Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in the Canadian Environment: Research and Policy Directions
- Title Page
- List of Commonly Used Abbreviations
- 1.0 Workshop Summary
- 2.0 Introduction and Workshop Purpose
- 2.1 Workshop Objectives
- 2.2 Workshop Organization
- 3.0 Overview of the State of the Science
- 3.1 Environmental Exposure and Monitoring Activities
- 3.2 Effects of PPCPs on Aquatic Ecosystems
- 3.3 Reduction of Human and Environmental Exposure to PPCPs
- 3.4 Environmental Risk Assessment
- 3.5 International and Industry Activities
- 3.6 Provincial and Municipal Activities
- 4.0 Research and Policy Directions for PPCPs in the Canadian Environment
- 4.1 Effects of PPCPs on the Canadian Environment
- 4.2 Risk Management Approaches
- 4.3 Developing a Monitoring Network
- 4.4 Developing an Inventory of Information and Activities
- 4.5 Developing a Consistent Framework for Chemical Analysis
- 5.0 Overview of Policy and Management Issues
- 5.1 Wastewater Treatment
- 5.2 Drinking Water Treatment
- 5.3 Source Control, Prudent Use, and Source Separation
- 5.4 Biosolids Management and Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs)
- 6.0 Workshop Conclusions
- 7.0 References and Recommended Reading
- Appendix A: Workshop Agenda
- Appendix B: Participants List
- Appendix C: Poster Abstracts
4.5 Developing a Consistent Framework for Chemical Analysis
Analytical chemistry methods that quantify PPCPs in environmental matrices establish environmentally relevant concentrations that guide effects research and enable monitoring programs. The need for accurate, precise analytical methods that cover a wide range of PPCPs parent compounds and metabolites in surface water, groundwater, wastewater, drinking water, sediment, sludge, biosolids, manures, and biota, and the need for increased laboratory capacity across Canada were identified in all discussions.
The 2004 workshop “Towards a Monitoring Network” identified the need for collaboration between analytical laboratories, both domestic and international, to validate and compare methods for accuracy and precision, improve the exchange of knowledge, and reduce duplication in method development and research efforts. Discussions at this workshop recommended a framework designed to accomplish the following:
- A method compendium that is matrix dependent (acknowledging that matrices can vary);
- A mechanism to communicate methods with their respective method validation and QA/QC data;
- A data quality objective statement to characterize the method of QA/QC and the validation data requirements; and
- Performance criteria to ensure consistent data quality for conducting routine sample analysis.
All workshop participants are stakeholders for this action item. It was recommended that a national entity be formed, with international collaboration with organizations such as ERAPharm, the USEPA, or the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The Ontario Ministry of the Environment Laboratory Services Branch, the Information and Quality Management group of Environment Canada, or the Canadian Association of Environmental Analytical Laboratories (CAEAL) have the experience to begin forming such a framework.
The next steps identified for this action item include:
- Interested laboratories need to take the initiative to coordinate and establish effective communication channels;
- These communication channels should ensure the sharing of validated methods, associated performance indicators (such as operation QC/QA data), and matrix effects and details;
- Gather knowledge on the current state of analytical science;
- Identify a group of target compounds from sources such as existing occurrence data, usage data, market data, toxicity data, risk assessment indicators, and the available analytical method of participant laboratories;
- Create Standard/Certified Reference Materials (SRM, CRM), and start an inter-laboratory round robin to obtain data and compare results;
- Expand the collaboration to make the most cost-effective use of resources in the development of new methods and acquisition of standards; and
- Establish long-term funding sources.
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