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