Comparing the environmental impacts of paracetamol dosage forms using life cycle assessment

Abstract

A medicine can be administered in varied dosage forms which are having different environmental impacts. Two dosage forms of paracetamol (tablet and syrup) have the same function but are prepared and packaged differently, meaning that the environmental impacts arising out of their production will be of different magnitude. This study utilizes the life cycle assessment technique to find and compare the environmental impacts of two dosage forms of the paracetamol. Life cycle assessment software ‘GaBi’ v 8.0 has been utilized to carry out this study. Midpoint and endpoint impact assessment methods from ‘ReCiPe’ impact assessment method are used to carry out the life cycle impact assessment. The midpoint impact assessment results show that syrup production has 90% contribution in climate change impact category and more than 50% environment impact in fine particulate matter formation, fossil depletion, freshwater consumption, freshwater eutrophication, freshwater ecotoxicity, ionizing radiation, photochemical ozone formation, stratospheric ozone depletion, and terrestrial ecotoxicity midpoint impact categories. Tablet production has major impacts in 3 midpoint impact categories that are human toxicity, ionizing radiation, and metal depletion. Syrup production has major impacts (more than 70%) in 8 out of the 11 endpoint impact categories considered, while tablet production has a major impact in 3 impact categories that are human toxicity and ionizing radiation endpoint impact categories. Syrup production has a visibly higher impact in more number of midpoint as well as endpoint impact categories considered. The environmental hotspot is, however, dependent on the individual impact categories. The results of the study add to the existing knowledge of environmental sustainability assessment in the pharmaceutical sector and will benefit the environmental managers to better manage the environmental sustainability of pharmaceutical products.