Statins and antidepressants are among the worst drug polluters in England’s rivers, scientists have found, as they called on GPs to consider social prescribing rather than medication.

Experts from the University of Bath say people should be more aware that drugs have a harmful impact on the environment once they leave their bodies.

In a new study, researchers analyzed chemicals in rivers and sewage in Bath, Bristol, Chippenham, Keynsham and Trowbridge, and found a large number of substances linked to prescription drugs, daily activities like showering and dishes and drug addiction.

The main offenders were painkillers, antibiotics, drugs used for heart problems, mental health problems, epilepsy and lifestyle drugs. The statin atorvastatin was among the most frequently found, as well as the antidepressant fluoxetine.

Lifestyle choices impact environmental health

“Each of us needs to start looking at our lifestyle as a contributing factor to deteriorating environmental health,” said lead researcher Professor Barbara Kasprzyk-Hordern from Bath’s Department of Chemistry.

“Our lifestyle choices, related to the household and beauty products we use and the pharmaceuticals we consume, have a direct impact on the environment around us.

“Most of us are unaware of this impact because each use of a product results in small amounts of toxic waste that cannot be seen with the naked eye, but when taken together these small amounts are creating a complex chemical cocktail in our rivers that could have adverse effects on the wider environment, especially aquatic creatures.

For the new study, the researchers tested various chemical and biological agents from rivers and sewage, including personal care products (UV filters and preservatives in cosmetics), pesticides, illicit drugs, styling chemicals lifestyle (such as caffeine and nicotine), prescription drugs and genetic material (such as antibiotic resistance genes).

They found a noticeable effect at weekends for illegal drugs such as cocaine and MDMA, with recreational narcotics increasing significantly on Saturday and Sunday.

Scientists have also discovered a direct link between the size of a city and the amount of harmful chemicals and biological agents released.

They suggest awareness campaigns to stress the importance of returning unused medicines to pharmacies rather than flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash.

Benefits of social prescribing

And they say social prescribing could offer an alternative to drugs, such as people with mental disorders being offered talk therapies, or people being asked to start exercising or gardening to improve their health. and their mood.

Professor Julie Barnett, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research) at Bath and responsible for the social science work on the project, added: “There is considerable scope for changes in prescribing practices to have an impact on the environmental health.

“Which pharmaceuticals are being prescribed or de-prescribed, whether social prescribing may be appropriate, and how we dispose of unused pharmaceuticals, are all areas where changes can make significant differences to the health of the wider environment. .”

Pharmaceuticals in treated sewage effluent are currently unregulated in the UK, but the team, who worked with Wessex Water on the project, said social interventions to prevent chemicals from entering in the rivers would probably have more impact than trying to treat the water.

Ruth Barden, Director of Environmental Solutions at Wessex Water, added: “It is often more sustainable to tackle the problem at the source, for example through social interventions, than to invest in wastewater treatment processes. end-users that don’t necessarily help reduce society’s carbon footprint or provide broader environmental benefits.