Main aspects of minimization of population health risks caused by pharmaceutical pollution of surface sources of drinking water supply

Introduction. The list of ecological problems has recently enlarged by another one: environment pollution, and first of all, of surface water basins, by so-called «emerging contaminants». Based on the findings of research centers in RF, European countries and in the USA an independent class of human-environment pollutants of anthropogenic origin named «Pharmpollutants», was identified.

Discussion. It can be related to the growing scale of world pharmaceutical production output (average annual growth about 4.6 %), to the development of up-to-date technologies in animal and poultry breeding, as well as to increased use of pharmaceuticals among the population. Systematization and analysis of data on the effect of unsanctioned and uncontrolled medical product disposal on quality of surface sources of drinking water supply, development of recommendations for health risk minimization among population exposed to potential intake of pharmaceutical traces contained in surface water basins and drinking water, based on available findings, and defining priority areas for the development of statutory-regulatory and procedural documents, - were the objectives of our study. Development of the recommendations can improve regulatory and procedural base and will contribute to the development of specific measures to prevent the transfer of medicinal products into the environment.

Conclusion. National and foreign research findings on the topic of interest are reviewed, and potential routes of pharmaceuticals transfer into environmental objects are described. The scope of problems is outlined, ways of coping with problems of water reservoir pollution by pharmpollutants and health risk minimization for population exposed to pharmaceuticals present in drinking water, are suggested; recommendations for minimization of population health risks caused by environmental pharmaceuticals have been prepared.