Mylan, Pfizer among companies polluting water with drug waste, probe finds

Mylan and Pfizer are among the drugmakers that have released large amounts of drug waste into waterways near their manufacturing facilities, according to an investigation by STAT and Type Investigations.

Consumers traditionally have been blamed for drug pollution entering the ecosystem through urine or flushing unused drugs down the drain, but pollution from drug manufacturing facilities is actually found in much higher concentrations, according to the investigation.

Drug companies break no federal or state laws by polluting waterways with drug waste, as pharmaceuticals are not a regulated pollutant in the U.S. But wastewater treatment plants usually are not equipped to remove pharmaceutical waste, according to STAT.

In a statement to STAT and Type Investigations, Mylan wrote that it is "committed to caring for the environment and promoting responsible manufacturing by taking steps to minimize the environmental impact of our operations and products, while also balancing our need to produce high quality, lifesaving medication."

The investigation found that other drugmakers also were likely responsible for high levels of drug pollution at wastewater plants, including Pfizer, Teva and Mallinckrodt.

A report from the U.S. Geological Survey cited by STAT and Type Investigations found that in some cases, drug levels downstream from manufacturing facilities were thousands of times higher than in waterways that don't contain manufacturing waste, and at concentrations thought to endanger wildlife.

Read the full investigation here.

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