Keeping Our Sewers Pharmaceutical-Free Thru Public Education, Outreach and Resource Coordination

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Keeping Our Sewers Pharmaceutical-Free Thru
Public Education, Outreach and Resource
Coordination

• Susanna Littell
• Section Manager, Environmental ComplianceOrange
  County Utilities

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Overview

• Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
  (PPCPs) are classified as Emerging Substances of
  Concern
• Are discharged to sewers by many sources
• Environmental impacts
• Limited and restrictive regulations to control
  discharges
• Promote education and BMPs to address

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Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as
Pollutants

• PPCPs include over 14 million chemical compounds
  
• Prescription and over-the counter drugs
• Veterinary drugs
• Fragrances
• Cosmetics
• Sun-screen products
• Diagnostic agents
• Nutraceuticals (e.g., vitamins)

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General PPCP Usage

• PPCPs are used by
• Individuals for personal health or cosmetic
  reasons
• Agribusiness to enhance growth or health of
  livestock.

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PPCP Source Pathwaysto the Sewer

• Ingested then excreted
• Discharged during bathing
• Discharged during medication disposal
• 50 of all unused prescriptions
• 80 of all unused antibiotics

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PPCP Sources

• Manufacturing process waste
• Wastes from the distributor, pharmacy, hospital
  and healthcare facility
• Wastes from residential care facilities
• Pharmaceuticals from the consumer
• Excreted metabolites entering wastewater

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PPCP Environmental Pathways

• Pass through septic tanks to aquifer
• Pass through WWTPs and enter
• Aquifers
• Surface waters
• Reclaimed water areas
• Biosolid application areas

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PPCP Discharge Standards

• 14 Drinking-water standards (DWS) or other human
  or ecological health criteria have been
  established
• Only 1 (250,000) of 14 million chemicals have
  regulatory controls
• POTWs will eventually have discharge limits
• CIU category for PPCPs proposed

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Pharmaceutical Controls

• RCRA for the disposal of hazardous pharmaceutical
  wastes produced by pharmaceutical manufacturers
  and the health care industry
• Controlled Substance Act
• Criteria includes DEA registration to handle
  controlled substances in schedules II through V

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Controlled Substanceshttp//www.deadiversion.usdo
j.gov/schedules/schedules.htm

• Schedule I illegal drugs (ex., heroin, LSD)
• Schedule II Morphine, OxyContin, codeine,
• Demerol, Ritalin, amphetamines
• Schedule III Tylenol with codeine, Vicodin
• Schedule IV Benzodiazepines, Valium,
  Darvon
• Schedule V Codeine cough syrups

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Unused Pharmaceuticals

• Too Many Pharmaceuticals Go Unused
• PhRMA uses an estimate of 3 of all meds go
  unused
• 82 of antibiotics go unused
• 50 of antidepressants
• 50 of beta-blockers
• 20 of pain meds
• Waste management compliance rates for some
  medications are lt 20
• Medicare Part D and others require 30-day
  supply billings, regardless of need and without
  ability to refund unused expenses (or to return
  unused product)

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Ensure Proper Waste Disposal

• Modify SUO to address this discharge
• Inspect commercial and industrial facilities to
  ensure proper waste disposal
• Wastes are returned to manufacturer
• RCRA waste are properly disposed of directly
• Wastes are manage through a Reverse Distributor
• Recycled or incinerated, depending on waste type,
  packaging
• 6 Reverse Distributors in Florida
• DEA Website http//www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov

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Educate Consumers of Proper Waste Disposal

• First
• Develop educational info for customer
  distribution
• Direct mailing, utility bill stuffers
• TV Commercial, radio spots
• Direct education (community events Earth Day
  events, HOAs, senior community centers,)
• Consider using FDEP AWWA educational materials

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Provide Consumers Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal
Options

• Second
• Contact the local police department to see if
  they have a drug collection program
• Create your own drug collection program (with
  required police participation)
• Partner local police directly
• Partner with police during
• Household Hazardous Waste events
• Advertise these events!

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Provide Consumers Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal
Options

• Lastly, if no collection options exist, or will
  be provided, consider recommending consumers to
• Remove all personal identification from
  prescription bottles
• Mix all unused drugs with coffee grounds, kitty
  litter, or another undesirable substance, and/or
• Place this mixture in a sealed container before
  disposing in the trash, on the day of pick-up.

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Provide Consumers Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal
Program Funding

• Grants are available to Law Enforcement
• Agencies to Establish a Drug Collection for
• Proper Disposal Program
• The Federal Government offers law enforcement
  agencies a one-time grant, up to 1,000, to
  establish a Drug Collection for Proper Disposal
  program. This funding can be used to pay for
  collection boxes, signage, evidence handling,
  incineration, advertising or associated expenses.

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Sources of Information Contained in this
Presentation

• References
• Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as
  Pollutants (PPCPs), EPA Web Site
  http//www.epa.gov/ppcp/