AP IMPACT: Tons of released drugs taint US water.

[Dantheman62]

U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water — contamination the federal government has consistently overlooked, according to an Associated Press investigation.

Hundreds of active pharmaceutical ingredients are used in a variety of manufacturing, including drugmaking: For example, lithium is used to make ceramics and treat bipolar disorder; nitroglycerin is a heart drug and also used in explosives; copper shows up in everything from pipes to contraceptives.

Federal and industry officials say they don't know the extent to which pharmaceuticals are released by U.S. manufacturers because no one tracks them — as drugs. But a close analysis of 20 years of federal records found that, in fact, the government unintentionally keeps data on a few, allowing a glimpse of the pharmaceuticals coming from factories.

As part of its ongoing PharmaWater investigation about trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals in drinking water, AP identified 22 compounds that show up on two lists: the EPA monitors them as industrial chemicals that are released into rivers, lakes and other bodies of water under federal pollution laws, while the Food and Drug Administration classifies them as active pharmaceutical ingredients.

The data don't show precisely how much of the 271 million pounds comes from drugmakers versus other manufacturers; also, the figure is a massive undercount because of the limited federal government tracking.

To date, drugmakers have dismissed the suggestion that their manufacturing contributes significantly to what's being found in water. Federal drug and water regulators agree.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090420/...ater_factories

thanks dantheman62 - good one in a bad kind of way. yikes.

[Egg]

Lithium? dumped into drinking water?

Thats why i run a filter on all my water people - bad guys can do bad stuff to your food and water, and get paid government monies for doing so AND then charge you to cure their mess.

[Swanny]

Yea just another reason to get yourself a good water filter

[Malynda]

I always assumed people flush drugs all the time, be it privately or while conducting "business" but to have evidence is even better. I'm all about filtering water but what about the water that is already contained in food and drinks? Is it filtered before use or during the process of creating those goods?

[Swanny]

Originally Posted by Kathleen

Come to think of it.....what about the water used to irrigate gardens?

You should use rain water if possible