Objective
CWPharma will give tools and recommendations to policy makers, authorities and municipalities on the best ways to reduce emissions of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) in the Baltic Sea Region. The project focuses on filling the gaps of knowledge identified in e.g. UNESCO and HELCOM status report on pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea (2017), and strives to increase the awareness of policy-makers, regulators and permitting authorities on environmental risks, implementation of the emission reduction schemes, and eventually decreasing the emissions of APIs into Baltic Sea region environment.
Screening of a wide range of APIs will be performed in six river basin districts to get a more complete picture of sources, emissions and environmental concentrations of APIs. Based on the data from case studies and literature, the overall emissions of APIs and their impact on the environment in the BSR will be assessed.
Different emission reduction measures will be evaluated in CWPharma. They include advanced municipal wastewater treatment, improved take-back schemes and disposal for unused medicines, dissemination of environmental data on pharmaceutical products, and environmental permitting of pharmaceutical plants. The best existing practices of the partner countries will be shared in order to promote the sustainable management of APIs in the Baltic Sea region.
The project outputs include estimation on current API emissions for the Baltic Sea region, guidelines on advanced wastewater treatment, recommendations on low-tech practices to control and reduce API emissions, and an overall plan on the best emission reduction measures. The results will be shared via dialogues, training and guidance with target groups in the partner countries during the project implementation, and in the final conference, which will ensure the efficient utilization and replication of the results. The project outputs will help a large number of stakeholders from wastewater treatment plant operators and doctors to local, regional, national and even EU authorities to reduce the API emissions into the environment.
CWPharma is supported by EUSBSR Policy Area Hazards as integrated part of flagship on Pharmaceuticals in the environment (PIE) – a Baltic Sea Region cooperation platform.
The Consortium
- Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), Finland (Lead Partner)
- County administrative board Östergötland (CAB), Sweden
- Estonian Environmental Research Centre, Estonia
- Berlin Center for Competence of Water (KWB), Germany
- Aarhus university, Denmark
- Kalundborg Utility, Denmark
- Tekniska verken i Linköping AB, Sweden
- Finnish medicines agency (Fimea), Finland
- Helsinki Region Environmental services Authority (HSY), Finland
- Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute (IOS), Poland
- Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Latvia
- Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre, Latvia
- Estonian Waterworks Association, Estonia
- German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA), Germany
- German Environment Agency, Germany
Work packages
Project management and administration (WP1)
As the lead partner of the project the Finnish Environment Institute is responsible for the overall project coordination, including financial and project management.
- Project manager: Leading researcher Noora Perkola, Finnish Environment Institute
Tel. +358 295 251 507, firstname.surname@syke.fi - Financial manager: Maria Koski, Finnish Environment Institute
Tel. +358 295 251 310, firstname.surname@syke.fi - Communications manager: Eija Järvinen, Finnish Environment Institute
+358 295 251 242, firstname.surname@syke.fi
Comprehensive status of pharmaceuticals - improved knowledge on consumption, emissions, environmental levels and risks of pharmaceuticals (WP2)
Improved knowledge on consumption, emissions, environmental levels and risks associated with pharmaceuticals.
1. Sources and environmental levels of pharmaceuticals
Objective:
- Increase knowledge about sources, pathways and occurrence of pharmaceuticals
Activities
- Case studies in selected river basin districts
- Mapping of human and veterinary consumption; emissions from wastewater treatment plants, manufacturing facilities, hospitals, fish and livestock farms; environmental levels
- Literature studies and chemical analyses
2. Environmental risk assessment of pharmaceuticals
Objectives
- Estimate environmental risks of active pharmaceutical ingredients in the Baltic Sea Region
- Point out the most environmentally risky compounds
Activities
- Assessing consumption and occurrence data from previous part of the Work package
- Screening of ecotoxicity data
- New ecotoxicity testing when considered necessary
3. Upscaling of screening data to Baltic Sea region
Objectives
- Increase knowledge about the overall emissions and concentrations of selected pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea Region
- Indicate areas with the highest pharmaceutical concentrations and possible emission hot spots
Activities
- Using a GIS-based calculation system and available data from each participating country
- Estimating loads and concentrations
4. Output
- Comprehensive status report on pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea Region
WP2 leader: Helene Ek-Henning, County Administrative Board of Östergötland (CAB)
Partners:
- County Administrative Board of Östergötland (CAB)
- Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE)
- Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea)
- Estonian Environmental Research Centre (EERC)
- Estonian Waterworks Association (EVEL)
- Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB)
- German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA)
- Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute (IOS)
- Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (LIAE)
- Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC)
Advanced wastewater treatment (WP3)
Demonstrate advanced wastewater treatment technologies (ozone, activated carbon) for the removal of active pharmaceutical compounds.
1. Pharmaceutical removal at full scale
Objective
- Evaluation and process optimization of a full-scale ozonation system at the wastewater treatment plant in Linköping
Activities
- Evaluation of a full-scale ozonation system and validation of the prior pilot study
- Demonstration and optimization of different control strategies for a stable and economic pharmaceutical removal
- Monitoring of relevant pharmaceuticals
- Perform various ecotoxicity tests to evaluate possible impactss of the by-products potentially formed in ozonation
- Close co-operation with the local water authority in order to evaluate the outcomes in respect of adequate risk reduction
- Exchange of information with operators of other full- or lage-scale ozonation systems
2. Flexible use of existing infrastructure
Objectives
- Flexible use of the existing infrastructure for better removal of pharmaceuticals in times of low additional treatment demands
Activities
- An expert group will help the operator of the wastewater treatment plant in Kalundborg to establish and optimize flexible use of the existing ozonation plant
- Improve the ozone dosing strategy as well as the operation of the moving bed biofilm reactors (MBBRs)
- Monitoring of pharmaceuticals and their ecotoxicity
- Frequent exchange of information with other operators and related water authorities
3. Comparison of post-treatment options
Objective
- Comparison of different post-treatment options
Activities
- Comparison of different biological ozonation post-treatment options, especially in respect of ecotoxicity but also the transformation products of relevant pharmaceuticals and water quality parameters
- Applied ozonation post-treatment options include full-scale MBBRs (Linköping and Kalundborg), pilot-scale filters (dual media, granular/biological activated carbon, Berlin) and pilot-scale constructed wetlands (Berlin)
- Optimization of a micro-sieve unit in order to extract the loaded powdered activated carbon from the water (Helsinki)
4. Optimization and control of advanced treatment
Objectives
- Provide a guideline for operators and water authorities based on current knowledge and best practical recommendations
- Optimization of full-scale ozonation process control and MBBR operation
Activities
- Application and evaluation of different process control strategies for ozonation systems with the goal of a stable and economic operation
- Frequent exchange of operators´ experiences on their individual progress to allow transnational knowledge transfer
- Systematic investigation of MBBRs in order to find optimal conditions for the further removal of pharmaceuticals and possible ozonation by-products
5. Output
General guideline for operators and water authorities on how to plan, start, operate and control advanced wastewater systems
WP3 leader: Ulf Miehe, Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB)
Partners:
- Estonian Environmental Research Centre (EERC)
- Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB)
- Aarhus University (AU)
- Kalundborg Utility
- Tekniska Verken Linköping AB (TVAB)
- Helsinki Region Environmental services Authority (HSY)
- Institute of Environmental Protection - National Research Institute (IOS)
- Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (LIAE)
- Estonian Waterworks Association (EVEL)
- German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA)
- German Environment Agency (UBA)
Low-tech risk reduction (WP4)
Evaluating the low-tech risk reduction measures and their potential to reduce emissions of pharmaceuticals to the environment.
1. Take-back and disposal of unused medicines
Objectives
- Evaluation of current national practices for take-back and disposal of unused medicines
- Spreading good practices for take-back and disposal of unused medicines to reduce their disposal via solid waste stream or sewage systems
Activities
- Evaluation and development of current national practices in all partner countries
2. Increased awareness of environmental impacts of APIs
Objective
- Recommendations on efficient dissemination of environmental information on pharmaceutical products throughout the Baltic Sea Region
Activities
- Swedish experiences will be evaluated and gaps related to utilization of information will be identified
3. Enhanced environmental permitting of pharmaceutical plants
Objectives
- Spread good practices for environmental permitting of pharmaceutical plants
- Enhance permitting of pharmaceutical plants within current legislation framework
Activities
- Evaluation of current national practices in the Baltic Sea Region for environmental permitting of pharmaceutical plants and for industrial wastewater contracts between municipal wastewater treatment plants and pharmaceutical plants
4. Output
- A report on low-tech risk reduction measures to reduce emissions of pharmaceuticals
- Identification of priority measures and recommendations to be used by policy makers and environmental authorities and municipalities
WP4 leader: Jukka Mehtonen, Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
Partners:
- Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
- County Administrative Board (CAB)
- Estonian Environmental Research Centre (EERC)
- Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB)
- Kalundborg Utility
- Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea)
- Institute of Environmental Protection – National Research Institute (IOS)
- Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LEGMC)
- Estonian Waterworks Association (EVEL)
Conclusions and Action Plan (WP5)
Aim is to reduce emissions of active pharmaceutical ingredients to the Baltic Sea region with the objectives:
- Quantify the possibilities to reduce API emissions to the entire Baltic Sea by using the harmonized calculation method developed in Work package 2 and by using data collected in Work packages 2, 3 and 4
- Make policy orientated conclusions on the results of Work packages 2, 3 and 4
- Describe, prioritise and suggest policy orientated measures to the relevant EU authorities and national, regional and local authorities around the Baltic Sea
- Disseminate the results in close collaboration with the project partners, associated organisations and relevant stakeholders
WP5 leader: Preben Thisgaard, Kalundborg Utility
Partners
- Kalundborg Utility
- Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
- County administrative board (CAB)
- Berlin Centre of Competence for Water (KWB)
- German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste (DWA)
Publications
Scientific Articles
Suman Kharela, Michael Stapf, Ulf Miehe, Maja Ekblad, Michael Cimbritz, Per Falås, Josefine Nilsson, Robert Sehlén, Kai Bester: Ozone dose dependent formation and removal of ozonation products of pharmaceuticals in pilot and full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plants (sciencedirect.com)
Sif B. Svendsen, Haitham El-taliawya, Pedro N.Carvalho, Kai Bester: Concentration dependent degradation of pharmaceuticals in WWTP effluent by biofilm reactors. Water Research,Volume 186, 1 November 2020 (sciencedirect.com)
Lauri Äystö, Ville Junttila, Katri Siimes ja Noora Perkola: Lääkeaineiden esiintyminen ja riskit Vantaanjoen vesistössä. Dosis 3/2020. The article includes a summary in English. (dosis.fi)
Reports of Work Package 2 – Comprehensive status of pharmaceuticals – improved knowledge on consumption, emissions, environmental levels and risks of pharmaceuticals
Ek Henning, H., Putna.Nimane, I., Kalinowski, R., Perkola, N., Bogusz, A., Kublina, A., Haiba, E., Barda, I., Karkovska, I., Schütz, J., Mehtonen, J., Siimes, K., Nyhlén, K., Dzintare, L., Äystö, L., Sinics, L., Laht, M., Lehtonen, M., Stapf, M., Stridh, P., Poikāne, R., Hoppe, S., Lehtinen, T., Kõrgma, V., Junttila, V., Leisk, Ü. (2020). Pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea Region – emissions, consumption and environmental risks. Report no. 2020:28, Länsstyrelsen Östergötland, Linköping. CWPharma project report for GoA 2.1 and GoA2.2 (lansstyrelsen.se)
Äystö, L., Siimes, K., Junttila, V., Joukola, M., Liukko, N. 2020. Emissions and environmental levels of pharmaceuticals – Upscaling to the Baltic Sea Region. CWPharma project report for GoA 2.3. (helda.helsinki.fi)
Kalinowski, R.; Kondzielski, I.: CWPharma project: Ecotoxicity endpoint database of active pharmaceutical ingredients (helda.helsinki.fi)
Reports of Work Package 3 – Advanced wastewater treatment
Sehlén, R.; Nilsson, J.: Evaluation and experiences of full-scale ozonation followed by MBBR post-treatment and comparison with previous pilot tests. CWPharma project report for GoA3.1: Pharmaceutical removal at full scale (zenodo.org)
Bregendahl, J.; Larsen, S. B.; Stapf, M.; Bester, K.; Kharel, S.; Svendsen, S. B.; Lukas, M.; Putna-Nimane, I.; Bogusz, A.: Evaluation and experiences of full-scale ozonation followed by MBBR post-treatment at Kalundborg wastewater treatment plant. CWPharma project report for GoA3.2: Flexible use of existing infrastructure. (zenodo.org)
Stapf, Michael; Miehe, Ulf; Knoche, Franziska; Lukas, Marcus; Bartz, Jennifer; Brauer, Frank; Gutsche, Martina; Kullwatz, Jan; Petkow, Christo; Schneider, Margot; Winckelmann, Dagmar; Bogusz, Aleksandra; Tomczyk, Beata; Trzcińska, Magdalena; Dworak, Anna; Chojniak-Gronek, Joanna; Szumska, Marlena; Zieliński, Marcin; Walkowiak, Radosław; Putna-Nimane, Ieva; Liepina-Leimane, Ineta; Dzintare, Laura; Barda, Ieva; Bester, Kai; Kharel, Suman; Sehlén, Robert; Nilsson Josefin; Larsen, Sille Bendix: Impact of ozonation and post-treatment on ecotoxicological endpoints, water quality, APIs and transformation products. CWPharma project report for GoA3.3: Comparison of post-treatment options. (zenodo.org)
Stapf, M.; Miehe, U.; Bester, K.; & Lukas, M.: Guideline for advanced API removal. CWPharma project report for GoA3.4: Optimization and control of advanced treatment. (zenodo.org)
Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority: PAC retention by microsieve (helda.helsinki.fi)
Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority: PAC retention by Mecana pile cloth filter (helda.helsinki.fi)
Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority: PAC retention by Actiflo® Carb (helda.helsinki.fi)
Reports of Work Package 4 – Low-tech risk reduction measures of pharmaceuticals
Mehtonen, Jukka; Äystö, Lauri; Junttila, Ville; Perkola, Noora; Lehtinen, Terhi; Bregendahl, Jeppe; Leisk, Ülle; Kõrgmaa, Vallo; Aarma, Pille; Schütz, Jan; Stapf, Michael; Kublina, Anete; Karkovska, Ieva; Szumska, Marlena; Bogusz, Aleksandra; Kalinowski, Radosław; Spjuth, Sara; Nyhlén, Kristina; Jakobsson, Torsten; Suzdalev, Sergej; Kaskelainen, Elena: Good practices for take-back and disposal of unused pharmaceuticals in the Baltic Sea region. Clear Waters from Pharmaceuticals (CWPharma) Activity 4.1 Report (helda.helsinki.fi)
Nyhlén, K., Spjuth, S., Jakobsson, T., Äystö, L., Mehtonen, J., Lehtinen, T., Bregendahl, J., Leisk, U., Haiba, E., Schüt, J., Stapf, M., Kublina, A., Szumska, M., Bogusz, A., Kalinowski., R. (2020). Recommendations for efficient dissemination of environmental information regarding pharmaceuticals. Report no. 2020:27, Länsstyrelsen Östergötland, Linköping. CWPharma Activity 4.2 Report (lansstyrelsen.se)
Leisk, Ülle; Kõrgmaa, Vallo; Bregendahl, Jeppe; Junttila, Ville; Äystö, Lauri; Mehtonen, Jukka; Schütz, Jan; Stapf, Michael; Kubliņa, Anete; Cakars, Intars; Dworak, Anna; Walkowiak, Radosław; Nyhlén, Kristina; Lindstam, Jill: Enhanced environmental permitting of pharmaceutical plants in the Baltic Sea region. CWPharma Activity 4.3 Report (zenodo.org)
Reports of Work Package 5 – Conclusions and Action Plan
Äystö, L. & Stapf, M. 2020. Scenarios for reducing pharmaceutical emissions – Estimated load reductions, greenhouse gas emissions & costs. Project CWPharma Activity 5.1 + 5.2 report. (helda.helsinki.fi)
Zhiteneva, V., Thisgaard, P., Miehe, U., Stapf, M., Perkola, N., Mehtonen, J., Ek Henning, H. (2020, December 4). Joint Conclusions for API Emission Reductions. CWPharma Activity 5.2. output. (zenodo.org)
Thisgaard, P., Zhiteneva, V., Miehe, U., Stapf, M., Perkola, N., Mehtonen, J., Äystö, L. & Ek Henning, H. 2020. Action plan for API emission reductions. Project CWPharma activity 5.3 report. (helda.helsinki.fi)
Executive Summary. Action Plan for API emission reductions
The Executive Summary of the Action Plan is published in Danish, English, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Polish and Swedish.
In Finnish: CWPharma-projekti: Toimenpidesuositus Itämeren lääkeainepäästöjen vähentämiseksi (helda.helsinki.fi)
In Latvian: Projekta “No farmaceitiskajām vielām tīri ūdeņi” (CWPharma) politiskās rīcības plāns (helda.helsinki.fi)