Environmental impact of some medications answers

Answers to questions on the Environmental impact of some medications.

Answers to Environmental impact of some medications questions 

1. (a) If the course is not completed some of the bacteria may survive and mutate to eventually become resistant to antibiotics by producing the enzyme penicillinase or other enzymes that catalyse the breakdown the antibiotics

(b) Antibiotics are never completely metabolised and will enter the ground or water through excretion, where they may be absorbed by other organisms, or they may enter the human food chain when meat and dairy products are eaten. They also lower the immune system in animals making them more susceptible to bacterial infections. The presence of low levels of antibiotics in animals and humans increases the likelihood of bacteria developing resistance.

2. Low-level waste generally contains small amounts of low activity radioisotopes with short half-lives. High-level waste is made up of high activity radioisotopes with a long half-life which will make it remain dangerously radioactive for a long period.

3. (a) Incinerated or buried in landfill sites.

(b) Stored for several days, until the emitted radiation is very low, then buried.

(c) Technically Co-60 is classed as low-level waste but it will need to be securely stored in underground chambers for many years until its activity has decreased significantly before burying. Otherwise, unless it can be recycled, it should be vitrified and encased in steel and concrete and then buried deep underground immediately.

4. It is much more environmentally friendly than organic solvents. After it has been used to extract a required product It evaporates easily making it easier to obtain the pure product. It dissolves solutes at a lower temperature than organic solvents so there is less likelihood of the extracted product thermally decomposing or becoming denatured.
5. The amount of shikimic acid that can be obtained from the Chinese star anise plant is extremely limited due to the scarcity of the plant and low yield (2-7%) obtained from the extraction. Obtaining the shikimic acid using biotechnology and bioengineering involves a much higher atom economy, than its multi-step synthesis in the laboratory, and is more favourable to the environment.

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