Drug residues enter water bodies because most active pharmaceutical substances are excreted by the human body after ingestion and are not retained by wastewater treatment plants. The improper disposal of unused medicines via the toilet or sink adds to environmental entry. With proper disposal, through, for example, household waste, hazardous waste collection vehicles, or recycling centres, medicines are destroyed through waste incineration and no longer pose a problem for the environment.
Source: Lars Johansson / Adobe Stock
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