Events

• sylvester
• Events
• March 11, 2025

Collaborating for Progress: 2nd Monitoring Visit at MEDOCHEMIE premises, Cyprus

On-site Visit at MEDOCHEMIE in Limassol, Cyprus.

2nd Monitoring Visit at the premises of our coordinating partner MEDOCHEMIE in Limassol, Cyprus. A great opportunity to connect in person with all project beneficiaries and discuss key progress updates. Grateful for the warm welcome from our hosts and the valuable insights shared -driving the project forward together.

• sylvester
• Events
• February 24, 2025

LIFE PHARMA-DETOX at Verde.tec 2025: Pioneering the Detoxification of Pharmaceutical Wastewater

On February 21, 2025, at Verde.tec 2025 in M.E.C. Paiania, the LIFE PHARMA-DETOX project was presented as an innovative solution for the detoxification of pharmaceutical wastewater, addressing a critical environmental challenge. Experts, researchers, and industry professionals gathered to discuss the project’s role in eliminating pharmaceutical pollutants from wastewater, ensuring safer and more sustainable water management.

The project focuses on developing and implementing a cost-effective, sustainable system that transforms pharmaceutical compounds in wastewater into non-toxic substances. By preventing the uncontrolled discharge of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) into sewage systems, LIFE PHARMA-DETOX contributes to protecting aquatic ecosystems and public health.

The discussions at Verde.tec highlighted the urgent need for advanced wastewater treatment technologies in the pharmaceutical sector. As LIFE PHARMA-DETOX continues to drive innovation, it reinforces the importance of sustainability and responsible waste management in the pharmaceutical industry.

Stay updated on how LIFE PHARMA-DETOX is shaping the future of cleaner and safer water systems!

• sylvester
• Events
• January 17, 2025

1st online workshop of the LIFE Pharma Detox project

Within the project’s foreseen networking activities, the 1^st online workshop of the LIFE Pharma Detox project was successfully completed on 17 January 2025. Hosted by Medochemie, it  brought together 32 participants from different sectors to explore innovative solutions for tackling contaminants in wastewater.

Participants included researchers and professors from universities in Greece, Cyprus and Italy, as well as representatives from the oil refining sector, soil regeneration companies, pharmaceutical companies, water technology centres and wastewater treatment plants. Their active participation highlighted the growing urgency of addressing pharmaceutical contaminants, PFAS, microplastics and other contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in water systems to protect ecosystems and public health. Following productive discussion and active participation from the participants evidenced and the importance of collaboration and sharing results to inspire new ideas and partnerships.

Dr. Christakis Sergides, Coordinator of LIFE Pharma Detox and R&D, Innovation, and CSR Director at Medochemie, Cyprus, provided an overview of the project during the 1st online workshop on January 17, 2025. His presentation emphasized the project’s aims and goals, offering valuable insights into its scope and objectives.

Eleni-Alexia Giouni, a PhD candidate and member of the NTUA team, presented the technical progress of the LIFE Pharma Detox project during the first online workshop on January 17, 2025. Her presentation highlighted the experimental results, addressed the challenges faced, and outlined the next steps for the project.

During the 1st online workshop of the LIFE Pharma Detox project, Prof. Paola Verlicchi, a specialist in Environmental and Sanitary Engineering at the Department of Engineering, University of Ferrara, shared insights on the removal of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) from hospital and municipal wastewater. Her presentation focused on both conventional and advanced treatment methods, highlighting their effectiveness and challenges.

During the 1st online workshop of the LIFE Pharma Detox project, Venelin Marinov from the Lukoil Reach Centre in Bulgaria presented the LIFE Wateroil project. His presentation emphasized process water treatment units aimed at enhancing river basin management. Additionally, he addressed strategies for controlling PFAS and microplastics in wastewater, providing valuable information into managing these pressing environmental challenges.

During the 1st online workshop of the LIFE Pharma Detox project, Jose B. Carbajo, Coordinator of the LIFE Multi-AD project, showcased a high-performance multi-stage anaerobic reactor designed for the treatment of wastewater from agri-food companies. Additionally, Prof. Dieti from the University of Cyprus presented an advanced toxicology model utilizing zebrafish technology, offering innovative approaches to toxicity evaluation.

During the 1st online workshop of the LIFE Pharma Detox project, Maria Avramidi, a PhD candidate at NTUA, presented the successfully completed results of the Water Mining project. She emphasized the emerging opportunities and capabilities of the Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system installed in Larnaca, which is designed to treat reclaimed water while recovering valuable salts and water.

• sylvester
• Events
• January 13, 2025

1st Online workshop of the Life Pharma Detox Project

We are pleased to invite you to the 1st Online workshop of the Life Pharma Detox Project, which will be held on:

Date: January 17, 2025

• sylvester
• Events
• December 17, 2024

Our 3rd newsletter is published

• sylvester
• Events
• December 5, 2024

Guideline: Environmental Responsibility in Pharmaceuticals

At the Life Pharma Detox project, we’re committed to sustainability and public health.

The European Medicines Agency’s updated Guideline on Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) for Medicinal Products for Human Use (September 2024) underscores the critical importance of evaluating the environmental impact of human medicinal products. This includes protecting aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems from potential hazards of active substances in medications.

The guideline introduces refined testing protocols and risk mitigation measures, ensuring that medicinal products align with ecological safety standards. It highlights the responsibility of pharmaceutical industries to adopt environmentally conscious practices across all stages of product life cycles.

Life Pharmadetox Project, supports these advancements by conducting toxicity tests on treated pharmaceutical residues to assess their impact on the environment and microorganisms. Our findings highlight the system’s potential to reduce pharmaceutical pollution while enabling the reuse of treated water in noncritical applications such as cleaning, irrigation, and heat exchange systems.

Download the Guideline: PDF 

• sylvester
• Events
• November 20, 2024

Global Leaders Unite to Combat the Threat of Antimicrobial Resistance!!

• sylvester
• Events
• November 20, 2024

Join the Global Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance!

Mark your calendars for November 19, 2024, 14:00-15:30 CET to be part of a transformative webinar hosted by the AMR Industry Alliance for World Antimicrobial Awareness Week 2024! 

This year’s theme, “Educate. Advocate. Act Now,” brings together global experts from WHO, CARB-X, and more to discuss actionable strategies for combating AMR.

Don’t miss the chance to learn from global leaders and be part of this essential dialogue!

Register here: https://counciladvisors.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pySfgLhkSTmSTbGp7M3a0A#/registration

The LIFE Pharma Detox team will participate in this event to promote sustainable solutions and support global AMR efforts.

• sylvester
• Events
• November 6, 2024

Europe’s state of water 2024: the need for improved water resilience

In the 2024 report, Europe’s State of Water: The Need for Improved Water Resilience, the European Environment Agency (EEA) highlighted the critical role of addressing pollution from industrial waste and pharmaceuticals to enhance water resilience. The report identifies industrial pollutants and pharmaceuticals as significant contributors to water quality degradation, impacting both ecological health and human safety.

Industrial activities contribute to diffuse and point-source pollution, releasing harmful chemicals into surface and groundwater. These pollutants often include hazardous substances such as heavy metals, persistent organic pollutants, and compounds like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The persistence of these contaminants is a barrier to chemical water quality improvement efforts, as evidenced by only 29% of European surface waters meeting the good chemical status criteria​.

The pharmaceutical sector is also under the spotlight for its environmental impact. Medicines and personal care products often end up in waterways due to insufficient waste treatment facilities, affecting aquatic ecosystems and increasing risks for human health. Pharmaceuticals like antibiotics, hormones, and painkillers are known to disrupt biological systems in aquatic life, which can lead to reduced biodiversity and compromised water quality.

Pharmaceuticals, can be found also in urban wastewater, with 92% of the residual toxicity in urban wastewater coming from the pharmaceutical and cosmetics sectors. Attempting to manage harmful chemicals once they reach the environment is not a sustainable approach. The European Green Deal recognizes that a profound change in the production and use of chemicals is required.

The report points out improved wastewater treatment technologies and pollution prevention at source are key to reducing these impacts.

The Pharma Detox project plays a significant role in enhancing water resilience across Europe by addressing the persistent issue of pharmaceutical pollutants in aquatic environments. Incorporating advanced filtering, detoxification methods and use of Renewable Energy Resources, Pharma Detox works in line with the European Union’s Zero Pollution Plan, which highlights the need for cleaner water resources across Europe.

Download Report: https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/europes-state-of-water-2024

• sylvester
• Events
• October 30, 2024

Experimental Results: Effectiveness of our prototype system in detoxifying Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients

At Life PharmaDetox, we have recently completed a series of experiments designed to evaluate the effectiveness of our prototype system in detoxifying Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs). These experiments aim to demonstrate the toxicological impact of treated samples on both the environment and microorganisms. We are excited to share the preliminary results and insights occurred during this phase.

Our experiments followed standard methods, including ISO 6341:2012, Water Quality — Determination of the Inhibition of Mobility in Daphnia magna Straus (Cladocera, Crustacea) — Acute Toxicity Test, and the PHYTOTOXKIT Liquid Samples method. We tested Daphnia magna, a zooplanktonic organism widespread in lakes and streams and an important part of the aquatic food chain. In addition, three plant species—Sorghum saccharatum, Lepidium sativum, and Sinapis alba—were used to assess phytotoxicity.

Initial toxicity results for heterotrophic bacteria Daphnia magna showed that treated wastewater had lower Toxicity Units (TU) compared to untreated samples, indicating a reduced harmful impact on aquatic organisms after treatment. Furthermore, preliminary phytotoxicity results revealed that root and shoot growth inhibition was significantly higher in untreated wastewater than in treated samples.

These findings present an optimistic outlook, suggesting that our treatment system could effectively reduce the environmental toxicity of pharmaceutical wastewater. Moving forward, we plan to conduct further studies to quantify these results and explore the full potential of the treatment for reducing long-term environmental impacts.

Dicotyledon mustard (Sinapis alba) seeds were incubated at 25°C (+/- 1°C) for three days. At the end of the exposure period, a photo of the test plates was taken. Following this, we analyzed and measured the germinated seeds. First, we counted the number of germinated seeds, and then measured the root and shoot lengths of the germinated seeds using an image analysis program. Finally, we calculated the percentage effect of the spiked chemical on seed germination, as well as on root and shoot growth.

We are excited about what these results mean for minimizing the environmental impact of pharmaceutical industry wastewater disposal. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue pushing the boundaries of the detoxification of APIs in wastewater.