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GLOBAL PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES
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Topic: Public Policy
Sort Desciption: A publication of Corporate Environment, Health & Safety GLOBAL PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES GlaxoSmithKlines Position Pharmaceuticals in the Environment Issue Pharmaceutical products are designed to cure and ...
Content Inside:
A publication of Corporate Environment, Health & Safety
GLOBAL
PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES
GlaxoSmithKlines Position
Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
Issue
Pharmaceutical products are designed to cure and treat disease, and to help people be
healthy. However, like many foods and nutritional supplements, they are not always
completely absorbed or broken down by the body. Residues of the pharmaceutical or its
breakdown products (i.e., metabolites) may be excreted as part of normal biological
processes. Sewage treatment systems are not always able to remove these substances and
the residues sometimes pass through treatment facilities and enter rivers, streams or lakes.
Residues of some pharmaceuticals may persist in the environment.
Pharmaceutical products may also enter the environment from unused products being
disposed of either into the sewerage system or in landfill sites.
Some pharmaceuticals have been detected in the environment at very low levels.
Pharmaceuticals have probably been in surface waters since people first started taking
medicines many years ago. However, as a result of advances in analytical techniques, only
now can they be detected.
Published studies to date ...