Posted 2011
Pharmaceuticals on the whole can be a wonderful thing. So many diseases and disorders that plagued earlier generations can be prevented or made less harmful and less uncomfortable by products of the drug industry. This is because pharmaceuticals are designed to change our physiology. They are designed to make changes to the way our bodies work. This is what we are looking for when we take a prescription or an over-the-counter medicine. We want a chemical that will affect our bodily processes.
But how many times have you flushed unwanted and unused portions of these products down the drain? Or maybe you’ve thrown them in the trash so that they end up in a landfill
Spotted salamanders easily absorb chemicals through their skin.
where they can find their way into groundwater or nearby waterways. Even if you use all of the product you purchase, much of the active chemicals in these products go right through your body unchanged and end up in the toilet to be flushed and sent on to the local wastewater treatment plant. Add to this all of the veterinary medicines, hormones, and antibiotics and we have an even bigger problem. Keep in mind that these chemicals are designed to change bodily processes.
You might think that the wastewater treatment plant is the perfect place to send these products, but actually, wastewater treatment plants do not remove pharmaceuticals from the wastewater stream. They send them right out with the rest of their discharge, usually into a river. In a recent study by the U.S. Geologic Survey, 80% of the rivers tested and about 25% of the groundwater tested contained pharmaceuticals. Is this a problem?
Remember that these are chemicals that are designed to change our physiology, and also remember that our basic physiological processes are the same as those of other living things. This means that every day we send biologically active drugs and medicines into our waterways and wetlands and, in effect, administer medicine to fish, frogs, turtles and other living things. Does this have an effect on aquatic wildlife? Of course it does. These chemicals were designed to have a biological effect. Of course these animals are getting a less concentrated dose, because the chemicals are diluted by the water in the river, but this is counterbalanced by the fact that aquatic animals sit in this toxic soup 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Researchers have linked these pollutants to reproductive disorders in fish and amphibians. The problems include lower sperm counts and damaged sperm. Some male fish and frogs have become “feminized,” meaning that they have developed both male and female reproductive structures. The scientific literature documenting these kinds of problems is growing quickly.
It’s not just aquatic wildlife that gets unintentional doses of medicine. In some communities, these drugs have found their way back into our drinking water supply. We are drinking each other’s prescriptions, in trace amounts, but constantly, day in and day out. There is currently no federal requirement for testing drinking water supplies for pharmaceuticals. Distributors of bottled water are also not required to test for pharmaceuticals. An Associated Press investigation found that “A vast array of pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.”
So what can we do? Researchers have found a simple technology that has been proving effective in breaking down pharmaceuticals. The effluent from wastewater treatment plants is sent into small wetlands that are constructed especially for the purpose. The microorganisms in these constructed wetlands biologically degrade a high percentage of the pharmaceuticals in the wastewater. This technology is already implemented in some communities.
Another solution is to dispose of your medications properly. BEAT can help with this. On October 29, BEAT will be partnering with the Berkshire United Way, the Berkshire Attorney General’s Office, Berkshire Health Systems, and a number of other groups in the RX Roundup. At a number of sites throughout the county, you will be able to turn in your unwanted prescription medications, over-the-counter remedies, and personal care products for safe disposal. Each site will be supervised by law enforcement officials. This is a great time to clean out your medicine cabinet. This not only helps the environment, but also helps to reduce the supply of prescription medications available illegally on the street and reduces the likelihood of drug-related accidents among small children.
The date is October 29. You can check newspapers or BEAT’s website for more specific information as the date approaches.