A new study has found that there are more trace amounts of pharmaceutical drugs in the drinking water than previous research suggests.
A new study has found that there are more trace amounts of pharmaceutical drugs in the drinking water than previous research suggests.
Researchers from the Environmental Protection Agency analyzed samples of water from 50 large wastewater treatment facilities, testing for a variety of 56 different chemical compounds including pharmaceutical drugs like oxycodone, prescription blood pressure medication, and over the counter medication like Tylenol and ibuprofen.
Over half of the water samples reportedly contained 25 or more of the chemicals being tested for, with blood pressure medication being the most highly concentrated.
Other studies have shown the negative effects of certain chemicals on animals that live in the water.
Shane Snyder, an expert on the effects pharmaceutical drugs are having on the water supply from the Arizona Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants at the University of Arizona, said: “Look at estrogen and endocrine disruptors—here’s a case where there is compelling evidence that it has an effect on aquatic life and still nothing has been done.”
Some officials have downplayed the negative health effects of ingesting a cocktail of chemicals in the drinking water and the possible dangers aren’t typically addressed by the Food and Drug Administration unless there are “extraordinary circumstances”.
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