Recent studies carried out in rivers in the central zone of Chile evidenced the presence of different chemical compounds typical of medicines that are negatively affecting our ecosystem.

It is presumed that the remains of these (pills, syrups, ointments or capsules) are reaching watercourses and soils due to their disposal down the drain (toilet and sink) since in our country there are no regulations that ensure proper disposal of these drugs, especially at home.

In detail, the study Pharmaceutical pollution of the world's rivers -published in 2021 by more than 120 researchers from around the world- examined the active principles of 258 rivers from 104 countries, concluding that "environmental exposure to active principles of drugs can have negative effects on the health of ecosystems and beings humans".

This work revealed that the Mapocho river, in Santiago, has a concentration of 4 micrograms of drugs per liter (ng/l), presenting residues of antibiotics, analgesics, antihistamines, antidepressants and beta-blockers (indicated for blood pressure), similar to the figures of the European Danube and Thames.

What to do in this scenario? It is important that as a society we become aware of the effects that our actions cause in the environment. For those companies that need to efficiently manage expired or damaged products, at Hidronor we have the non-standard product management service, thanks to which we support the industry with the correct destruction of out-of-specification products (such as cosmetics, clothing and expired medicines).

In this process we analyze and evaluate the best practices for the elimination of each product, ensuring its total destruction and making the product useless by transferring it to the security deposit.

Do you need more information about this service? Contact our commercial team and ask for more details.

Source: País Circular