Researchers Transform Paper Industry Waste into Ibuprofen and Other Painkillers
When people think of the pharmaceutical industry, they usually don’t associate it with the production of life-saving drugs and environmental degradation. However, a study conducted in 2019 by The Conversation revealed that drug companies actually produce more carbon dioxide equivalents per million dollars than the automotive industry. The study found that the pharmaceutical market, although 28 percent smaller, is 13 percent more polluting than the automotive sector. In other words, it is crucial for drug companies to decrease their carbon emissions in order to protect the planet and its inhabitants.
Fortunately, a team of researchers from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom may have found a way for industry to do just that. In a study published in the journal ChemSusChem, the team describes a process they created to convert β-pinene, a component of turpentine, into pharmaceutical precursors, which they then used to synthesize paracetamol and ibuprofen. Currently, most companies producing these painkillers use chemical precursors derived from crude oil. Turpentine, on the other hand, is a waste by-product that the paper industry produces over 350,000 tons per year. The researchers say they also used turpentine successfully to synthesize 4-HAP, a precursor to beta-blockers, the asthma inhaler salbutamol, and various household cleaners.
As well as being more sustainable, the group’s “biorefinery” process could lead to more consistent drug costs for consumers, as turpentine is not subject to the same geopolitical pressures that can send energy and oil prices skyrocketing. However, a significant pitfall of the process in its current form is that it costs more to manufacture drugs containing turpentine than crude oil. The team suggests that consumers may be willing to pay slightly higher prices for more durable drugs, but let’s be honest, when someone is sick or in pain, the last thing most people want to do is pay more for relief.
