environmental persistent pharmaceutical pollutant

Hey there, kiddo! So, have you ever taken any medicine like cough syrup or tablets when you're sick? These medicines are called pharmaceuticals and we take them to get better. But did you know that some medicines can hurt our environment when we throw them away? These are called environmental persistent pharmaceutical pollutants or EPPPs.

EPPPs are medicines that get into the environment from our toilets or when we throw them away in the garbage. They don't break down easily and can stay in the environment for a very long time, even years and years. When they are in the water, they can affect the plants, animals, and even people who drink the water.

Some of the effects of EPPPs include making fish and other animals stressed, reducing their ability to reproduce, and even killing them. They can also get into our food, like the fish we eat, and make us sick too. EPPPs can also build up in the environment, causing more damage over time.

That's why it's really important to properly dispose of any old or unused medicines you have at home. You can take them to a special collection event or a pharmacy where they can be disposed of safely. This way, we can make sure that our environment stays clean and healthy for all the animals and people living in it.