Our path to successful removal of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) from side streams.
Actively avoiding Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PIE)
Modern medicine has transformed global health, enabling longer lifespans, quicker recoveries, and effective management of diseases that were once considered fatal. For this progress, we can be truly grateful. However, the expanding pharmaceutical industry has brought an unintended challenge: Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PIE). This growing concern threatens both natural ecosystems and human health.
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) enter the environment primarily through three pathways, as shown on the figure:
- Manufacturing
- Usage
- Disposal
Of these, manufacturing contributes the least, while usage and disposal account for the majority of API release.
Under current EU regulations, the pollution caused by end-users is addressed through the polluter pays principle. At the same time, manufacturing and formulation sites are also obligated to minimize PIE. During API production and formulation, wash water often carries traces of APIs into wastewater systems. Currently, most of this wastewater is managed through incineration – an energy-intensive, expensive, and unsustainable solution.
