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Stoll, F. (EUCC - The Coastal Union Germany): Estimating and reducing the discharge of pharmaceutical substances into the South Baltic, Coastal and Marine (28 (2019-2)). Coastal & Marine Union (EUCC), Leiden/Rostock, 2019.
A major problem in Europe is the immense amount of chemicals being released into our water bodies via wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Of special concern are the pharmaceuticals specified in two recent EU watch lists of substances for Union-wide monitoring (COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2015/495 and 2018/840). Concerning human medicines, the consumption phase is considered to be the biggest contributor to the discharge of medicinal products into the environment, notably through excretions and incorrect disposal of unused medicines through sinks and toilets that then reach the environment via wastewater treatment effluents. The MORPHEUS project investigated pharmaceutical consumption, existing wastewater treatment technologies and environmental occurrence of 15 selected pharmaceutical substances (e.g. heart medicines, painkillers and antibiotics) in four model areas in the South Baltic: Skåne (Sweden), Mecklenburg (Germany), Pomerania (Poland) and Klaipeda (Lithuania). Knowledge of the ecological sensitivity of the receiving water, in relation to the chemical concentrations and loads, allowed for an easier prioritization of where advanced treatment initially should be installed. An overview of advanced treatment technologies was provided by the project to help understand both possibilities and limitations of the technologies available on today’s market. Altogether, the knowledge obtained in the MORPHEUS project intends to aid wastewater treatment plants and authorities with the future implementation of the most suitable advanced treatment technology at the most appropriate sites with the overall goal that they can then make as wise and knowledge-based investments as possible. This will help improve the water quality of the South Baltic Sea. For detailed information on the project results that are presented in this issue, please find the full reports on the project’s website at www.morpheus-project.eu. |
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Coastal-Marine_MORPHEUS_web.pdf (4.449.925 Bytes) |
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