Eliminating pharmaceutical micropollutants: case study of the Sanofi Vertolaye action plan

Drug residues impact the environment. This fact was clearly demonstrated in the early 2010s on the gudgeon population of the Dore, a small river in the Puy-de-Dôme region of France. The cause proved to be active ingredients manufactured by the Sanofi plant at Vertolaye. The innovative plan introduced by this manufacturing facility to eliminate pharmaceutical micropollutants sets an example that others would be well advised to follow.

According to scientists, pollution is responsible for more than one in six premature deaths worldwide. And those referred to as micropollutants — because of the low concentrations at which these tiny compounds occur — are strongly suspected of having negative effects on humans and the environment. 

So in terms of water management, eliminating pharmaceutical micropollutants would appear to be a priority issue. The example of the Sanofi manufacturing facility, which has been operational at Vertolaye in the Puy-de-Dôme region of France since 1939, provides an instructional textbook case.

The story begins in the mid-2000s, when some keen local anglers started catching gudgeon with deformed abdomens in the Dore, a river close to the site. The discovery was concerning, and the local legal authorities ban both angling and the consumption of fish from this river while an investigation is carried out. 

A few months later, researchers from the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks (Ineris) published their findings: 60% of the fish living downstream of the Sanofi manufacturing facility at Vertolaye had both male and female characteristics, compared with only 5% of those living upstream of the same site. The experts found that this sexual ambiguity originated in a disruption of the endocrine system as a result of chemicals discharged from the site, despite the fact that the levels of discharge complied fully with the prefectorial order issued to the company.

More effective treatment of industrial wastewater

It is important to note that Sanofi manufactures many different active pharmaceutical ingredients at Vertolaye, and that hundreds of tons of products leave the site every year. The site has its own treatment plant, which discharges 5,000 cubic meters of treated industrial water into the natural environment every day.

Following publication of its findings by Ineris, the Sanofi management team worked closely with the regulatory authorities (DREAL, Water Agency and Water Police) and environmental protection agencies to develop and implement an action plan to completely eliminate pharmaceutical micropollutants from its discharges. This demonstration of good faith anticipated the likelihood that new standards will be introduced going forward. The objective of eliminating micropollutants was achieved firstly by limiting the discharge of active ingredients from the site production areas, and secondly by investing in a new final treatment unit dedicated to removing these substances.

The CarboPlus solution for eliminating pharmaceutical micropollutants

Saur began working with Sanofi at Vertolaye when the pharmaceutical manufacturer decided to run a pilot phase of the Group’s CarboPlus® solution. Originally developed in the 1990s to remove pesticides from drinking water, this process is a fluidized bed activated carbon solution. The fluidized bed ensures a constant level of treatment performance and maximum utilization of the carbon surface.

A year of on-site testing confirmed that this technology has the ability to remove almost all pharmaceutical micropollutants from industrial wastewater. The other technologies tested by Sanofi (ozonation, membrane filtration, etc.) were not able to achieve such a satisfactory level of results.

The CarboPlus® activated carbon treatment unit at Sanofi Vertolaye went live in 2015, having eliminated more than 95% of the endocrine disruptor pollution measured on the Balaguer scale. The company has described this system as ‘the best technical and financial compromise’. It will take time to scientifically observe and record the actual impact on fish in the river, but new studies of the gudgeon population of the Dore show a very significant reduction in sexual ambiguity.

If you are interested in implementing new solutions for reducing the environmental impact of your industry, please view our latest webinar on micropollutants.