Medical Household Waste as a Potential Environmental Hazard: An Ecological and Epidemiological Approach

Adriana Benítez-Rico, Arizbeth Pérez-Martínez, Bryan Isaac Muñóz-López, Laura Martino-Roaro, Jorge Adan Alegría-Baños, Arely Vergara-Castañeda () and Alejandro Islas-García
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Adriana Benítez-Rico: Grupo de Investigación Desarrollo e Innovación en Ingeniería de Procesos y Nuevos Materiales, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad La Salle México, Mexico City 06140, Mexico
Arizbeth Pérez-Martínez: Grupo de Investigación Desarrollo e Innovación en Ciencia y Tecnología Ambiental Aplicada, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad La Salle México, Mexico City 06140, Mexico
Bryan Isaac Muñóz-López: Programa de Maestría en Farmacología Clínica, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad La Salle México, Mexico City 06140, Mexico
Laura Martino-Roaro: Campus Ciudad de México, Centro Universitario Incarnate Word, Mexico City 03100, Mexico
Jorge Adan Alegría-Baños: Grupo de Investigación Desarrollo e Innovación en Promoción y Educación para la Salud y Alimentación, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad La Salle México, Mexico City 06140, Mexico
Arely Vergara-Castañeda: Grupo de Investigación Desarrollo e Innovación en Promoción y Educación para la Salud y Alimentación, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad La Salle México, Mexico City 06140, Mexico
Alejandro Islas-García: Grupo de Investigación Desarrollo e Innovación en Ciencia y Tecnología Ambiental Aplicada, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Universidad La Salle México, Mexico City 06140, Mexico

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: Nowadays, the contamination caused by emerging pollutants is a global concern due to the lack of scientific evidence to demonstrate the risk or toxicity to humans due to the presence of pharmaceutical residues in the environment. This study aimed to identify and describe the disposal practices of unused and unwanted medications, as well as to analyze and identify the most frequent drugs determined on water bodies adjacent to the biggest urban population in Mexico. A two-phase study with an epidemiological and an ecological assessment was performed. The epidemiological phase was carried out with a descriptive cross-sectional study among citizens from Mexico City and the metropolitan area using an electronic survey applied to 719 subjects aimed to assess practices in which pharmaceutical products are disposed. The ecological phase included a review of scientific reports. The results show that nearly 83.5% of those surveyed use inappropriate practices for disposal medicines, the main ones are through the municipal dump or directly in the drain. The ecological approach was carried out by a systematic literature review of original reports published between 2013 to 2023; information about the class of drugs, active substance, environmental compartments, location, and concentration was extracted and presented. Fifty-one different types of pharmaceutical residues were detected in wastewater in Mexico City in the last decade. The results of this study can contribute to the application of public policies for waste management authorities to mitigate the socio-environmental risks due to the inappropriate disposal of medicines.

Keywords: medication disposal; drug disposal; pharmaceutical residues; emerging pollutants; environmental hazard; water bodies; wastewater; eco pharmacovigilance; Mexico (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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