title: Are pharmaceuticals potent environmental pollutants? Part II: environmental risk assessments of selected pharmaceutical excipients.
abstract: As part of achieving national environmental goals, the Swedish Government commissioned a report from the Swedish Medical Products Agency on environmental effects of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics and hygiene products. Five excipients used in pharmaceutical products were selected for environmental risk assessments, applying the computer-based model EUSES. Docusate sodium was identified as a possible risk for sediment-dwelling organisms when taking the total amount used into account. Although, experimental toxicity data on sediment-dwelling organism and data on concentrations in sediments are still required before firm conclusions regarding the environmental risk can be made. The environmental risks posed by excipients used in pharmaceutical products are likely to be negligible. This study identifies that knowledge gaps regarding environmental risks posed by pharmaceutical excipients are evident.
authors.affiliation: Swedish Medical Products Agency, PO Box 26, SE-751 03 Uppsala, Sweden. carina.carlsson@mpa.se
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carlsson
authors.forename: Anna-Karin
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Johansson
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alvan
authors.forename: Kerstin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bergman
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kühler
mesh_terms: D004345:Drug Industry; D064420:Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; D017753:Ecosystem; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000379:methods; D005079:Excipients / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000032:analysis; D011634:Public Health; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013548:Sweden; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D005079:Excipients; D007220:Industrial Waste; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical