Toronto, ON – April 4, 2019 – Pollution Probe and the Clean Water Foundation are pleased to announce the release of the new report, Reducing the Impact of Pharmaceuticals on the Great Lakes. The report was made possible thanks to the support of Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Pharmaceuticals provide important benefits to society, helping treat disease and improve quality of life in humans and animals. However, the widespread use of these substances has increased their discharge into the environment and the Great Lakes. Concerns are increasing about these emerging water pollutants and their potential adverse impacts on aquatic ecosystems and human health.
“Pharmaceuticals are finding their way into the Great Lakes but our understanding of the sources, pathways and impacts of pharmaceutical pollution is limited and there is no coordinated approach to address the issue in Canada”, says Mariana Eret, Policy Analyst at Pollution Probe.
This study examines what is known about pharmaceuticals in the Great Lakes, their pathways and impacts on Great Lakes aquatic systems and human health. It also provides an overview of measures and actions taken within Canada to address this emerging issue, and compares them to research, monitoring and mitigation actions taken by other jurisdictions, especially the United States and the European Union. International examples of leadership on policy, consumer programs and technology are discussed.
The study identifies key knowledge gaps and proposes a path forward, offering basin-wide and lake-specific recommendations to address pharmaceutical pollution in the Great Lakes.
“This study highlights the state of science on this important environmental issue, contributing to knowledge-building and awareness-raising. It helps pave the way forward by identifying actions to better understand and manage pharmaceutical pollution and protect the health of the Great Lakes and communities that depend on them.” Christopher Hilkene, CEO of Pollution Probe
About Pollution Probe
Pollution Probe is a national, not-for-profit, charitable organization which is improving the health and well-being of Canadians by advancing policy that achieves positive, tangible environmental change. It is a leader in building successful partnerships with industry and government to develop practical solutions for shared environmental challenges.
About the Clean Water Foundation
The Clean Water Foundation is a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to engaging individuals in actions that preserve, protect and improve our water. We work in partnership with public, private and charitable interests to create policies and programs that encourage water friendly behaviours. We focus on issues where individual action is both the cause and solution to our water challenges.
For further information, please contact:
Hannah Cifuentes
Marketing and Communications Manager, Pollution Probe
416-926-1907 x 238
hcifuentes@pollutionprobe.org