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Public Health Solutions
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Crete, NE 68333-2562
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Over the Counter and Prescription Drugs Found in Drinking Water
March 10, Associated Press – (National) Study finds over the counter drugs in drinking water in 24 major U.S. regions. 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. 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. Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn’t know how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed. While researchers do not yet understand the exact risks from decades of persistent exposure to random combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals, recent studies – which have gone virtually unnoticed by the general public – have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife. The federal government does not require any testing and has not set safety limits for drugs in water. Of the 62 major water providers contacted, the drinking water for only 28 was tested. Some providers screen only for one or two pharmaceuticals, leaving open the possibility that others are present. The AP’s investigation also indicates that watersheds, the natural sources of most of the nation’s water supply, also are contaminated. Tests were conducted in the watersheds of 35 of the 62 major providers surveyed by the AP, and pharmaceuticals were detected in 28. Some drugs, including widely used cholesterol fighters, tranquilizers, and anti-epileptic medications, resist modern drinking water and wastewater treatment processes. Plus, the Environmental Protection Agency 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. In addition, there is evidence that adding chlorine, a common process in conventional drinking water treatment plants, makes some pharmaceuticals more toxic. Source: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336286,00.html
Scientific research indicates that these types of contaminants have significant biological effects on the ecosystems in which they are found, most notably on the reproductive system of various fish and amphibian populations. The suspicion is that there could also be an effect on human health through exposure over time to a combination of pharmaceuticals and other contaminants, though scientific studies on human health effects to date have been limited.
- Omaha's water supply test results showed the presence of small amounts of nicotine and caffeine in the pre-treated water supply, but not in the treated water.
- All public water systems in Nebraska are tested regularly for a variety of contaminants, but this does not routinely include pharmaceutical by-products.
- Nearly all of Nebraska's public drinking water systems draw their supply from underground aquifers, which tend to be more insulated from the kinds of contaminants this story highlights as compared to systems that are supplied by surface water bodies.
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