Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
more in the drinking water supplies of at least 46 million Americans.
Admittedly, the amount of the drugs was listed as “trace,” but how
much is too much? What if you're deathly allergic to one of those
drugs and a “trace” of it slips into your water supply? What are the
ramifi cations for you and your children? That trace could end up
being a fatal dose.
Consumers also often unwittingly contribute to water contami-
nation, tossing outdated or unwanted pharmaceuticals down the
drain. That's one way trace amounts of drugs get into water sup-
plies. To help deal with the problem, some organizations, police,
and government agencies now sponsor collection sites or events
for outdated, unwanted, or unused drugs. Turning those drugs in
instead of tossing them out helps keep our water supplies cleaner.
Other studies by other reputable news organizations,
including the
New York Times
, single out other equally concerning
contaminants in the water coming out of our water taps. The U.S.
EPA has a web site that details various drinking water contaminants
and regulations related to them (http://water.epa.gov/drink/
contaminants/index.cfm#List).
The Feds Are Concerned
In the wake of these and other reports of contaminants in our water
supplies, federal and state agencies and Congress now look more
closely at exactly what's in the water. In testimony before the Water
Resources Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives
on September 18, 2008, U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy
(D-New York) talked about what and how pharmaceuticals end up in
water supplies:
In my state of New York, health offi cials found heart medicine,
infection fi ghters, estrogen, mood stabilizers, and a tranquilizer in
the upstate water supply. Six pharmaceuticals were found in the
drinking water right here in Washington, DC. We don't know
how the pharmaceuticals enter the water supply. However, it
is likely that some medications not fully absorbed by the body
may have passed into the water through human waste. In other
cases, unused pills may have simply been fl ushed down the toilet.
