Trashing old, unused medications best for reducing environmental impact

Public release date: 16-May-2012
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Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

A new study suggests that dumping old or unneeded medications in the trash can may be the best way to reduce the environmental impact of the 200 million pounds of pharmaceuticals that go unused in the U.S. each year. The report, which weighs the emissions from flushing, incinerating or trashing drugs, appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Stephen J. Skerlos and colleagues explain that to avoid the risks of abuse and accidental poisoning, as well as other problems that unused, unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals pose, they shouldn't be kept in homes. If thrown away or flushed down a toilet, however, antibiotics, hormones and other drugs can get into lakes, rivers and other water supplies, where they can affect humans and animals. Some places in the U.S. have recently started take-back programs, in which pharmacies collect unneeded drugs and incinerate them with other medical waste, but this burning and transportation produces greenhouse gases and other pollution. The authors wanted to assess the different disposal methods to see which might make the most sense for U.S. households.

Their evaluation shows that, on balance, trash disposal may be the best option in the U.S. Flushing unwanted drugs puts more drug compounds into the environment. Incineration of drugs taken back to a pharmacy could significantly reduce releases to the environment, but the authors note that take-back programs often have limited participation and could have major financial costs. A national program could cost $2 billion each year. A national participation rate of 50 percent in a take-back program, considered to be a high level of participation, would reduce releases of drugs by 93 percent, which is only five percent more than 100 percent participation in trash disposal. "Furthermore, since 60 percent of individuals in the U.S. already trash their unused pharmaceuticals, trash disposal is likely to accomplish faster removal of unused pharmaceuticals from households due to higher participation rates and greater convenience," the authors say.

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The authors acknowledge funding from the University of Michigan's Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute (GESI) and the National Science Foundation.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 164,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society contact newsroom@acs.org.

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Public release date: 16-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

A new study suggests that dumping old or unneeded medications in the trash can may be the best way to reduce the environmental impact of the 200 million pounds of pharmaceuticals that go unused in the U.S. each year. The report, which weighs the emissions from flushing, incinerating or trashing drugs, appears in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Stephen J. Skerlos and colleagues explain that to avoid the risks of abuse and accidental poisoning, as well as other problems that unused, unwanted or expired pharmaceuticals pose, they shouldn't be kept in homes. If thrown away or flushed down a toilet, however, antibiotics, hormones and other drugs can get into lakes, rivers and other water supplies, where they can affect humans and animals. Some places in the U.S. have recently started take-back programs, in which pharmacies collect unneeded drugs and incinerate them with other medical waste, but this burning and transportation produces greenhouse gases and other pollution. The authors wanted to assess the different disposal methods to see which might make the most sense for U.S. households.

Their evaluation shows that, on balance, trash disposal may be the best option in the U.S. Flushing unwanted drugs puts more drug compounds into the environment. Incineration of drugs taken back to a pharmacy could significantly reduce releases to the environment, but the authors note that take-back programs often have limited participation and could have major financial costs. A national program could cost $2 billion each year. A national participation rate of 50 percent in a take-back program, considered to be a high level of participation, would reduce releases of drugs by 93 percent, which is only five percent more than 100 percent participation in trash disposal. "Furthermore, since 60 percent of individuals in the U.S. already trash their unused pharmaceuticals, trash disposal is likely to accomplish faster removal of unused pharmaceuticals from households due to higher participation rates and greater convenience," the authors say.

###

The authors acknowledge funding from the University of Michigan's Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute (GESI) and the National Science Foundation.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 164,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society contact newsroom@acs.org.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Music Review: Delta Moon - Black Cat Oil - seattlepi.com

Delta Moon is a very popular band around metro Atlanta, which is where I live. Listening to Black Cat Oil will quickly make clear how they have gained such a loyal and growing following.

All of the songs on this CD are originals, except for an excellent cover of Fred McDowell's "Write Me a Few of Your Lines." The rest of the songs were written by founding member Tom Gray, with assistance from fellow founding member Mark Johnson on "Black Cat Oil," "Wishbone," "Black Coffee," and "Jukin'."

With a solid rhythm section providing a pounding beat and Tom Gray's slightly ragged-sounding vocals, Black Cat Oil has a great rootsy, bluesy rock sound from the very first song, "Down and Dirty." The CD was recorded at Atlanta's Bakos Amp Works studio with a basic drum setup, an upright bass and only three amps, according to the press release. They then used vintage amps and equipment from the '50s and '60s to get that authentic, swampy sound.

Every song on this CD is excellent. "Blues in a Bottle," Tom Gray says, came to him in a dream. In the press release, he explains that he dreamed that a guitarist was trying to decide the best way to play a song called "Blues in a Bottle." He wished he had come up with that title, "Then I awoke and discovered that I had." It's a great blues-rock tune, no matter how he came to write it.

"Walk Out in the River," is a song about sorrow and hope. It contains one of my favorite images: "There's a little girl down by the swimming pool side/Blowing bubbles with angels trapped inside/When the bubbles pop, the angels go free/ And they fly away to heaven cross the galaxy."

The song was inspired by Gray's bout with cancer. He is okay now, but a friend who also had cancer did not make it. He spun that experience into an incredibly moving song.

"Black Cat Oil" is pure Americana, celebrating, as many blues songs before it, the appeal of voodoo and its easy promises. If things don't go right with your Black Cat Oil, you just need to use a little more. "Wishbone" and "Black Coffee" are straight blues songs with some really tasty dual slide guitar work from Johnson and Gray.

My favorite song on the CD is "Neon Jesus," a slow, melodic walk on the wild side of your typical southern city, lighted both physically and emotionally by a neon Jesus on the top of a building. This song resonates with me on so many levels and represents the best qualities of Southern roots music with a contemporary touch.

"Jukin'" lightens the mood with a song in praise of finding those little out-of-the-way clubs and just having a mighty good time. "Sunshine" is a song about maybe not getting what you want, but getting what you need, with a very catchy, hook-filled musical accompaniment.

The last original song on the CD before the great McDowell tune mentioned earlier is "Applejack," which again features some fantastic guitar work and a joyful tribute to applejack and watermelon wine.

Overall, this CD is about hope and the things that get us through and keep us going. While it is Southern to its core, its message is universal and will touch people wherever they are, giving them a very enjoyable listening experience as well.

Pick up Black Cat Oil and get acquainted with Delta Moon. You'll be glad you did.

View the original article on blogcritics.org

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Despite flesh-eating bacteria, young woman's ... - Health and Fitness

After falling from a homemade zipline and cutting her leg, 24-year-old Aimee Copeland contracted a rare flesh-eating bacterial infection that has claimed one of her legs. NBC?s Gabe Gutierrez reports and TODAY?s Ann Curry talks with her parents, Andy and Donna, about Aimee?s recovery.

The parents of Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old Georgia woman whose leg was amputated after contracting flesh-eating bacteria, told TODAY Monday they are optimistic about their daughter?s recovery. They have been communicating with her and she has begun to rely less on her respirator.

?We were able communicate with her through lip reading, which we?re becoming quite proficient at at this point.,? her father Andy Copeland told Ann Curry Monday.

Their daughter has a breathing tube down her throat, but is looking forward to being able to eat again, especially her favorite food: ice cream. ??

The flesh-eating infection?that led to the amputation of one of the young Georgia woman?s legs was caused by a bacteria found in warmer freshwater lakes and rivers. Even a wound as minor as a tiny scratch or cut can serve as the starting point of the?bacterial?infection?called necrotizing fasciitis, according to the National Necrotizing Fasciitis Foundation. On its website, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health says an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 cases occur in the United States each year, resulting in 2,000 to 3,000 deaths.

Aimee?will lose her fingers on both hands but doctors hope to save the palms of her hands, which would make it easier for her to use prosthetics, according to TODAY. She may also lose her right foot. She remains in critical condition in the Joseph M. Still Burn Center at Doctors Hospital in Augusta, hospital spokeswoman Stacey Snyder said.

Dad Andy Copeland, who lives with his wife, Donna, in Spartanburg, S.C., has been sharing her roller-coaster?progress on blog posts and Facebook.

Almost two weeks ago, the University of West Georgia psychology grad student was kayaking with friends in the Little Tallapoosa River when she stopped to try a homemade zip line. She fell from the line and suffered a deep gash to her left leg, which required 22 staples to close.

Story: Woman fights for life after losing leg to flesh-eating bacteria

Over the following days, her pain increased and she was given antibiotics and an MRI. On May 4, a friend carried her to the ER and she was finally was diagnosed with necrotizing fasciitis, a bacterial infection that breaks down muscle and fat and can lead to organ failure. The bacteria that infected Copeland is a bug called Aeromonas hydrophila.

Copeland reportedly was recently diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease, which might help explain why she became critically ill with an infection most would shrug off, says Dr. Chaim Putterman, chief of rheumatology at Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. ?It?s not only the bug,? Putterman told TODAY.com, but the interaction between the bug and the host, or patient.

In 2008, he coauthored a report about eight lupus patients hospitalized with necrotizing fasciitis at his hospital. Two of them died. Putterman says both lupus itself and the treatment for it could increase patients? risk of necrotizing fasciitis.

?Many of the medications that we use to treat lupus patients are what we call immunosuppressants,? says Putterman, who is not involved in Copeland?s case. ?Increased infection is one of the known prices we pay for those medications.?

In addition, in autoimmune diseases such as lupus, ?the immune system is out of whack,? Putterman says. So even without taking drugs to suppress their immune systems, people with autoimmune diseases are more susceptible to infections.

?Necrotizing fasciitis didn?t start when she fell in the water. It didn?t start with the stapling. It started later,? he says. ?But in these cases, minutes and hours do make a difference. It?s a rapidly progressing infection, so minutes count.?

The fact that Copeland has survived this long and that, according to her father, her lung function is improving, are both positive signs, Putterman says.

?What definitely is very, very much in her favor is that she?s 24 years-old,? he says. ?Young adults are definitely much more resilient than individuals at the extremes of ages.?

While Aimee?s condition is improving, doctors say she has a long recovery ahead of her.?

?It will be very difficult, in fact, her recovery will continue for the rest of her life,? Dr. Walter Ingram, Grady Memorial Hospital Burn Center, Atlanta, told TODAY.

Meanwhile, the Copelands told TODAY they are staying focused on her recovery, rather than how hurting her leg could have caused the life-threatening infection.

?Our focus is on trying to stay positive, look at the present and the future,? Andy told TODAY. We believe that future is going to be bright for Aimee.?

Related:

Encouraging news for victim of flesh-eating bacteria
Flesh-eating bacteria case spurs study, treatment

The Associated Press contributed to this report

Article source: http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/05/14/11701414-despite-flesh-eating-bacteria-young-womans-future-is-bright

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WATCH: 'Snow White & the Huntsman' Premiere Live Stream!

Universal Pictures' Snow White & the Huntsman doesn't officially hit theaters until June 1, but the action-adventure take on the immortal fairy tale gets its red-carpet premiere today in London -- and you can watch all the action live, thanks to the nifty video player below. Simply come back here at 12:30 p.m. ET/9:30 a.m. PT to watch in real time as Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, new dad Chris Hemsworth and the rest of the cast walk the carpet, mingle with fans and chat about the film. (And, in case you need a quick refresher on the movie, the player below will feature the trailer until the red-carpet live stream begins.)

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Critter & Guitari Buck the Trend with Hardware That Works Like a Music App [Video]

We write about music apps because they enable all sorts of amazing things that manufacturers could never do with hardware - or if they could, it would be prohibitively expensive. For example, if you had to buy a special MP3 player to display lyrics, you probably wouldn't do it - and yet that same function turned into software attracted over a million people in April alone. More »

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The Rise of Chemophobia In the News

I find much in the popular media to be anti-chemical. Invariably, "Chemical" is used as a perjorative, almost always being prefixed with either toxic or hazardous. Further, it seems that the term "organic" means without "chemicals", which is idiotic, since Every! Single! Thing! is composed of chemicals.

So, anyway, I have a wonderful time with the chemophobes, preferring to use the term "Organic" to refer to a class of covalently-bonded chemicals, primarily composed of carbon and hydrogen atoms, with various other elements occasionally found.

So, most pesticides (with the exception of things like Bordeaux powder) are organic, as artificial sweeteners, etc. Water is never organic, btw.

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Oil prices fall to six-month low. Gas to follow.

Oil prices fall below $99 a barrel on weak jobs report. At $3.80 a gallon, gasoline prices should follow oil prices down.?

The?price?of?oil?plunged to its lowest level in nearly six months Friday, falling below $100 per barrel for the first time since February. A drop in gasoline?prices?can't be far behind.

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It's a welcome trend for motorists, with the summer driving season just around the corner. And it eases some pressure on the U.S. economy, which has shown only agonizingly slow growth in the nearly three years since the Great Recession ended.

Oil?fell $4.05, or 4 percent, to $98.49, after a weak U.S. jobs report offered the latest evidence that the global economy is weakening, possibly reducing demand for?oil. At the same time, there is mounting evidence that world?oil?supplies are growing.

"The jobs report was the coup de grace," said Judith Dwarkin, chief energy economist at ITG Investment Research. "But it's hard to see how?prices?could have stayed on the boil given ample supplies and continued economic uncertainty."

For the week,?oil?fell more than $6 and is now about $12 below its February high. U.S. gasoline?prices?have fallen to $3.80 per gallon from a peak of $3.94 in early April.

Now they could go as low as $3.50 per gallon by July 4, according to Tom Kloza, Chief?Oil?Analyst at theOil?Price?Information Service.

Tony Wei, a mechanical engineer from Piscataway, NJ., will welcome lower?prices. He travels 100 miles every day to and from his job in Morris County, N.J. He's also planning a 500-mile trip to Canada and a 400-mile trip to southwest Virginia this summer in his Honda Accord.

"Definitely, I'm going to notice it," he said. "I buy so much gas."

The picture of the?oil?market is the reverse of just a few months ago. Then, world?oil?demand looked to be rising quickly at the same time that world supplies were threatened by a host of small production outages and the potential for drastically reduced production from Iran, the world's third-biggest exporter.

Those developments raised the prospect that world supplies would be at their most tenuous just as the summer driving season arrived in the developed world. The?price?of U.S. benchmark?oil?rose to about $110. The?price?for international?oil?used to make most of the gasoline in the U.S. spiked even higher, to $128 per barrel.

Gasoline?prices?in the U.S. appeared to be on track to soar past $4 per gallon nationwide, another burden for U.S. consumers already suffering from high unemployment and pitiful wage growth.

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