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Medicinal drugs pollute the St. Lawrence River, presenting possible risk to aquatic organisms: Study (phys.org)
submitted 2 years ago by to c/canada@lemmy.ca
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[–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

Hey big pharma, it's time to spend those billions in profit on biodegradable meds.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Wtf are “biodegradable meds”?

    It’s more like we need to spend money figuring out better ways to treat sewage to remove substances of concern. That includes medicine but also stuff like PFAS and microplastics.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    “biodegradable meds”

    Hypothetically, they would break down when they enter sewers.

    I'm not saying they exist, I'm saying big pharma can most certainly invent them with their billions of extra profits they make per year.

    It’s more like we need to spend money figuring out better ways to treat sewage to remove substances of concern. That includes medicine but also stuff like PFAS and microplastics.

    I don't disagree, but this puts the onus on taxpayers and municipal water treatment plants, rather than industry.

    Industry should be paying for the mess created by the products they manufacturer and sell.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    We already tax profits from pharmaceutical companies and invest in research into these exact things. Which sounds like exactly what you want? They’re even installing new waste treatment equipment to help solve the problem in Montreal.

    You make it sound like it’s trivial to invent new drugs that are more biodegradable to replace existing ones, but it really really isn’t.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    I think billions can accomplish a lot. Installing new water treatment technology isn't solving the problem. Meds are used in places where this advanced water cleaning tech will never be available.

    It needs to start at the drugs, and save us all a lot of grief downstream.

    Do I think it's trivial? Not at all, but I'm sure governments can pressure the industry to do more.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    Taxpayers are always on the hook for Big Business' AND gov't screw-ups.

    And btw keep in mind many of those urban centres, like TO, get their drinking water from the same source they send their "treated" water to.

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