From pills to sunscreen -invisible pollutants that matter most
About This Event
The project “From pills to sunscreens – invisible pollutants” was created with the aim of raising awareness within the community in high schools ,university students and among pharmacists and health workers about the crucial role that pharmaceuticals and everyday products, such as sunscreens, play in the pollution of marine environments. Once released into the environment, these substances do not easily disappear: many of them resist wastewater treatment processes and eventually reach rivers, lakes, and ultimately the oceans.
Among the main emerging contaminants, we find pharmaceutical residues, antibiotics, hormones, analgesics, and cosmetic active ingredients. These compounds, even at very low concentrations, can interfere with the endocrine systems of marine organisms, disrupt the reproduction of fish and mollusks, and contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance.Also it haves very important consequences on human health and affects it heavily same as marine life.
Our event, through webinars and workshops dedicated to the comjnity and health workers aims to strengthen awareness of the role of hath workers and young population in preventing environmental contamination. Pharmacists are not only dispensers of medicines but also key actors in promoting more sustainable use of pharmaceuticals and in the proper management of pharmaceutical waste.
During the workshops, innovative approaches to filtration and purification will also be explored, with particular attention to technologies capable of reducing the presence of pharmaceutical micropollutants in wastewater. Advanced systems such as activated carbon adsorption, membrane filtration, and advanced oxidation processes will be analyzed, as they represent promising tools in mitigating this type of pollution.
The ultimate goal is to promote an integrated “One Health” approach, in which ocean health is recognized as chatting of one health. Reducing pharmaceutical contamination means not only protecting the sea but also preserving the quality of life for future generations.