Back View

Drugs in Our Water 

Drugs in our drinking water! Is there potenial unseen harm?

The Associated Press released findings Monday, March 10th that many water supplies throughout the US have traces of pharmaceuticals: hormones, depression and anit-psychotic drugs in the drinking water.  See http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23503485/ for more information.

Many municipalities knew that drugs were present but our current water filtration systems do not have the technology to purify these ingredients out of our water.  Moreover, bottled water (which often is municipal water out through additional filters) does not have to nor do they filter out drug residue from bottled water.

Is this something to be worried about you ask? 

To be honest no one knows the ramification to man these residues may cause.  In natural habitats we have already seen wildlife - frogs, fish and other animals with altered sexual traits and organs from estrogen residue and pesticide use (which is often plant estrogens that hamper growth of weeds by altering the sexual traits of plants). 

Do know that the pharmaceutical residues found were very small trace amounts.  Experts believe that these amounts are too small to affect humans.  However, it will be important to stunt the increase we would see over the next 10, 20 or 30 years as what is a small problem today would only increase.

What questions do you have about this report?

Betty