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