ASSESSMENT OF EMERGING MICROPOLLUTANTS: AN APPROACH ON LEGISLATIONS AND RISK ANALYSIS
Pharmaceutical products. Medicine waste management. Risk assessment. Risk quotient.
The occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is proven by several studies over the past few years and, as a result, has been recognized as a global emerging issue. Such assertion is clarified due to the extensive use of pharmaceutical products in human and animal medicine and the inadequate disposal of expired or unused drugs. In view of the above, this study aims to (1) analyze the national and international legal and regulatory provisions regarding the management of pharmaceutical products and their post-consumer waste, and (2) assess the potential risks that the pharmaceutical compounds diclofenac, ibuprofen, naproxen, and paracetamol can bring, through the calculation of risk quotient. The first objective was addressed in Chapter 1 of the Qualification Examination, in which the hypothesis investigated was that national and international legislations on the management of pharmaceutical products and their post-consumer waste meet the technical-scientific evidence. While the second objective will be addressed later, on the occasion of the Dissertation Defense. In this case, the investigated hypothesis will be that the use of the risk quotient and socio-environmental factors make it possible to evaluate the risks of quantified pharmaceutical compounds.