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