to a minimum and thoroughly processed before being released into the environment. Additionally, individuals can contribute to the solution by avoiding overuse, and by complying with instructions to complete a prescribed dose. Finally, to be effective, these measures need to be taken by all countries and coordinated at the international level.

Nuclear Waste Many medical procedures involve the use of radionuclides –unstable isotopes of certain elements that undergo spontaneous radioactive decay. Some of these isotopes are administered to patients in water-soluble salts or radiopharmaceutical drugs, while others are used in medical equipment as sources of ionizing radiation. During medical procedures radionuclides and ionizing radiation come into contact with various materials that also become radioactive. These materials together with left-over radionuclides, produce nuclear waste, which must be disposed of in accordance with specific procedures.

Nuclear Waste High-level waste gives off large amounts of ionizing radiation for a long time. The isotopes have long half-lives. HLW is produced in nuclear reactors. Many radionuclides in HLW have very long half-lives, from decades to billions of years. Spent isotopes from medical diagnosis techniques may also generate some high level waste, although this amount is quite small relative to the amount of high level waste generated by the nuclear energy industry. The treatment, transportation, and disposal of nuclear waste present serious risks due to possible release of radionuclides to the environment, which is very harmful to all living organisms because it causes extensive cellular and genetic damage.

Nuclear Waste

Organic Solvents

Organic Solvents

Organic Solvents

Green Chemistry The primary goal of green chemistry is to reduce the environmental impact of technological processes by minimizing the use and generation of hazardous chemicals This branch of chemistry focuses on 12 principles. These principles cover concepts such as avoiding wastes, maximizing the amount of raw material that ends up in the product, and the use of safe solvents. Common practices of green chemistry include aqueous or solvent free reactions, renewable starting materials, mild reaction conditions, and the utilization of any by-products formed during the synthesis.