"Pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment: Emerging threat or unwarranted concern?"

2005--2006 HARVARD NIEHS Organics Core Symposium

Thursday, November 10, 2005
12:30 -- 3 pm
Harvard School of Public Health

Video coverage from the event is now available:
http://webapps.sph.harvard.edu/accordentG3/20051110-123421-1/

Recent surveys of our nation’s rivers and streams have revealed the presence of dozens of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). These chemicals, present due to either incomplete metabolism and excretion or direct disposal, range from drugs such as Prozac and Acetaminophen to polyaromatic musk compounds used as fragrances. The major research subject in this area is whether these compounds exist at concentrations causing significant human or ecological health risks. This symposium will address 3 questions concerning PPCPs in the environment:

12:30 pm		Introduction

12:40 pm		Rolf Halden, PhD Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD "Sources, occurrences and fate of PPCP's in the environment"

1:20 pm		Alistair Boxall, PhD Senior Lecturer, University of York and Central Science Laboratories, York, UK "Environmental Side Effects of Human and Veterinary Medicines"

2:00 pm		Octavia Conerly, MSPH Environmental Scientist, US EPA Headquarters, Washington, DC "EPA's Regulatory Authority to Regulate Pharmaceuticals"

2:40 pm		Final discussion

3:00 pm		Closing

Sponsored by the HSPH-NIEHS Center Grant Organics Core (ES000002). Open to the public (visitors from outside HSPH must show proper identification at security desk). Lunch and drinks will be provided.