Drugs are being found in US drinking water

@estherlou (5015)
United States
March 11, 2008 11:12am CST
It seems we take so many drugs, and a lot of it passes through our systems into the sewage system. Our water treatment plants remove lots of things, but not the drugs. In different parts of the country they are finding medicines for pain, infection, high cholesterol, asthma, epilepsy, mental illness and heart problems, as well as Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications. They say it can impact us as well as wildlife, but most cities don't test. Also, they don't know how it might affect us in the long run. Sounds scary. Both articles are here http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/10/pharma.water1/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/03/11/pharma.waterfish.ap/index.html
2 people like this
6 responses
@slickcut (8141)
• United States
11 Mar 08
We live in a small community that owns its own well,they do test the water because ever so often they will send us a report..I agree it is very scary and i do hope i can trust our community to test for such things...I know the person who owns this well,i think i will contact her and ask about this...This is a very scarey thought...thank you for the link...
• United States
11 Mar 08
I heard this report yesterday on the news it makes one wonder what else is being fed to us in the water these days?
2 people like this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
11 Mar 08
yeah they just coming up with it now y aknow its been there for years if ya think about it. WIth this you would hope that the Doctors would go to natural healing
1 person likes this
@subha12 (18441)
• India
12 Mar 08
i think it is a sign of danger. unknowingly people are consuming medicines of so many diseases. I think it has only come front as tests are carried out. it will be same if tests are carried out at my country also.
@zeloguy (4911)
• United States
18 Jun 08
I have heard this as well but I have heard that it is in such minute perportions that there is nothing to be scared of... it is like someone with AIDS wanting to get back at the world and letting some of his blood (or a lot of it) into the water supply... it would just dilute itself out. HOWEVER, this stuff does have to go somewhere and that IS in our sewers and in our waste. Thanks Zelo
@jillmalitz (5131)
• United States
11 Mar 08
I am assuming that the cost of testing with water for all types of pharmacuticals would be too much to do. But is does point out the problems we have regarding the disposal of waste. We are told not to leave anti-freeze out or spill it because pets would die if they drank it. We know that rubber on shoes take nearly 110 years to degrade. And diapers, well...I am afraid that if we were really aware of what is in our water we would not be happy. We are so used to throwing stuff away. Now we are learning, sometimes the hard way, that we need to be more careful in how we dispose of things. We dont know what the outcome will be for the environment and that is what is scary. We have already seen mutations of various small animals like frogs and fish. Will we be next?
1 person likes this