Drugs in Drinking Water

Recent research has shown that even small amounts of prescription medications can affect human beings. Embryonic kidney cells grew too slowly, human blood cells showed activity associated with inflamation and human cancer cells grew too quickly. At this point we don't have a clue about the long-term effect of exposure to small amounts of prescription drugs. But the pharmaceutical industry is telling us not to worry about the prescription drugs found in drinking water in major metropolitan areas across the country.

The Associated Press conducted a 5-month study which found prescription drugs in the drinking water in 24 major markets. While tiny, the mere presence of so many types of drugs in tap water obviously becomes a concern to public health.

Even worse it was found that prescription drugs also have found their way down into the aquifers underground which supplies the drinking water to 40% of the nation.

I love the quote in the AP story from Dr. David Carpenter who directs the Institute for health and the Environment for the State University of New York at Albany. "We know we are being exposed to other people's drugs through our drinking water and that can't be good."