Scientists Around The Globe To Produce Paracetamol And Ibuprofen From Waste Of Paper Industry

Common drugs like Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are usually manufactured using chemical compounds that are derived from crude oil precursors. But the production process of the drugs does take a toll on the environmental conditions. It produces tons of carbon dioxide – that is the most harmful gas for the environment. Providing a solution to this growing issue, a group of scientists from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom has come up with idea that can both protect the environment and can lead to equivalent production of medicines.

How can Paracetamol be produced from Paper Industry Waste

The study conducted by the Department of Chemistry and Institute for Sustainability of the University has formulated a method with which common drugs can be produced using a compound from pine trees. The compound, to be noted is a waste product from the paper industry. To be specific, it is beta-pinene – a component of turpentine that has an annual production of more than 350,000 tonnes. The two common painkillers paracetamol and ibuprofen, which are produced on a scale of about 100,000 tonnes annually, were successfully created from beta-pinene.

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Every coin has two sides, so does this…

Apart from the benefit of sustainability, this method comes with another advantage as well. The production of the drugs can be carried out consistently because turpentine does not require any effort for extraction. It rather is easily available as compared to crude oil.

The other side of the table is the fact that turpentine costs more to create medications than crude oil in its current condition. However, let’s be honest: when someone is unwell or in pain, spending more for treatment is usually the last thing most people want to do. The team speculates that consumers may be prepared to pay slightly higher prices for more environmentally friendly medications.