no PILLS in waters!

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Today about 3.000 pharmaceutical active substances have permits in Europe and - after consumption - are partly excreted by the body. The EU published the new draft annex for the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Jan. 2012 [http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/88&] and if the WFD annex is passes the Council and Parliament. all member states’ surface waters will have to meet the environmental quality standards for the priority substances by 2021 – for the 1st time considering pharmaceutical substances. Point source treatment may reduce the concentrated discharge at hospitals but in proportion to the consumption in private households other approaches are needed to reduce the level of these micropollutants in the water cycle. A wide range of advanced techniques at waste water treatment plants would mean very large costs for water users. noPILLS will address the question if or how other strategies can be promising in the long term that are starting at the INPUT instead of elimination END-OF-THE-PIPE. noPILLS is not only focussing on the few pharmaceuticals listed in the WFD annex but addresses more generally the need to reduce pharmaceutical micropollutants. Learning from the previous PILLS project where point source treatment and public awareness were the key items. noPILLS widens the frame towards pharmaceuticals in sewage and active changes in consumers behaviour (first in test areas). One finding of PILLS was that about 70% of the consumed “medicine cocktail” may be excreted or washed off. As in some catchment areas point source treatment at hospitals can only treat residues from up to 20% of the total emission. noPILLS addresses the remaining 80%. The partners want to attempt approaches that illustrate how consumers behaviour can be governed (different consumption/prescription practise/disposal. demand for green pharmacy) and so reduced adaptation of treatment facilities with less expensive “high tech” would be an option.

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