Emerging Issues

in Human and Veterinary

Pharmaceutical

Contamination of Water Supplies

National Capital Area Chapter

Society of Toxicology

Spring Symposium

Student Poster Session

May 12, 2003

Lister Hill Auditorium

National Library of Medicine

Bethesda, Maryland

According to a recent United Nations survey, potable water is becoming one of the more scarce natural resources on Earth. Studies from Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, and the United States indicate the presence of various contaminants in water, including pharmaceuticals. Over the last 10 years, much attention has been directed to the possibility that pharmaceuticals, human as well as veterinary, may be entering the water supply in increasing concentrations and could pose a health and/or environmental hazard. These studies raise several important questions including: (1) What evidence is there that pharmaceuticals are indeed present in water and at what levels are they present? (2) Do the concentrations of these potential water contaminants pose a human health risk? (3) What are the implications for the environment given the concentrations at which these contaminants may occur? (4) What actions are government agencies currently taking in response to this perceived problem and what are some of their future plans? (5) What views does industry hold regarding potential contamination of the water supply by pharmaceuticals and what role should it play in this issue? Finally, (6) what additional research is needed to better understand the health and environmental implications of this growing problem? The goal of this symposium is to generate discussion about these issues and to bring about a better understanding of the associated toxicological implications. Speakers from academia will present their latest research while industry representatives will discuss the views of the pharmaceutical industry. In addition, scientists from the FDA and the EPA will identify various governmental efforts in this area. A better-informed scientific community should result from this exchange of views and information.

Also featured at this symposium will be a poster session of the latest scientific research by some of the brightest emerging scientists in the Washington DC area.

PROGRAM

8:00 a.m. Registration, Continental Breakfast, and Posters Set-Up and Viewing

8:45 a.m. Welcome and Opening Comments

Susan Makris

President, NCAC-SOT

Program Co-Chairs:

Sidney Green

Vice-President, NCAC-SOT

and

Laurie Roszell

Treasurer, NCAC-SOT

9:00 a.m. Pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds in sources of drinking water: Preliminary results of a national reconnaissance

Michael Focazio

US Geological Survey

Office of Water Quality

9:40 a.m. Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water: Assessing the Risks

Anthony Maciorowski

US Environmental Protection Agency

Office of Water

10:20 a.m. Coffee Break and Poster Viewing

10:45 a.m. Poster Presentations

11:30 a.m. Lunch

1:00 p.m. Environmental Assessments-Human and Animal Drugs

Nancy Sager

Associate Director, Office of Pharmaceutical Science

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research

US Food and Drug Administration

1:40 p.m. Overview of PhRMA Activities Related to Pharmaceuticals in the Environment

Thomas X. White

Consultant

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

2:20 p.m. Pharmaceuticals in the Environment: Integrating Human and Ecological Risk Assessment

Damian Shea

Department Head and Director of Graduate Programs

Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology

North Carolina State University

3:00 p.m. Discussion

3:40 p.m. Poster Awards and Closing Comments