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Pharmaceutical Pollution: What it is, and How Pharmaceutical Pollution Threatens Your Health

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




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