Experimental Design (Scientific Method) and Engineering Design (Innovation) Applications
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Over the past years our world is constantly being revolutionized with the discovery of new ideas that facilitate our lives and help resolve issues. These, however, have been successfully encountered by the base of the innovating scientific methods. We ought to comprehend that there is more than the typical scientific method to discover elements in the field of science, technology, engineering and math. The course of time has provided individuals the knowledge and experience needed to create innovating processes to face and complete the challenges that are present in our revolving world. Team DR.MED believes that in order to accomplish the desired results in our community with our project, we have an obligation to take every basic step to reach our goal. The aforementioned will be achieved by the application of the scientific methods; engineering design and experimental design processes in order to be led to the completion of a successful project.
SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY/EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN/INNOVATION/ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESSES
Overview
Team DR.MED decided to explore what effect various medications might have on the environment and whether their impact would be easily neutralized by the natural filtration process through the soil and ground cover. We thought that there would be some effectiveness in a natural filtration process but that there would still be at least trace evidence of chemicals. We decided that if data collected supported our hypothesis, we would attempt to determine the extent of the problem, learn about and educate the population as to how to properly dispose of pharmaceuticals, and identify what services are already in place for collecting unused medicines. We also wondered why, if procedures were already in place, why they were not being used. What could we do to make a difference?
Through surveys and interviews, we determined three major findings. 1) The majority of our sample population is not aware of the consequences of improper disposal of medicine and the environmental impact. 2) The majority of our sample population was not aware of services that provide for proper disposal of unused medications. 3) The majority of those interviewed and surveyed who did know of services, thought that services were inadequate or inconvenient.
Since our experimental data supported our hypothesis, we employed an engineering design model in an attempt to develop a prototype for an innovative pill container that would allow for more convenient and safer disposal of unused medications. We embarked on a mission to encourage hospitals and pharmacies to improve and expand their services for properly disposing of medications no longer needed or used by their patients in convenient and environmentally friendly ways.
Through surveys and interviews, we determined three major findings. 1) The majority of our sample population is not aware of the consequences of improper disposal of medicine and the environmental impact. 2) The majority of our sample population was not aware of services that provide for proper disposal of unused medications. 3) The majority of those interviewed and surveyed who did know of services, thought that services were inadequate or inconvenient.
Since our experimental data supported our hypothesis, we employed an engineering design model in an attempt to develop a prototype for an innovative pill container that would allow for more convenient and safer disposal of unused medications. We embarked on a mission to encourage hospitals and pharmacies to improve and expand their services for properly disposing of medications no longer needed or used by their patients in convenient and environmentally friendly ways.
Research, Data Collection, Analysis & Synthesis on DR.MED
Pharmaceuticals contain compounds that maintain, prevent, treat, or restore the health of an organism. Their fundamental purpose is to protect and preserve life by enhancing the quality of life and increasing longevity through diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic health care. In fact it has been observed that the existing products available on the market are most often focused on due to their positive attributes while rarely receiving focus on the more serious issues, such as what occurs with the remaining unused and/or expired stock? Unfortunately, the disposal of medical products is believed to introduce pharmaceutical residues into the environment with potentially catastrophic results.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Chemical debris present in our environment is sometimes referred by its acronym API which stands for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. Experts affirm that active pharmaceutical ingredients in our society, are due largely to our lack of understanding and means of disposal present a timely problem that threatens to compromise our community's environment. If it is that critical in our community, it is also a critical issue that should be addressed on a global basis because there should be no political boundaries when it comes to protecting our natural resources in a global community.
We strive to raise public awareness, not exclusively in our community, but throughout society. This is an emerging frontier and an environmental dilemma. Improper drug disposal must be addressed. Our community and society must be educated for proper drug disposal procedures and comply with protocols already recommended by current scientific consensus points. Moreover, we decided to gather the accurate percentages of the present misconceptions in our community by completing a survey.
The community survey conducted by Team DR.MED led us to reach the following conclusion:
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Chemical debris present in our environment is sometimes referred by its acronym API which stands for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients. Experts affirm that active pharmaceutical ingredients in our society, are due largely to our lack of understanding and means of disposal present a timely problem that threatens to compromise our community's environment. If it is that critical in our community, it is also a critical issue that should be addressed on a global basis because there should be no political boundaries when it comes to protecting our natural resources in a global community.
We strive to raise public awareness, not exclusively in our community, but throughout society. This is an emerging frontier and an environmental dilemma. Improper drug disposal must be addressed. Our community and society must be educated for proper drug disposal procedures and comply with protocols already recommended by current scientific consensus points. Moreover, we decided to gather the accurate percentages of the present misconceptions in our community by completing a survey.
The community survey conducted by Team DR.MED led us to reach the following conclusion:
- 59% of the surveyed individuals in our community flush the unused or expired medications down the commode.
- 38% of the population surveyed dispose of their unwanted pharmaceuticals by throwing them in the trash.
- Overall, only 3% of the surveyed population know of another method of safely discarding their medications.
Facts and Additional Information
In San Antonio, drug disposal is a considerably important issue due to the common and constant use of these products in our communities. We have a very strong medical presense in our city. In possession of expired and/or unused medications, many people are either unaware of or find inconvenient any established procedure that should be performed with the disposal of their products. Neither inconvenience nor ignorance is a compelling reason for the practice of polluting our groundwater with harmful chemicals. The irresponsible disposal of medication is a growing problem that must be solved.
Medications have been detected in varying amounts in surface water bodies (streams, lakes, and rivers) across the United States. The most recent extensive study of medications in surface waters was performed by the United States Geological Survey. A network of 25 ground-water and 49 surface-water sources of public drinking water supply in 25 states and Puerto Rico were sampled and analyzed for 124 emerging contaminants. At least one emerging contaminant was detected in 96% of the samples. Examples of medications found included acetaminophen, steroids, hormones, codeine, antibiotics, antimicrobials, birth control, and ibuprofen.
The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality states has stated that the major concerns to date regarding the presence of medications in surface water bodies are increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and interference with growth and reproduction in aquatic organisms such as fish and frogs. Aquatic organisms are sensitive to low levels of exposure and are particularly vulnerable when exposure occurs during developmentally sensitive times such as before birth and during juvenile stages of growth. Effects of exposure can include a gender ratio imbalance, intersex conditions (the presence of both male and female reproductive organs within an individual organism); poor egg hatching success; decreased fertility and growth; and altered behavior (e.g. lethargy and disorientation). If these anomalies occur in such indicator species at this point in time, it is only a matter of time before their profound impact will affect the human population. Some scientists claim this is already occurring.
This is a complex issue and the level of risk to humans and the environment is still being determined. However, the Texas Pharmacy Association is firm that there are tens of thousands of pharmaceutical products on the market with more being developed each year. It is not definitively known which particular compounds or mixtures of these are a problems or what the long-term risks are. However, research is ongoing and, in the meantime, it is prudent to reduce the incidence of improper disposal of waste medications in order to minimize the potential negative and irreversible impacts on the environment. We should implement universal precaution in light of the fact that we really do not yet understand the potential devastation.
Medications have been detected in varying amounts in surface water bodies (streams, lakes, and rivers) across the United States. The most recent extensive study of medications in surface waters was performed by the United States Geological Survey. A network of 25 ground-water and 49 surface-water sources of public drinking water supply in 25 states and Puerto Rico were sampled and analyzed for 124 emerging contaminants. At least one emerging contaminant was detected in 96% of the samples. Examples of medications found included acetaminophen, steroids, hormones, codeine, antibiotics, antimicrobials, birth control, and ibuprofen.
The Texas Commission of Environmental Quality states has stated that the major concerns to date regarding the presence of medications in surface water bodies are increased bacterial resistance to antibiotics and interference with growth and reproduction in aquatic organisms such as fish and frogs. Aquatic organisms are sensitive to low levels of exposure and are particularly vulnerable when exposure occurs during developmentally sensitive times such as before birth and during juvenile stages of growth. Effects of exposure can include a gender ratio imbalance, intersex conditions (the presence of both male and female reproductive organs within an individual organism); poor egg hatching success; decreased fertility and growth; and altered behavior (e.g. lethargy and disorientation). If these anomalies occur in such indicator species at this point in time, it is only a matter of time before their profound impact will affect the human population. Some scientists claim this is already occurring.
This is a complex issue and the level of risk to humans and the environment is still being determined. However, the Texas Pharmacy Association is firm that there are tens of thousands of pharmaceutical products on the market with more being developed each year. It is not definitively known which particular compounds or mixtures of these are a problems or what the long-term risks are. However, research is ongoing and, in the meantime, it is prudent to reduce the incidence of improper disposal of waste medications in order to minimize the potential negative and irreversible impacts on the environment. We should implement universal precaution in light of the fact that we really do not yet understand the potential devastation.
Construct Hypothesis
If nutritional supplements, over-the-counter medications, and prescription drugs are discarded within the regional environment, the residue will contaminate the surrounding soil and groundwater.
Conducting an Experiment
First of all we planned to conduct an experiment, this consisted of two phases. Phase I involved introducing a dietary supplement, an over-the-counter medication, and a prescription drug, in equal amounts, into each of ten identical soil substrates. Water was infused into each sample at a constant rate of flow for a specific amount of time. The runoff was tested for a change in the following: pH, nitrate, nitrite, hardness, alkalinity, and temperature by comparing it with runoff from a control group. A set up of the same soil and water infusion, minus the medications, was used for the control groups.
In Phase II, identical stream tables, with identical substrates, were used. One stream table had the contaminants introduced and the other did not. The soil and runoff were measured according to the same measurement protocols in Phase I, with the collection amount of 2 liters.
In Phase II, identical stream tables, with identical substrates, were used. One stream table had the contaminants introduced and the other did not. The soil and runoff were measured according to the same measurement protocols in Phase I, with the collection amount of 2 liters.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS· Adult supervision was used at all times while medications were being handled and experiment was being run.
· Medications were stored in a locked cabinet when not being used in the experiment. · Medications, contaminated runoff, and substrate was disposed of as medical contaminant waste at Brook Army Medical Center upon the completion of the experiment. · Protective gloves were worn by individuals handling the medications to avoid possible skin contamination or allergic reaction. · Goggles were worn while the experiment was being run. · Overflow basins were used and any spills were cleaned up immediately. |
Materials:
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Procedures: Phase I: To test the hypothesis, eight experimental groups and two control groups will be used. To test for contamination, the runoff will be collected from control and experimental groups and data will be gathered on levels of nitrates, nitrites, pH, temperature, alkalinity, and hardness. Phase II: We will test the soil’s ability to filter out toxins. Fresh water will be infused through the soil substrate on a stream table for a control. The same tests will be made for nitrates, pH, temperature change, nitrites, alkalinity, and hardness. Then, the residue from the earlier trials was infused through a stream table and the values will be compared to determine if more contaminants could be filtered out with greater distances. We plan to utilize our final results to expand the awareness over proper pharmaceutical disposal in our community and imply the hazardous repercussions that the failure to comply with safety procedures may cause in our environment. |
Analyze Experiment Results and Draw ConclusionsThe experimentation data we collected revealed the fact that pharmaceuticals in our environment do have a devastating effect. However, this does not only apply to our regional environment the implications we tested are universal and could affect any environment if pharmaceuticals are incorrectly disposed.
Our experimentation data states that the pH scale in the contaminated regional sample is lower, making the substance more acidic. Aquatic organisms benefit from a stable pH value in their optimal range. To maintain a fairly constant pH in a body of water, a higher alkalinity is preferable. High alkalinity means that the body of water has the ability to neutralize acidic pollution from rainfall or basic inputs from wastewater. However, in our results we see that the high alkalinity was not sufficient to stabilize the pH, making the contaminated substance hazardous for our environment. Water hardness is important to fish cultures and is a commonly reported aspect of water quality. Hard water is high in dissolved minerals, both calcium and magnesium. In our experimental data we observe that the contaminated water is soft and therefore has been dispossessed of vital nutrients for our environment that may lead to devastating consequences to the well-being of the environment. |
Nitrates and nitrites are chemicals that can be found naturally in our environment. Two of earth’s most common elements, nitrogen and oxygen, combine to form these nitrogen-containing compounds. Nitrates are essential nutrients for plants to grow. Nitrates can be found in the air, soils, surface waters and ground water. However, the high presence of the aforementioned elements may also be harmful, in which we see that in the contaminated samples these highly dominant.
The data supports our hypothesis, though not in as great an indication as we originally thought it would. Because of the constraints of a school project, the pharmaceuticals selected were just a sample of what might appear in the groundwater. Still, it was clear that evidence of pharmaceuticals remained in the soil and groundwater and were not completely filtered out by initial natural causes. Pharmaceuticals, when disposed of in landfills or sewers, introduce harmful chemicals into the groundwater. Even after natural filtration through a substrate of primarily sand, clay, and gravel characteristic of South Texas soil, the particulate remain. To further this study, more sophisticated means for detecting specific chemicals would be needed. Our purpose was to find out whether the pharmaceuticals would be detected, and they were. |
Report Results
Team DR.MED shared the data gathered with several groups from our local community and beyond. We ensured that every individual would be in apprehension of the environmental issue by creating a bilingual DR.MED campaign. San Antonio, Texas, is a city in which diversity is found in abundance and English and Spanish are two most dominant languages. The DR.MED campaign efficiently managed to assure that language wouldn’t be a barrier to help save our community’s environment. Therefore, we presented all of our findings in both English and Spanish to inform our entire community and proficiently deter the contamination from pharmaceuticals in the environment.
After a determined course of time we will post a survey of our community and review the effective our campaign results.
Pursuing this further, we contacted Mayor Julian Castro by sending him a letter explaining the DR.MED project, and we will soon have a meeting with the San Antonio City Council to offer our ideas to help our community. Moreover, we discovered that there wasn’t a particular law in Texas that regarded pharmaceutical disposal. Therefore, we decided to also contact Senator Leticia Van De Putte since she is not only involved in politics in the State of Texas but she also pursues the occupation of being a pharmacists. We hope to explore criteria and with her assistance write a bill that could consequently become a law that would require pharmacies, hospitals, and any medical field to inform the consumers of the proper disposal in case of any expired or unused medications.
We would encourage students from other districts in the state of Texas, the U.S.A. or even any other nations to conduct a similar project. It may have a significant impact in the environment while simultaneously supporting DR.MED and reinforcing our findings. In order to obtain better results it would be recommended to undertake a longer campaign and involve more individuals and experts.
Team DR.MED plans to remain committed to our environmental campaign until the Texas Legislature introduces a law that would address misconceptionsand promote appropriate actions regarding medication disposal. We have high hopes that a law pertaining to our project will be passed, but until then we will continue our DR.MED campaign in our community because this project may truly implemment a better life for the citizens of our community, proving that WE REALLY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!
After a determined course of time we will post a survey of our community and review the effective our campaign results.
- Overall only 13% were not fully aware of the issue but had a desire to help the community’s environment.
- 87% of the individuals in our community were aware of the fact that disposing of unused/expired medications down the commode or the trash were not the correct method they should follow, and rather would choose to take their pharmaceuticals to the specified locations in our flyer.
- Most would choose to take their pharmaceuticals to a specified locations in our flyer if it were at a convenient location.
Pursuing this further, we contacted Mayor Julian Castro by sending him a letter explaining the DR.MED project, and we will soon have a meeting with the San Antonio City Council to offer our ideas to help our community. Moreover, we discovered that there wasn’t a particular law in Texas that regarded pharmaceutical disposal. Therefore, we decided to also contact Senator Leticia Van De Putte since she is not only involved in politics in the State of Texas but she also pursues the occupation of being a pharmacists. We hope to explore criteria and with her assistance write a bill that could consequently become a law that would require pharmacies, hospitals, and any medical field to inform the consumers of the proper disposal in case of any expired or unused medications.
We would encourage students from other districts in the state of Texas, the U.S.A. or even any other nations to conduct a similar project. It may have a significant impact in the environment while simultaneously supporting DR.MED and reinforcing our findings. In order to obtain better results it would be recommended to undertake a longer campaign and involve more individuals and experts.
Team DR.MED plans to remain committed to our environmental campaign until the Texas Legislature introduces a law that would address misconceptionsand promote appropriate actions regarding medication disposal. We have high hopes that a law pertaining to our project will be passed, but until then we will continue our DR.MED campaign in our community because this project may truly implemment a better life for the citizens of our community, proving that WE REALLY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!