I received this article, which I shortened, in my e-mail from the Associated Press, which states that a vast array of pharmaceutical drugs, including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans. Even though the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are far below the levels of a medical dose, 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.

How do the drugs get into the water? People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.

Contamination is not confined to the United States. More than 100 different pharmaceuticals have been detected in lakes, rivers, reservoirs and streams throughout the world. Studies have detected pharmaceuticals in waters throughout Asia, Australia, Canada and Europe — even in Swiss lakes and the North Sea.

Some drugs, including widely used cholesterol fighters, tranquilizers and anti-epileptic medications, resist modern drinking water and wastewater treatment processes. Plus, the EPA says there are no sewage treatment systems specifically engineered to remove pharmaceuticals.

One technology, reverse osmosis, removes virtually all pharmaceutical contaminants but is very expensive for large-scale use and leaves several gallons of polluted water for every one that is made drinkable.

Another issue: There's evidence that adding chlorine, a common process in conventional drinking water treatment plants, makes some pharmaceuticals more toxic.

Some scientists stress that the research is extremely limited, and there are too many unknowns. So much is unknown. Many independent scientists are skeptical that trace concentrations will ultimately prove to be harmful to humans. Confidence about human safety is based largely on studies that poison lab animals with much higher amounts.

Our bodies may shrug off a relatively big one-time dose, yet suffer from a smaller amount delivered continuously over a half century, perhaps subtly stirring allergies or nerve damage. Pregnant women, the elderly and the very ill might be more sensitive.

Many concerns about chronic low-level exposure focus on certain drug classes: chemotherapy that can act as a powerful poison; hormones that can hamper reproduction or development; medicines for depression and epilepsy that can damage the brain or change behavior; antibiotics that can allow human germs to mutate into more dangerous forms; pain relievers and blood-pressure diuretics.

However, some experts say medications may pose a unique danger because, unlike most pollutants, they were crafted to act on the human body.

And while drugs are tested to be safe for humans, the timeframe is usually over a matter of months, not a lifetime. Pharmaceuticals also can produce side effects and interact with other drugs at normal medical doses. That's why — aside from therapeutic doses of fluoride injected into potable water supplies — pharmaceuticals are prescribed to people who need them, not delivered to everyone in their drinking water.

Is anyone knowledgeable enough to give an opinion as to whether the above is a legitimate concern since the article goes back and forth and doesn't give a real answer?

If they are saying the amounts are not in therapuetic doses, or in does large enough to be harmful... they do not give the actual amounts (part per million, billion, trillion, etc)...

Then no one can really answer your question.

We are slowly eroding our environnment, so this should hardly be a surprise. I drank my water yesterday and I'm drinking it today. I saw this same story on the news. I choose not to freak out over every story I read. I cannot control what is in my water, I can only choose if I decide to drink it.

Naw it's to long to read, need start puttin the news clip in instead of writing it all and just link us

I heard this on the news this morning also. I still need to do a bit more research, but heard prescription drugs don't disolve in normal tap water.

Sorry I don't have a website on this. I received it via my email.

Drinking water means drugs?!?

Cheaper high

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23504373/

been on msnbc a couple days now at least

aol has a story as well

Maybe that's why some of that bottled water is so darn expensive?

i heard that on the lex and terry show this morning

never mind bottled water....I'm heading the next Olympics with bottled tap water. I wonder how much the athletes will pay for their excuse for testing positive...

It's nothing new, just being brought to mainstream attention now for some reason.

Supposedly there's mood enhancers in the water in New Jersey.

I don't think the stuff is working.

When I was growing up on my grandfather's farm, we had an actual 'spring' a 'spring house' where we got our water. My parents had it tested on time for some reason and the tests supposedly came back as not being too good for drinking.

Well, where we get our drinking water today from, ugghhh. All that crap that is 'filtered' out of it before we drink it? Believe me, I have yet to taste better water than the water from our 'spring house.' And, I grew up a very healthy person!

Lindyy

this also happens because people flush medication down toilets instead of throwing them out.

our microwave society with it's need for glazing of problems rather than dealing, it's going to be the death of us



there are things like estrogen and other drugs you don't wanna take

Sen. Barbara Boxer, who heads the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, Chairman of the Transportation, Safety, Infrastructure Security and Water Quality Subcommittee, said yesterday (Monday) that there would be hearings on this matter. The hearings would likely be held in April of this year. Both of these Senators are Democrats.

I read about this the 1st time about 10 years ago. the concenttation of hormones excreted by women using bith control pills has caused sex ratios in fish to change, & the numbers of hermaphodite fish have increased. I wonder if the number of homosexuals coming out has anything to do with this? (PLEASE no gay bashing) What about the early onset of puberty & problems such as Polycystic ovaries & Hirsutism?

Some pharmaceuticals and other chemicals are in drinking water to actually help too you know, such as chlorine and flourine just to name a couple.

An international study and tasting done just this past year rated drinking water from all over the world, guess who was determined to have the best water? LOS ANGELES.....

point being, I guess, that once again the sky isnt falling.

I think it is cute too, for the environmentalist out there who claim to be "green" to still be walking around with their evian and dasante or fiji waters bottles, since plastics cause more damage by not degrading or deteriorating in landfills more so than any other item placed in the trash.

its kind of reminiscent to every time you turn around something else is causing cancer, to many oranges can cause cancer, to many of this or that, bla bla freakin bla.

drink up get high, its all good. life's to long, you wanna live forever?

Okay .... I won't gay bash, but "you wonder if the number of homosexuals coming out has anything to do with the water?" .... too funny.

I guess I should stop squirting the extra morphine down the sink at work...