KIMO UK pledges to work for drug-free rivers

The presence of pharmaceuticals in rivers and lakes is known to be negative, but wastewater treatment plants are not capable of completely degrading these compounds before they are discharged into waterways and, ultimately, oceans. In the UK, there are also issues around the categorisation of pollutant substances, which could mean that substances harmful to human health may be being legally discharged. UK rivers have been identified as the worst in Europe for prescription drugs, many of which act as endocrine disrupters that can adversely affect growth and reproduction rates in both animals and humans.

There is growing evidence of damaging effects of pharmaceutical pollutants in watercourses and drinking water to ecological systems, antimicrobial resistance and other issues with human health.  A recent global study of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in watercourses analysed by the University of York conducted recently, across 258 rivers and 1052 sampling locations globally. The most frequently identified global pharmaceutical pollutants were carbamezapine (an anti-epilepsy drug that has an unusually long lifespan), caffeine and metformin (a drug taken by diabetes sufferers). The highest contamination of pollutants was observed in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia and South America. At least one API was identified at a level considered dangerous to aquatic life and human health at 25.7% of sampling sites. Globally, there is a strong correlation between socio-economic status of a country and higher pharmaceutical pollution in its rivers (lower-middle income nations being the most polluted). High levels of pharmaceutical pollution associated with regions with high median age, as well as high unemployment and poverty rates.  The main source identified of pharmaceutical pollution into rivers is sewage outflows into watercourses. Other causes identified as: rubbish dumping along river banks, inadequate wastewater infrastructure, pharmaceutical manufacturing and dumping of septic tank residue into rivers.

UK rivers appear to be the worst in Europe for pharmaceutical pollution by prescription drugs at levels damaging to wildlife. Samples from the river Clyde were identified as the most polluted with pharmaceuticals in Europe. The most dangerous pharmaceutical pollutants to aquatic wildlife in the UK are considered to be the beta-blocker, propranolol, which affects fish growth and reproduction, and the antibiotic clarithromycin. Worryingly, the UK contains the highest number of different pharmaceuticals identified in the global study. The Clyde contained 31 of 61 found globally, and the Thames’ samples contained 26. Apart from the 4 sample sites in Snowdonia, all 50 remaining UK sample sites tested positive for pharmaceutical pollution.

Taking into account the latest research findings, the board of KIMO UK agreed on 4 March 2022, to widen its current agenda to include “pharmaceutical pollution in rivers” as a focus area for ongoing action. KIMO’s UK network will explore avenues for raising public awareness of dangers of pharmaceutical pollutants in watercourses and will push for greater publicity for medicinal take-back schemes (where medicines can be returned to pharmacies). KIMO UK also calls for further study on positive mitigation impact on pharmaceutical waste by natural features in watercourses such as reed beds and wetlands.