no PILLS in waters!

Programme 2007 - 2013 North West Europe

Date of latest update: 2021-04-06

Description

Description (EN):

Today about 3.000 pharmaceutical active substances have permits in Europe and - after consumption - are partly excreted by the body. The EU published the new draft annex for the Water Framework Directive (WFD) in Jan. 2012 [http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/12/88&] and if the WFD annex is passes the Council and Parliament. all member states’ surface waters will have to meet the environmental quality standards for the priority substances by 2021 – for the 1st time considering pharmaceutical substances. Point source treatment may reduce the concentrated discharge at hospitals but in proportion to the consumption in private households other approaches are needed to reduce the level of these micropollutants in the water cycle. A wide range of advanced techniques at waste water treatment plants would mean very large costs for water users. noPILLS will address the question if or how other strategies can be promising in the long term that are starting at the INPUT instead of elimination END-OF-THE-PIPE. noPILLS is not only focussing on the few pharmaceuticals listed in the WFD annex but addresses more generally the need to reduce pharmaceutical micropollutants. Learning from the previous PILLS project where point source treatment and public awareness were the key items. noPILLS widens the frame towards pharmaceuticals in sewage and active changes in consumers behaviour (first in test areas). One finding of PILLS was that about 70% of the consumed “medicine cocktail” may be excreted or washed off. As in some catchment areas point source treatment at hospitals can only treat residues from up to 20% of the total emission. noPILLS addresses the remaining 80%. The partners want to attempt approaches that illustrate how consumers behaviour can be governed (different consumption/prescription practise/disposal. demand for green pharmacy) and so reduced adaptation of treatment facilities with less expensive “high tech” would be an option.

Achievements (EN):

The noPILLS partners have carried out cooperative activities to investigate the “levers of intervention”, searching for instruments that help reducing pharmaceutical input in the water cycle. Partners 1 (Emschergenossenschaft) and 3 (Luxemburg Institute for Science and Technology) have cooperating regional hospitals with specialized waste water treatment facilities. In parallel urine collection campaigns were carried out with voluntarily supporting patients who received x-ray contrast media (that cannot be eliminated in treatment facilities) and were afterwards collecting that in so-called “roadbags” for incineration. Measurements showed the reduced input of x-ray contrast media in water. The idea behind was if the support of patients and the handling is a possible option to reduce the load in water under cost-benefit aspects: Yes, it works, but it needs qualified hospital staff, time and extra money for the “road bags”. Partner 4 (Lippeverband) carried out a 2 years training & education campaign in the town of Dülmen on clever consumption and proper disposal of pharmaceuticals, involving 13 schools, all pharmacists, many doctors, sports clubs and many local stakeholders. Social research showed that > now the awareness of risks from pharmaceuticals in water is in Dülmen 22% above a reference town now (“before” it was nearly the same); > regarding 6 selected actions carried out 77,2% had heard about the actions and 70% even knew info material; > information received via “reliable”, serious paths like in the doctors’ waiting room and in the annual “garbage calendar” worked; > the percentage of people who now dispose pharmaceuticals correctly (“always” or “mostly” in the bin) has increased from 34% to 54% and > 10% less households used painkillers between the first and second inquiry. Partner 2 (Dutch Rijksinstitut voor Volksgezondheid en Milieu) investigates the pharmaceutical chains in the participating countries: How are the substances produced, handled, consumed, disposed, treated? How can changes aiming at more environmental friendly output be stimulated, which screws to pull? The partner also accompanies the others and evaluates actions like the above mentioned ones. Moreover, partner 5 (Glasgow Caledonian University) works on a wide range of technical and scientific approaches regarding pharmaceuticals in waters, from new treatment techniques with ferrate – tested for 3 months on a partner 1 waste water treatment plant, too – to investigations on species exposed to pharmaceutical substances. In parallel social scientists work on sensitivity and awareness, having carried out 120 interviews in Scotland and in campaigns addressing different groups from primary school children to "Games Jam" participants, also elaborating games that will be online from spring 2015 on. Partner 6 (Université de Limoges) works on the rivers Vienne and Arve in cooperation with hospitals on antibiotic resistant bacteria from different sources and their resilience. Partner 5 accompanied Partner 6 in the development of stakeholder investigations to work on the knowledge gaps of medical staff. The projects are continuously filmed to portray the regions and projects. End results will be presented in the Brussels final conference May 27/28 2015. Documents - piratas do rio (Children book, in Portuguese) - File Download - piraten van de rivier (Children book, in Dutch) - File Download - Flosspiraten (Children book, in Luxembourgish) - File Download - pirates de la riviere (Children book, in French) - File Download - River Pirates (Children book, in English) - File Download - Flusspiraten (Children book, in German) - File Download

Website: http://www.nweurope.eu/

Thematic information

Water management Health and social services Green technologies

Partners (5)

Lead Partner: Emscher Genossenschaft

Address: Kronprinzenstrasse 24, 45128 Essen, Germany

Legal status: n/a

Glasgow Caledonian University

Name: Glasgow Caledonian University

Address: Cowcaddens Road, G4 0BA Glasgow, United Kingdom

Legal status: n/a

Lippeverband

Name: Lippeverband

Address: Königswall 29, 44137 Dortmund, Germany

Legal status: n/a

Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor

Name: Centre de Recherche Public Henri Tudor

Address: Schlassgoart 66, rue de Luxembourg B.P. 144, 4002 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg

Legal status: n/a

Université de Limoges. Groupe de recherche Eau Sol Environnement

Name: Université de Limoges. Groupe de recherche Eau Sol Environnement

Address: 33, rue François Mitterand BP 23204, 87032 Limoges, France

Legal status: n/a

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Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): no PILLS in waters!

Project acronym: noPILLS

Project start date: 2012-06-01

Project end date: 2015-09-30

Project status: closed

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 9 008 083.16

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 3 858 041.58

Co-financing sources:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2007 - 2013 North West Europe

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2015-12-01

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

114 / 114 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

1 104 / 1 104 (100%)

Notes on the data

Information provided by the programme and collected from programme's website

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no PILLS in waters!

Description

Thematic information

Partners (5)

Partners map

Summary

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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