Drug residues found in Drinking water
The battle against water pollution was always a continuous one. Advocacy and awareness programs have been held about the inherent dangers of bacterial and heavy metal pollution and more people were already becoming more conscious about protecting themselves from these pollutants. But little did we know that there are even more sources of drinking water contaminants to worry about. So, when the U.S Geological Survey (USGS) published a study that showed that tap water sampled across 9 American states contained no less than 85 synthetic chemicals including drug residues, the concern had to grow to a whole new level.
What are the implicated drugs?
Residues of antibiotics, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, synthetic hormones, mood stabilizers, analgesics, veterinary medications, and many other classes of drugs were confirmed to be present at concentrations as high as micrograms per liter of water in some cases. This, no doubt, calls for concern but the first question that comes to mind is probably ‘how did we get here?’
How did drug residues get into our drinking water?
Raw sewage and wastewater effluents largely account for the presence of pharmaceuticals in our drinking water. Drugs are absorbed to varying degrees by our bodies and for some drugs, as much as 50% or even more may be excreted unchanged or as slightly modified metabolites. The unabsorbed portions are passed into wastewater as sewage. The sewage is usually treated before it gets back into the water cycle but as things are, the current treatment methods are inadequate to take care of these drug residues. Additionally, wastewater from homes, industries, livestock, etc. are also passed into surface water. This water also undergoes extensive treatments before ending up in our tap water supply lines but the treatment methods are not designed to handle drug residues.
What is the health implication?
Researchers are yet to understand the full effects of the persistent exposure to random combinations of low doses of pharmaceuticals, recent studies have pointed to potentially toxic effects and it is only wise for any individual to be on red alert. There appears to be a dearth of sufficient data to fully assess the health risks and the knowledge gap is exposed by the inconclusive nature of many of the research. However, it should be known that children are at greater risk of showing side effects arising from an accumulation of these low doses. So, it is even more important to protect them from drinking directly from the tap.
What is the alternative?
It is common knowledge that water supplied from the tap, although often well treated, still contains numerous contaminants. This is because the current treatment methods employed is ill-equipped to take care of the diverse contaminants that could be present in the water. It’s time to find the most effective method of removing drug residues and other chemicals from drinking water. To protect yourself, your family, and your pets, you need a personal purification system that works on the principle of filtering drug residues and other chemicals. An Aquarena system is perhaps the best example of such filtration system and you would be making a great choice for yourself and your family by getting one. When you have an Aquarena system at home, you can be sure you have a steady supply of pure drinking water that is free from all potentially harmful contaminants.
References
- http://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/2011/pharmaceuticals_20110601.pdf
- http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-10-drugs-tap-water_N.htm?csp=34
- https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-12/documents/lenehan-hormones_in_water_using_spe_and_lc-ms.pdf