AP Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water

By JEFF DONN, MARTHA MENDOZA and JUSTIN PRITCHARD - 7 hours ago

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, an
Associated Press investigation shows.

To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny,
measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the
levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.

But the presence of so many prescription drugs -- and over-the-counter
medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- in so much of our
drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term
consequences to human health.

In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs
have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major
metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey,
from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.

Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings,
unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group
representing major California suppliers said the public "doesn't know
how to interpret the information" and might be unduly alarmed.

How do the drugs get into the water?

People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the
rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The
wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers
or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water
treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not
remove all drug residue.

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http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hGsoyElv4ZL879LW6z2aZS0Pix7AD8VA14500