Water woes: a prescription for precaution

What’s being done, what you can do

By SANDY LONG

UNITED STATES — Following a recent Associated Press investigation that revealed the presence of pharmaceuticals ranging from mood modifiers to painkillers, and from hormones to heart medicines in the nation’s drinking water supplies, including the Upper Delaware reservoir system, many are asking what is being done to address these disturbing findings. (For more, see The River Reporter, Issue 14, April 3, 2008).

The federal government does not currently require testing for the presence of pharmaceuticals, though it may do so in the future, according to Benjamin H. Grumbles, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) assistant administrator for water.

“EPA is concerned about the detection of a growing number of pharmaceuticals and other personal care products in water,” noted Grumbles in a prepared statement. “These contaminants occur at very low levels in water, and we continue to evaluate their effects on public health and aquatic life.”

The EPA is conducting national studies to determine the best course of action. “We are reviewing emerging contaminants for regulation, partnering with government agencies and the private sector, and increasing public awareness about product stewardship and pollution prevention,” Grumbles added.

The agency may eventually begin to require water utilities to monitor for pharmaceuticals, but notes that additional research is needed to understand the health effects associated with the low levels observed before such action would occur.

Public comment is currently sought on a list of 104 possible drinking water contaminants. The EPA evaluated approximately 7,500 chemicals and microbes to select candidates for the draft Contaminant Candidate List (CCL), based on their potential to pose health risks through drinking water exposure. See www.epa.gov/safewater/ccl/ccl3.html.

Across the globe, scientists are studying the issue of pharmaceutical contamination. The Society of Toxicology (SOT), a professional organization of more than 6,300 scientists who work in academics, government and industry worldwide to study the adverse effects of chemical, physical and biological agents on living organisms and ecosystems, tackled the issue during its March conference in Seattle, WA.

Dr. George Corcoran, SOT president and chairman of the department of pharmaceutical sciences at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, described the issue of pharmaceuticals in the water supply as a “right to know situation.” Corcoran said it is important to determine what the AP findings mean to American water consumers. “Prudent scientists would conclude that at these extremely low levels, risk to human health is very low,” he said. Corcoran said he still drinks water from the Detroit public water system and remains “perfectly comfortable” with his family drinking this water.

Is Corcoran concerned about the unclear issue of complex combinations of pharmaceuticals in water supplies? “It’s a question we need the answer to,” he said, adding that the current media attention to the issue is helping to drive the necessary research to find out. “The founding principle of toxicology is the dose principle,” he said. “Too much of anything can be a poison. We need to determine the real risks versus benefits here.” Visit www.toxicology.org for more information.

The U.S. Federal Interagency Working Group on Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PIE), composed of eight agencies such as the EPA, FDA, Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), U.S. Department of Agriculture and others, is another effort aimed at the problem. This White House advisory committee is tasked with prioritizing PIE issues and coordinating research and collaboration.

To address one area where consumers can make a difference, the FWS, in partnership with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, has launched its SMARxt DISPOSAL campaign to encourage proper disposal of pharmaceuticals. While most medications should not be flushed down the toilet, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has identified some that should and advises following the instructions printed on prescription labels. Visit www.smarxtdisposal.net for more information.

Tips for Prescription

Drug Disposal

The United States Office of Drug Control Policy advises the following:

• Take unused, unneeded, or expired prescription drugs out of their original containers and throw them in the trash.

• Mix prescription drugs with an undesirable substance, such as used coffee grounds or cat litter, and put them in impermeable, non-descript containers, such as empty cans or sealable bags.

• Flush prescription drugs down the toilet only if the label or accompanying patient information specifically instructs doing so.