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Perscription drugs found in drinking water around the U.S.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/10...er1/index.html

Quote:

AP) -- A vast array of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones -- have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.

Officials in Philadelphia say testing there discovered 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water.

To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.

But the presence of so many prescription drugs -- and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.

In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit, Michigan, to Louisville, Kentucky.
...

Rural consumers who draw water from their own wells aren't in the clear either, experts say.

Even users of bottled water and home filtration systems don't necessarily avoid exposure. Bottlers, some of which simply repackage tap water, do not typically treat or test for pharmaceuticals, according to the industry's main trade group. The same goes for the makers of home filtration systems.

Quote:

Originally Posted by texas*princess (Post 1615511)

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/10...er1/index.html

A vast array of pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones

So...in a glass of water, I may get rid of some unwanted germs, stop the shakes, stay happy and boost my virility among other things....hmmmm.

What are the side effects????

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid (Post 1615525)

lol

I think that is the big concern.... the drugs in the water aren't in major amounts, but people want to know what the long-term affects are going to be.... scary stuff!

I'd like the water to be even purer, no doubt.

But sometimes I think we forget what we're taking for granted compared to most of human history; treated, and for the most part safe, water.

I'd rather have ibuprofen and mood stabilizers rather than cholera or typhoid.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid (Post 1615525)

I need to drink more water.

But seriously, folks, an "expert" on NBC News tonight said this would be like dropping a single asprin into ten Olympic size swimming pools.

I don't think I'll panic yet.

No, in fact, depending on the day, I'd rather wish my faucet had an option to turn one or more of those to full dosage...

I had heard something about this a year or so ago. One of the recommendations long ago was that you flush old prescription medications down the toilet when you dispose of them, which has led to this problem. The new recommendation is that you fill the pill bottle with water and put it in the garbage.

another CNN article about drugs in the water

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/11....ap/index.html

Quote:

Pharmaceuticals in the water are being blamed for severe reproductive problems in many types of fish: The endangered razorback sucker and male fathead minnow have been found with lower sperm counts and damaged sperm; some walleyes and male carp have become what are called feminized fish, producing egg yolk proteins typically made only by females.

Meanwhile, female fish have developed male genital organs. Also, there are skewed sex ratios in some aquatic populations, and sexually abnormal bass that produce cells for both sperm and eggs.

There are problems with other wildlife as well: kidney failure in vultures, impaired reproduction in mussels, inhibited growth in algae.

"We have no reason to think that this is a unique situation," says Erik Orsak, an environmental contaminants specialist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, pulling off rubber gloves splattered with fish blood at Lake Mead. "We find pretty much anywhere we look, these compounds are ubiquitous."

For example:

• In a broad study still under way, fish collected in waterways near or in Chicago, Illinois; West Chester, Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida; Dallas, Texas; and Phoenix, Arizona, have tested positive for an array of pharmaceuticals -- analgesics, antibiotics, antidepressants, antihistamines, anti-hypertension drugs and anti-seizure medications.

The people serviced by my water company are simple not not taking enough tranquilzers!! ;)

I remember reading about Prosac found in the water at the UK few years ago. I just don't drink any tap water. How many glasses of water do you drink aday ? I just read an adult should drink about 8 glasses per day and I think I drink much less.