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A R Rt t r ru u Dr fE j f fir ir I j J if J I j J I J i j I a i 1 J t rl 1 c 1 Effects of Pharmaceuticals in waterways raise concern Juliet Eilperin Washington Post Academics state officials and environmental advocates arc starting to question whether massive amounts of discarded discarded discarded dis dis- dis- dis carded Pharmaceuticals which are arc often flushed down the drain pose a threat to the nations nation's aquatic life and possibly possibly possibly bly to people In waterways from the Potomac to the Brazos River in Texas researchers have found fish laden with estrogen and antidepressants and many show evidence of major neurological or physiological changes No one has seen evidence of effects on human health but buta a number are asking publicly why the federal government is not taking a more aggressive approach to what they see as a looming problem In October 2002 Maines Maine's Department of Environmental Protection asked federal scientists to analyze water samples samples samples sam sam- ples to determine to what extent prescription drugs had seeped into the states state's waterways Worried that discarded control birth-control pills antidepressants and other drugs could affect the states state's fishing industry and public health the departments department's Ann hoped the federal Environmental Protection Agency's office could give her a speedy answer It was 2 2 1 years before she received a partial report identifying drugs in the water without a detailed explanation tion tion-it tion it came in the past week week and and she said she's still waiting for a full breakdown Were sort of baffled barred and frustrated by the lack of a sample analysis said an environmental specialist We see this as an emerging issue The more we find out the more concerned we are Some state officials have started organizing Raoul Clarke of Florida's Department of Environmental Protection has worked with colleagues to establish a list- list where state and local officials can exchange information information information mation with concerned activists There are many unanswered questions but these things are showing up and people are taking notice Clarke said EPA officials say they are still gauging the seriousness of the threat Technological advances in testing make it possible possible possible pos pos- sible to detect very low levels of hormones and chemical compounds in waterways they say and it is unclear whether such levels harm hann animals or people Hal who monitors health issues in the EPA's Office of Research and Development said several agencies agencies agencies agen agen- cies are working to determine whether such contaminants lead to exposures and do these exposures have implications implications implications for health effects Others including drug manufacturers and sewage treatment treatment treatment treat treat- ment operators say that while they are monitoring the contaminants their threat has been overstated Thomas White an environmental consultant for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said industry studies indicate there are no appreciable human health risks and no appreciable impacts on the aquatic environment link linked d to drugs in inthe inthe inthe the water In recent months however scientists have issued a series of findings suggesting that discarded drugs which pass through municipal wastewater systems and into rivers lakes and streams could affect the environment In 2002 a US U.S. Geological Survey study found these kinds of contaminants in 80 percent of the streams it sampled in 30 states Other researchers suspect that hormones hormones hormones hor hor- mones and medicines in the water may be responsible for effects on wildlife that include feminizing male fish and making others sluggish or uninterested in eating Rebecca Klaper an ecological scientist at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee recently exposed fathead minnows to a popular cholesterol anti-cholesterol drug at a level that was only slightly higher than what now occurs in area streams She stopped the experiment planned to last a week after 24 hours because the fish already were struggling to survive They were sitting at the bottom of the tank barely moving moving moving ing and barely breathing Klaper said in an interview Were concerned these Pharmaceuticals are not only having an effect on aquatic organisms but on human pop- pop I pr ti tiL V L NC N en C CD J C Ct X CX l t CD Environmentalists worry about the effects of prescription drugs on humans and wildlife as well Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid D who has secured 25 million over the past decade to fund the Geological Surveys Survey's water quality studies in the Las Vegas Valley said the government needs to do a comprehensive comprehensive comprehensive com com- national study to determine how these contaminants contaminants contaminants conta conta- might affect our health our water supplies and our environment I think it would be irresponsible not to provide funding on this issue It is a wise and necessary investment in our future Maine officials hope to establish a program that would encourage consumers to mail back unused drugs to be incinerated and they want drug manufacturers to pay for it But in February according to a letter obtained by the Natural Resources News Service wrote that it was opposed to the recommendation that manufacturers solely fund this approach and others would like to start taking back medicines medicines medicines medi medi- cines but she said the state is not in a position to pay for it |