Getting Our Water off Drugs
By Laurine Brown, PhD
What medicines are you taking? Frankly, you may be clueless. Disturbingly, recent studies suggest that by simply hydrating yourself with water - an absolute daily necessity - you may unknowingly medicate yourself with trace amounts of dozens of discarded drugs, including antidepressants, antibiotics, birth control pills, painkillers, blood pressure meds, cancer treatments and more.
Concerns began to rise about medications contaminating our watersheds after a 2002 US Geological Survey found various pollutants (including drugs) in 80% of 139 streams sampled across the country. And more recent studies found traces of drugs in “treated” drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans from coast to coast. Currently, the federal government doesn't require any testing; so of 62 major water providers surveyed around the country, only 28 had even tested drinking water for drugs. But of these, 89% detected at least one drug, suggesting contamination is common. Suppliers may screen for only one or two drugs, thus more could be present. Philadelphia, for example, tested for 72 human and veterinary pharmaceuticals and found traces of 56 in the drinking water. Officials tell us that bottled water is no better, with no testing requirements or standards. In fact 40% is simply tap water.
How did water get so drugged? We're a medicated nation, purchasing some 3.7 billion prescriptions (a 12% rise in 5 years) and 3.3 billion over-the-counter drugs. People often flush unused drugs down toilets (indeed, we've been told to do this to keep others from finding and abusing them), and human excreta can contain incompletely metabolized meds. Conventional sewage and water purification systems, though good at cleansing water of germs, are not well-equipped for pharmaceutical removal. Thus, drugs can pass intact through treatment facilities, into waterways, lakes and even aquifers, ending up in our water glasses and further downstream. Also, meds tossed in trash end up in landfills, posing a threat to underlying groundwater if they leach. Another significant source is runoff of contaminated sewage from farm animals ingesting hormones, antibiotics and other veterinary medicines (e.g., nearly half of all antibiotics used in the US are fed to livestock.) And manure containing traces of drugs can be spread as fertilizer on farm fields, potentially leaching into surface water, and even groundwater.
Should we be concerned? No one quite knows what the health effects of these tiny amounts of drugs (as in parts per billion or trillion) or interactive effects of mixed mystery drug cocktails in our water have on us. But scientists tell us there is reason to be concerned. After all, our own hormones exert effects in tiny amounts and research indicates some drugs can cause cellular effects at scant concentrations that cannot be seen at higher levels. Furthermore, though effects on humans are uncertain, evidence is mounting of disturbing effects on aquatic life forced to live in our country's medicated water, including feminization of fish, reduced and damaged sperm and poor wound healing. While research continues to sort out the health implications, precaution is warranted.
Getting Water Off Drugs
Currently, there's no national strategy to deal with drugs in water - no effective mandates to test, treat, limit, or even advise the public. Some legislation is in the works, but in the meantime, there's plenty you can do to stop the mass medication of our water at the source.
1. Dispose of unused, expired, or unwanted medications safely:
o Do NOT flush medications down the toilet or sink - Yes, we were taught to do this for years, but now we know these are ending up back in our drinking water. Also, never incinerate meds at home since this can create toxic air pollutants. There are safer ways to dispose of them.
o Permanent Collection and Take-Back Programs - Best choice. When possible take unused medications and over-the-counter drugs to a permanent facility. These offer a secure site for storage and guarantee the drugs received will be destroyed (often through controlled incineration), keeping them out of the hands of potential abusers, including teens. Call your city or county govern¬ment's household trash and recy¬cling service to see if a take-back program is available in your community. In Illinois these can include police stations, county health departments, pharmacies, and hazardous waste facilities (see Box for McLean County drop-offs). Keep medications in original containers, if possible, but scratch out identifying information on labels, like your name and address. Alternatively, one-day collection events, such as hazardous waste collections which include pharmaceuticals, are held in a variety of places with different groups acting as sponsors. In Illinois, see www.epa.state.il.us/land/hazardous-waste/household-haz-waste/hhwc-schedule.html or http://prairierivers.org/articles/2008/09/pharmcollection/. Elsewhere see www.fda.gov.
o Toss in Trash - As a last resort, toss them in household trash. But first: Take the drugs out of the original container and put them in a leak proof plastic bag. Mix with kitty litter or coffee grounds (making it unpalatable to kids, pets, wildlife). Then, put in a second sealable plastic bag (or other container) to prevent leakage, seal well, and throw in trash. Remove labels from original medication container or scratch out any personal information, including the Rx number, and discard or recycle.
2. Reduce pharmaceutical use - this helps keep our waters clean by reducing the overall supply and demand for unnecessary meds.
o Only purchase meds you need and can use by expiration date. Don't take samples unless you're going to use them. And put all meds in one location so you know what you have. Use all antibiotics prescribed by your doctor to help prevent antibiotic resistant strains from surviving.
o Support organic methods for livestock and dairy production which reduce or eliminate the use of antibiotics, hormones and other veterinary medicines.
Drug Disposal Programs in McLean County
All Meds, including Prescription, Controlled Substances/Narcotics and Over-the-Counter
o Illinois Wesleyan University Security Office - 110 E. Graham St. Bloomington IL, (309) 556-1111
o Illinois State University Health Services - ISU Student Services Building, 201 N University St., Normal, IL
o Bloomington Department - 305 S East St, Bloomington IL, (309) 434-2700
o Normal Police Department - 100 E Phoenix Ave, Normal IL, (309) 454-9535
Only Non-narcotic, Prescription and Over-the-Counter Meds
Bloomington-Normal
o Eastland Pharmacy - OSF St. Joseph Medical Center
o Atrium Pharmacy - BroMenn Regional Medical Center
o Merle Pharmacy - 203 E Locust St, Bloomington IL, (309) 828-2242
o Ryan Pharmacy - 1118 E Oakland Ave, Bloomington IL, (309) 828-4813
McLean County
o Chenoa Pharmacy, Chenoa
o Doc's Drugs, LeRoy
For more information in McLean County see www.heartlandcoalition.org and www.prairieriversnetwork.org. (http://prairierivers.org/articles/2008/09/pharmcollection/
References
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