Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) is a diverse collection of chemical compounds that are used for cosmetic or for health reasons. Examples of PPCPs include soaps, lotions, cosmetics, biologically active compounds, prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and fragrances. PPCPs are also used in agriculture and to enhance the growth, yield or health of livestock. Examples of the latter include antibiotics and steroids. Many PPCPs are also pesticides or endocrine disruptors.
PPCPs generally end up in water systems after being washed off during showering or bathing, excreted following incomplete takeup or metabolic breakdown, or being disposed off in a manner that leads to contamination of a water source. In 1999-2000 the US Geological Survey undertook a national survey of PPCPs in 142 rivers downstream of areas of intense urbanization and livestock production in 36 states in the US to gain insight into contamination of wastewater by humans and animals. At least one PPCP was found in 80% of streams assayed. Compounds such as anti-depressants, specifically the highly prescribed Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (found in medication such as Prozac), the stimulant caffiene, cholesterol (plant and animal steroid), the plasticizer Bisphenol A, and triclosan (an antimicrobial found in many disinfectant soaps) was frequently detected in streams.
The levels of the PPCPs were generally low (parts per billion). However, many pharmaceuticals are designed to function at very low concentrations, and bind to the receptors of specific cells to exert their medicinal effect. In addition, the effect of prolonged exposure to low concentrations of pharmaceuticals is not currently fully understood. Complex mixtures of CCPCs present may also exert additive or synergistic effects. Use of SSRIs during pregnancy has been linked to intraventricular haemorrhage and SSRIs may also be teratogenic, interfering with neurological development of newborns. It is not currently known what exposure to low levels of PPCPs, including SSRIs in water, may have on the fetal neurological development.
The EPA has expressed concern at the levels of PPCPs in streams in the US and continues to work to understand the risks to human health. There is currently no legislation in South Africa to manage PPCPs in drinking water. |