| Americans are prescribed millions of
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| | be excreted back into the environment,
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| doses of prescription drugs every year.
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| | unchanged. What kinds of drugs -- and to
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| Livestock are given millions more. But
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| | what extent -- are currently out there is
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| after the pill has been swallowed or the
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| | anyone's guess. Padma Venkatraman, a
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| injection taken, the active components of
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| | postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins who
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| the drugs do not become inert or
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| | is part of the research team, believes
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| completely absorbed by the body. Far from
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| | the drugs most likely to be found at
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| disappearing, the drugs are excreted and
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| | "toxicologically significant levels"
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| now, scientists are finding, prescription
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| | include: Antidepressants
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| drugs are showing up in our ground water,
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| | Anti-convulsants Anti-cancer drugs
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| soil, waterways and even our drinking
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| | Anti-microbials "We're trying to make
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| water. That's because our conventional
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| | an intelligent guess as to what's out
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| sewage treatments may not be looking for
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| | there in the environment and what's
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| drugs, and certainly don't always remove
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| | probably toxic," Venkatraman said.
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| them. Adding to the problem are
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| | Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria on the Rise
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| prescription drugs that aren't used, then
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| | Just one problem stemming from
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| are flushed down the toilet or deposited
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| | pharmaceutical pollution is
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| in landfills -- ultimately ending up in
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| | antibiotic-resistant bacteria. When drugs
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| the environment. This so-called
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| | are excreted in waste, the compounds
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| "pharmaceutical pollution" could have
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| | linger in the environment. In the case of
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| major implications on wildlife,
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| | livestock waste, the antibiotic-laced
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| agriculture and humans -- yet is only
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| | manure is spread directly onto farm crops
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| beginning to be studied. "This is an
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| | as fertilizer. From there it may run off
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| important new research area," said A.
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| | into nearby streams. The result is that
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| Lynn Roberts, leader of a Johns Hopkins
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| | bacteria is able to mutate into strains
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| team that began a study to determine the
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| | that are resistant to the widely spread
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| scope of pharmaceutical pollution in the
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| | antibiotics, paving the way for
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| United States. Roberts continued: "Over
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| | infections that cannot be easily cured.
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| the past few years, scientists in Europe
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| | According to the Centers for Disease
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| have found pharmaceuticals in natural
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| | Control and Prevention, about 2 million
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| waterways, sewage treatment effluents and
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| | people in hospitals get infections each
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| even in drinking water. Yet until this
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| | year, which cause 90,000 deaths. Of
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| year [2003] there have been virtually no
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| | these, more than 70 percent of the
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| scientific studies examining this issue
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| | bacteria that causes these infections are
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| in the United States. It's important that
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| | resistant to at least one common
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| we begin to look at this because there
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| | antibiotic that is typically used to
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| are many ways in which pharmaceuticals in
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| | treat them. Health Problems Remain a
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| the environment could produce undesirable
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| | Mystery "Little is known about the
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| effects on aquatic organisms or even
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| | potential interactive effects" from
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| humans." How Widespread is the Problem?
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| | complex mixtures of waste contaminants in
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| Current estimates are still being
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| | the environment, according to USGS. For
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| gathered, but a study conducted in
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| | instance, Roberts pointed out that
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| 1999-2000 by the U.S. Geological Survey
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| | antidepressants work by altering levels
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| (USGS) found that most waterways contain
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| | of serotonin. However, serotonin causes
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| at least some antibiotics, steroids,
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| | many aquatic creatures to spawn. The
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| synthetic hormones or other common drugs.
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| | result could be that prescription drugs
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| Out of 139 streams in 30 states, they
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| | may alter breeding cycles in the wild.
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| found: About 80 percent contained trace
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| | Further, drugs can have major impacts on
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| amounts of contaminants Half the
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| | developing fetuses in humans. If small
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| streams contained seven or more chemical
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| | amounts showed up in drinking water, it
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| compounds One-third of the streams
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| | could cause birth defects or other
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| contained 10 or more compounds One
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| | problems. "Pharmaceuticals have high
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| water sample contained 38 chemicals
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| | biological activity," Roberts said. "We
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| "We're not talking about rampant
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| | may be able to tolerate them for a short
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| dumping," said one USGS survey official.
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| | period of time, but that doesn't mean
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| "We're looking at the effect of normal
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| | they won't hurt us -- or developing
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| existing usage for these different
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| | fetuses or aquatic organisms -- at higher
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| chemicals." Just how many drugs are we
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| | concentrations or over a long period of
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| using currently? A lot. Here are some
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| | time." There is good news, and that is
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| statistics just for antibiotics (not
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| | that attention to this issue is growing,
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| including any other types of drugs):
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| | and so is the drive to find out just what
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| Humans consume 235 million doses of
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| | types of problems may be occurring. The
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| antibiotics each year. Livestock and
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| | USGS agrees, stating in their report that
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| poultry producers administered more than
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| | "protecting the integrity of our water
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| 21 million pounds of antibiotics to
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| | resources is one of the most essential
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| animals in 2004 alone. When a drug is
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| | environmental issues of the 21st century.
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| taken, experts say up to 90 percent may
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|
