Are There Really Drugs In Our Drinking Water?

Did you know that there are drugs in our drinking water? I know that I was concerned when I learned about all the drugs found in US drinking water. But hang on a minute, is this really true or am I just scaremongering? And if it is true that there are drugs in our drinking water, how did they get there? And is there anything that I can do about it? Well that is what this article is all about.

The answer to the first question is yes, it is true. An investigation carried out by reporters from Associated Press revealed that drugs found in US drinking water included antibiotics, hormones and mood stabilizers among others. Tests were carried out all over the country and it was found that minute amounts of these drugs were present in the public water supplies serving some 41 millio
Americans.

So how did these pharmaceutical drugs find their way into the public water supply? Think about it, the easiest way of disposing of unused or out of date pills and medicines is to flush them down the toilet. You might think that even if a large number of individuals disposed of the occasional pack of pills in this way that it would not cause a problem. But it turns out that this is the standard method of disposal used by clinics, care homes and even large hospitals.

But surely all drinking water is treated by the public water utilities to remove all impurities and contaminants? While there are national standards set down by the government and policed by the Environmental Protection Agency, these are not sufficiently rigorous to guarantee removal of these prescription drugs.

Of course there are only minute traces of these drugs in our drinking water so is there really anything to worry about? Well look at it this way. Whenever there are plans by a health authority to introduce fluoride into the public drinking water supply, there is always a huge outcry. Maybe it will be good for our children's teeth, the argument goes, but why should we be subjected to compulsory medication?

Furthermore there is evidence that even minute amounts of prescription drugs can have an adverse effect on human kidney cells. It has also been discovered that breast cancer cells increase at a faster rate in these circumstances.

The other point to bear in mind is that while a moderate dose of a prescription drug may be perfectly harmless, small quantities accumulated over many years can be a different matter. This is one of the main arguments put forward by the anti-fluoride protestors.

To sum up there is clear evidence that there are drugs in our drinking water even though they are in minute quantities. As to whether you should be worried about the effects of drugs found in US drinking water, this is a question that only you can answer. There is a way that you can guarantee that the water you drink is free from prescription drugs and that is to install a water filter in your home.