Handlers and Health Education

Water system contamination by drugs is becoming more and more newsworthy. This is partly due to new studies and tests being done. It seems that most public water handling facilities are not built to be able to filtrate pharmaceutical drugs out of our water. Here is a look at drug contamination of water supplies.

Small traces of drugs such as anti-depressants, antibiotics and prescription medicines can now be found in many public water supplies. This is because a significant percentage of drugs that are given to animals and humans pass through their bodies and into the environment. These pharmaceuticals are not removed by filtrating through the earth or by water treatment facilities and end up contaminating our household water. Read the rest of this entry »

When a probe finds drugs in drinking water, it sets off all kinds of bells and whistles. The first area of concern for most people is how the drugs end up in their drinking water. The next thing people need to realize is that not all of the drugs they take stay in their bodies. When drugs are ingested or injected into our body, we do not necessarily use all of the drugs. These excess drugs get flushed out in urine and feces.

Some say this is a good thing since pharmaceuticals can overpower your system. On the other hand, it’s not welcome news for the ecosystem. These drug elements find their way into our streams, rivers and other water systems, as well as into our municipal water treatment facilities. Read the rest of this entry »

You’ve read the stories about medical waste like syringes washing up on the shores of public beaches. While this is alarming enough, now a similar threat is turning up in our water supplies. Drugs are being found in water supplies across the country. But how do pharmaceutical drugs get in drinking water?

Initially, individuals take drugs in a pill or other format. While the human body absorbs most of the medication, a good portion of the drug is eliminated as body waste and is flushed into the sewer system. Next, this wastewater is treated before it is released into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. After that, some of the water is treated at drinking water treatment facilities and then routed to public water supplies. But what happens is that only a large amount of the treatment plants do not effectively remove all drug particles. Read the rest of this entry »