Fig 1.
Molecular structures of the synthetic glucocorticoid prednisolone (CAS RN = 50-24-8) and the natural alkaloid berberine (CAS RN = 2086-83-1).
Fig 2.
Schematic visualization of the processes used for the calculations.
STP = sewage treatment plant. Adjusted from Figure A1 from Oldenkamp et al., 2014 [17].
Table 1.
API-specific input parameters.
Fig 3.
Ratios between the aquatic risk impacts of prednisolone and berberine in Europe.
In white grid cells, the region is either sparsely populated without emission or are below 2000 p.e. (population equivalents) in size, which are not included in the model. In all grid cells prednisolone/berberine is larger than 1, which means that prescribing berberine is beneficial to prescribing prednisolone, even at a higher dosage. (Europe base map was generated using ArcMap [60].
Table 2.
Ratios of impacts of prednisolone and berberine on the aquatic environment on infants’ health after consumption of water after conventional or advanced drinking water treatment (DWT).
Sparsely populated grids without emissions are not taken into account in these calculations.
Fig 4.
Ratios of human health impacts of prednisolone vs. berberine after conventional drinking water treatment.
In white grid cells, the region is either sparsely populated without emission or are below 2000 p.e. (population equivalents) in size, which are not included in the model. Where prednisolone/berberine is smaller than 1 (red grid cells), berberine might only form an environmentally beneficial alternative for prednisolone, if its therapeutic dose would be lower. Where prednisolone/berberine is larger than 1, prescribing berberine is beneficial to prescribing prednisolone, even at higher dosage. (Europe base map was generated using ArcMap [60].
Fig 5.
Ratios of human health impacts of prednisolone vs. berberine after advanced drinking water treatment.
In white grid cells, the region is either sparsely populated without emission or are below 2000 p.e. (population equivalents) in size, which are not included in the model. Where prednisolone/berberine is smaller than 1 (red grid cells), berberine might only form an environmentally beneficial alternative for prednisolone, if its therapeutic dose would be lower. Where prednisolone/berberine is larger than 1, prescribing berberine is beneficial to prescribing prednisolone, even at higher dosage. (Europe base map was generated using ArcMap [60].