Re: Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water

[Guest guest]

I have read that even here in the USA, birth control has seeped into some of our ground water and if it continues, it could possibly lead to sterility.

[ ] Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water

Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water

Traces of cancer and psychiatric drugs were found in Britain’s tap water, according to a 100-page report commissioned by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).Despite extensive purification treatments used by water companies, traces of bleomycin, a cancer chemotherapy drug, and diazepam, a sedative, have been found in the drinking water.Though experts say the drug levels are too low to pose a direct health risk, concerns have been raised about exposing pregnant women to the drugs, which could harm an unborn child.A separate study by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, Oxfordshire also revealed that chemotherapy drugs are being washed into Britain’s rivers. The report estimated that an adult who drinks more than three pints of water a day would receive doses of the drugs between 300 and 30,000 times lower than recommended safety levels each week. Still, some experts are worried."There is not evidence to show that drinking water treatment removes all these drugs, so while we are not wanting to alarm people, it would be foolish to assume there is no risk,” said scientist , who led the Wallingford study.

Sources:

The Telegraph January 13, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This is one unintended consequence of the drug-addicted health care paradigm plaguing the United States, and other countries as well. Dubbed “pharmaceutical pollution,” increasing numbers of drugs, and personal care products, are finding their way into drinking water supplies. As if there weren’t already enough environmental toxins.Drugs get deposited into your drinking water via two routes. One, through excretion. Drugs that you take, or that are given to livestock, do not necessarily become inert in your body. Some of the active components are not absorbed, and so they are deposited into sewage treatment centers that are not always looking for, or removing, prescription drugs. Drug-ridden waste from livestock also ends up polluting ground water, where it makes its way into soil, waterways and eventually our drinking water.The second route has to do with unused prescription drugs that are flushed down the toilet or deposited into landfills by individuals, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, where they ultimately end up back in the environment.Some of the potential concerns include:

Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses Drugs that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply People are exposed to combinations of drugs that should never be combinedEarly last year, to try to remedy the potential harm these drugs could cause to people, plants and marine life, the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies released the following guidelines:

Throw most drugs in the trash after crushing them or dissolving them in water, mixing them with kitty litter, coffee grounds or other unappealing materials, and placing the mixture in a sealed plastic bag. Remove and destroy any prescription labels before throwing away the containers. In some states, pharmacies can take back medications. When in doubt, you should ask your pharmacist for advice. However, while some of the new guidelines -- such as returning unused drugs to the pharmacy where you bought them, or asking a pharmacist what to do with them -- make great sense, others merely move the environmental peril from one place to another -- such as diluting medicines in water and mixing them in garbage that eventually ends up in a landfill near you anyway.The best way to reduce environmental drug pollution is also the simplest and most obvious -- Take Control of Your Health by cutting down the number of drugs you take in the first place. The vast majority of drugs are dangerous and unnecessary band-aids that treat symptoms without ever addressing underlying health problems.Of course, to curb the pollution problem drug use will also have to be greatly reduced among livestock and other animals in our food supply.How to Get Clean Drinking WaterSince regular tap water may be polluted with everything from fluoride to pharmaceuticals, I recommend filtering it. I do not suggest using bottled water as an alternative because of the extreme toll it takes on the environment. Right now, the best way you can provide pure water to your family is by using a reverse osmosis filter, which you can install in your home. Remember that you may also want to filter the water that you use to bathe with, as this can be a significant source of exposure to toxins as well.

Related Articles:

Drugs in Your Drinking Water May be Affecting Your Health 13 Million in US at Increased Cancer Risk Due to Arsenic in Water How Your City Adds Chloramines to Your Tap Waterhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/2/cancer-drugs-found-in-tap-water.aspx

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

[Guest guest]

yes, I did too. People dont throw out their drugs properly, like they use the toilet for their dumping ground, perhaps it is because they dont know any better that it will eventually go into the water system.Joyce Hudson <bjoyful@...> wrote: I have read that even here in the USA, birth control has seeped into some of our ground water and if it continues, it could possibly lead to sterility. [ ] Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water Traces of cancer and psychiatric drugs were found in Britain’s tap water, according to a 100-page report commissioned by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).Despite extensive purification treatments used by water companies, traces of bleomycin, a cancer chemotherapy drug, and diazepam, a sedative, have been found in the drinking water.Though experts say the drug levels are too low to pose a direct health risk, concerns have been raised about exposing pregnant women to the drugs, which could harm an unborn child.A separate study by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, Oxfordshire also revealed that chemotherapy drugs are being washed into Britain’s rivers. The report estimated that an adult who drinks more than three pints of water a day would receive doses of the drugs between 300 and 30,000 times lower than recommended safety levels

each week. Still, some experts are worried."There is not evidence to show that drinking water treatment removes all these drugs, so while we are not wanting to alarm people, it would be foolish to assume there is no risk,” said scientist , who led the Wallingford study. Sources: The Telegraph January 13, 2008 Dr. Mercola's Comments: This is one unintended consequence of the drug-addicted

health care paradigm plaguing the United States, and other countries as well. Dubbed “pharmaceutical pollution,” increasing numbers of drugs, and personal care products, are finding their way into drinking water supplies. As if there weren’t already enough environmental toxins.Drugs get deposited into your drinking water via two routes. One, through excretion. Drugs that you take, or that are given to livestock, do not necessarily become inert in your body. Some of the active components are not absorbed, and so they are deposited into sewage treatment centers that are not always looking for, or removing, prescription drugs. Drug-ridden waste from livestock also ends up polluting ground water, where it makes its way into soil, waterways and eventually our drinking water.The second route has to do with unused prescription drugs that are flushed down

the toilet or deposited into landfills by individuals, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, where they ultimately end up back in the environment.Some of the potential concerns include: Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses Drugs that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply People are exposed to combinations of drugs that should never be combinedEarly last year, to try to remedy the potential harm these drugs could cause to people, plants and marine life, the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies released the following guidelines: Throw most drugs in the trash after

crushing them or dissolving them in water, mixing them with kitty litter, coffee grounds or other unappealing materials, and placing the mixture in a sealed plastic bag. Remove and destroy any prescription labels before throwing away the containers. In some states, pharmacies can take back medications. When in doubt, you should ask your pharmacist for advice. However, while some of the new guidelines -- such as returning unused drugs to the pharmacy where you bought them, or asking a pharmacist what to do with them -- make great sense, others merely move the environmental peril from one place to another -- such as diluting medicines in water and mixing them in garbage that eventually ends up in a landfill near you anyway.The best way to reduce environmental drug pollution is also the simplest and most obvious -- Take Control of Your Health by cutting down the number of drugs you take in the

first place. The vast majority of drugs are dangerous and unnecessary band-aids that treat symptoms without ever addressing underlying health problems.Of course, to curb the pollution problem drug use will also have to be greatly reduced among livestock and other animals in our food supply.How to Get Clean Drinking WaterSince regular tap water may be polluted with everything from fluoride to pharmaceuticals, I recommend filtering it. I do not suggest using bottled water as an alternative because of the extreme toll it takes on the environment. Right now, the best way you can provide pure water to your family is by using a reverse osmosis filter, which you can install in your home. Remember that you may also want to filter the water that you use to bathe with, as this can be a significant

source of exposure to toxins as well. Related Articles: Drugs in Your Drinking Water May be Affecting Your Health 13 Million in US at Increased Cancer Risk Due to Arsenic in Water How Your City Adds Chloramines to Your Tap Waterhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/2/cancer-drugs-found-in-tap-water.aspx Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

[Guest guest]

Wonderful article. I have seen this myself, when there's the need to "waste "a drug/ medication. 2 nurses witness each other, and they get flushed down the toilets. This usually happens, when the meds are dispensed, and then the patient decides that they don't want to take it. Because dispension is done by a computer, they can't put it back, they have to waste it. Seen this on a daily basis. My first thought, what about the fish that live in the waters?michele horton <epifany97523@...> wrote: Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water Traces of cancer and psychiatric drugs were found in Britain’s tap water, according to a 100-page report commissioned by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).Despite extensive purification treatments used by water companies, traces of bleomycin, a cancer chemotherapy drug, and diazepam, a sedative, have been found in the drinking water.Though experts say the drug levels are too low to pose a direct health risk, concerns have been

raised about exposing pregnant women to the drugs, which could harm an unborn child.A separate study by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, Oxfordshire also revealed that chemotherapy drugs are being washed into Britain’s rivers. The report estimated that an adult who drinks more than three pints of water a day would receive doses of the drugs between 300 and 30,000 times lower than recommended safety levels each week. Still, some experts are worried."There is not evidence to show that drinking water treatment removes all these drugs, so while we are not wanting to alarm people, it would be foolish to assume there is no risk,” said scientist , who led the Wallingford study. Sources: The Telegraph January 13, 2008 Dr. Mercola's Comments: This is one unintended consequence of the drug-addicted health care paradigm plaguing the United States, and other countries as well. Dubbed “pharmaceutical pollution,” increasing numbers of drugs, and personal care products, are finding their way into drinking water supplies. As if there weren’t already enough environmental toxins.Drugs get deposited into your drinking water via two routes. One, through excretion. Drugs

that you take, or that are given to livestock, do not necessarily become inert in your body. Some of the active components are not absorbed, and so they are deposited into sewage treatment centers that are not always looking for, or removing, prescription drugs. Drug-ridden waste from livestock also ends up polluting ground water, where it makes its way into soil, waterways and eventually our drinking water.The second route has to do with unused prescription drugs that are flushed down the toilet or deposited into landfills by individuals, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, where they ultimately end up back in the environment.Some of the potential concerns include: Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses Drugs

that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply People are exposed to combinations of drugs that should never be combinedEarly last year, to try to remedy the potential harm these drugs could cause to people, plants and marine life, the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies released the following guidelines: Throw most drugs in the trash after crushing them or dissolving them in water, mixing them with kitty litter, coffee grounds or other unappealing materials, and placing the mixture in a sealed plastic bag. Remove and destroy any prescription labels before throwing away the containers. In some states, pharmacies can take back medications. When in doubt, you should ask your pharmacist for advice. However, while some of the new guidelines -- such as returning unused

drugs to the pharmacy where you bought them, or asking a pharmacist what to do with them -- make great sense, others merely move the environmental peril from one place to another -- such as diluting medicines in water and mixing them in garbage that eventually ends up in a landfill near you anyway.The best way to reduce environmental drug pollution is also the simplest and most obvious -- Take Control of Your Health by cutting down the number of drugs you take in the first place. The vast majority of drugs are dangerous and unnecessary band-aids that treat symptoms without ever addressing underlying health problems.Of course, to curb the pollution problem drug use will also have to be greatly reduced among livestock and other animals in our food supply.How to Get Clean Drinking WaterSince regular tap water may be polluted

with everything from fluoride to pharmaceuticals, I recommend filtering it. I do not suggest using bottled water as an alternative because of the extreme toll it takes on the environment. Right now, the best way you can provide pure water to your family is by using a reverse osmosis filter, which you can install in your home. Remember that you may also want to filter the water that you use to bathe with, as this can be a significant source of exposure to toxins as well. Related Articles: Drugs in Your Drinking Water May be Affecting Your Health 13 Million in US at Increased Cancer Risk Due to Arsenic in Water How Your City Adds Chloramines to Your Tap Waterhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/2/cancer-drugs-found-in-tap-water.aspx Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

[Guest guest]

What about the mammals that live in the water!?! Yvette, you are so right! Scary isn't it, on just how ignoral and arrogant man is? Love, Joy

Re: [ ] Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water

Wonderful article. I have seen this myself, when there's the need to "waste "a drug/ medication. 2 nurses witness each other, and they get flushed down the toilets. This usually happens, when the meds are dispensed, and then the patient decides that they don't want to take it. Because dispension is done by a computer, they can't put it back, they have to waste it. Seen this on a daily basis. My first thought, what about the fish that live in the waters?michele horton <epifany97523@...> wrote:

Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water

Traces of cancer and psychiatric drugs were found in Britain’s tap water, according to a 100-page report commissioned by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).Despite extensive purification treatments used by water companies, traces of bleomycin, a cancer chemotherapy drug, and diazepam, a sedative, have been found in the drinking water.Though experts say the drug levels are too low to pose a direct health risk, concerns have been raised about exposing pregnant women to the drugs, which could harm an unborn child.A separate study by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, Oxfordshire also revealed that chemotherapy drugs are being washed into Britain’s rivers. The report estimated that an adult who drinks more than three pints of water a day would receive doses of the drugs between 300 and 30,000 times lower than recommended safety levels each week. Still, some experts are worried."There is not evidence to show that drinking water treatment removes all these drugs, so while we are not wanting to alarm people, it would be foolish to assume there is no risk,” said scientist , who led the Wallingford study.

Sources:

The Telegraph January 13, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This is one unintended consequence of the drug-addicted health care paradigm plaguing the United States, and other countries as well. Dubbed “pharmaceutical pollution,” increasing numbers of drugs, and personal care products, are finding their way into drinking water supplies. As if there weren’t already enough environmental toxins.Drugs get deposited into your drinking water via two routes. One, through excretion. Drugs that you take, or that are given to livestock, do not necessarily become inert in your body. Some of the active components are not absorbed, and so they are deposited into sewage treatment centers that are not always looking for, or removing, prescription drugs. Drug-ridden waste from livestock also ends up polluting ground water, where it makes its way into soil, waterways and eventually our drinking water.The second route has to do with unused prescription drugs that are flushed down the toilet or deposited into landfills by individuals, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, where they ultimately end up back in the environment.Some of the potential concerns include:

Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses Drugs that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply People are exposed to combinations of drugs that should never be combinedEarly last year, to try to remedy the potential harm these drugs could cause to people, plants and marine life, the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies released the following guidelines:

Throw most drugs in the trash after crushing them or dissolving them in water, mixing them with kitty litter, coffee grounds or other unappealing materials, and placing the mixture in a sealed plastic bag. Remove and destroy any prescription labels before throwing away the containers. In some states, pharmacies can take back medications. When in doubt, you should ask your pharmacist for advice. However, while some of the new guidelines -- such as returning unused drugs to the pharmacy where you bought them, or asking a pharmacist what to do with them -- make great sense, others merely move the environmental peril from one place to another -- such as diluting medicines in water and mixing them in garbage that eventually ends up in a landfill near you anyway.The best way to reduce environmental drug pollution is also the simplest and most obvious -- Take Control of Your Health by cutting down the number of drugs you take in the first place. The vast majority of drugs are dangerous and unnecessary band-aids that treat symptoms without ever addressing underlying health problems.Of course, to curb the pollution problem drug use will also have to be greatly reduced among livestock and other animals in our food supply.How to Get Clean Drinking WaterSince regular tap water may be polluted with everything from fluoride to pharmaceuticals, I recommend filtering it. I do not suggest using bottled water as an alternative because of the extreme toll it takes on the environment. Right now, the best way you can provide pure water to your family is by using a reverse osmosis filter, which you can install in your home. Remember that you may also want to filter the water that you use to bathe with, as this can be a significant source of exposure to toxins as well.

Related Articles:

Drugs in Your Drinking Water May be Affecting Your Health 13 Million in US at Increased Cancer Risk Due to Arsenic in Water How Your City Adds Chloramines to Your Tap Waterhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/2/cancer-drugs-found-in-tap-water.aspx

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

[Guest guest]

yes, Our world must be saturated with drugs from being dumped in the ocean, spreading to the fish, the sea animals and their food chain, which then we eat and its in our food chain, like the kelp, ect. There are some states that actually allow ocean dumping, have you seen that there is a large type of dump in our ocean that is the size of texas, it has plastic and other garbage floating along. In the Pacific..Fish and birds do die from eating the debris thinking its food, it doesnt get digested and kills them. Its a sea of madness. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/10/19/SS6JS8RH0.DTL & type=politics More: http://science.howstuffworks.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm yvette moore <iqtraveler@...> wrote: Wonderful article. I have seen this myself, when there's the need to "waste "a drug/ medication. 2 nurses witness each other, and they get flushed down the toilets. This usually happens, when the meds are dispensed, and then the patient decides that they don't want to take it. Because dispension is done by a computer, they can't put

it back, they have to waste it. Seen this on a daily basis. My first thought, what about the fish that live in the waters?michele horton <epifany97523 > wrote: Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water Traces of cancer and psychiatric drugs were found in Britain’s tap water, according to a 100-page report commissioned by the Drinking Water

Inspectorate (DWI).Despite extensive purification treatments used by water companies, traces of bleomycin, a cancer chemotherapy drug, and diazepam, a sedative, have been found in the drinking water.Though experts say the drug levels are too low to pose a direct health risk, concerns have been raised about exposing pregnant women to the drugs, which could harm an unborn child.A separate study by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, Oxfordshire also revealed that chemotherapy drugs are being washed into Britain’s rivers. The report estimated that an adult who drinks more than three pints of water a day would receive doses of the drugs between 300 and 30,000 times lower than recommended safety levels each week. Still, some experts are worried."There is not evidence to show that drinking water treatment removes all these drugs, so while we are not wanting to alarm people, it would be foolish to assume there is no risk,”

said scientist , who led the Wallingford study. Sources: The Telegraph January 13, 2008 Dr. Mercola's Comments: This is one unintended consequence of the drug-addicted health care paradigm plaguing the United States, and other countries as well. Dubbed “pharmaceutical pollution,” increasing numbers of drugs, and personal care products, are finding their way into drinking water supplies. As if there weren’t already enough environmental toxins.Drugs get deposited into your drinking water via two routes. One, through excretion. Drugs that you take, or that are given to livestock, do not necessarily become inert in your body. Some of the active components are not absorbed, and so they are deposited into sewage treatment centers that are not always looking for, or removing, prescription drugs. Drug-ridden waste from livestock also ends up polluting ground water, where it makes its way into soil, waterways and eventually our drinking water.The second route has to do with unused prescription drugs that are flushed down the toilet or deposited into landfills by individuals, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, where they ultimately end up back in the environment.Some of the potential

concerns include: Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses Drugs that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply People are exposed to combinations of drugs that should never be combinedEarly last year, to try to remedy the potential harm these drugs could cause to people, plants and marine life, the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies released the following guidelines: Throw most drugs in the trash after crushing them or dissolving them in water, mixing them with kitty litter, coffee grounds or other unappealing materials, and placing the mixture in a sealed

plastic bag. Remove and destroy any prescription labels before throwing away the containers. In some states, pharmacies can take back medications. When in doubt, you should ask your pharmacist for advice. However, while some of the new guidelines -- such as returning unused drugs to the pharmacy where you bought them, or asking a pharmacist what to do with them -- make great sense, others merely move the environmental peril from one place to another -- such as diluting medicines in water and mixing them in garbage that eventually ends up in a landfill near you anyway.The best way to reduce environmental drug pollution is also the simplest and most obvious -- Take Control of Your Health by cutting down the number of drugs you take in the first place. The vast majority of drugs are dangerous and unnecessary band-aids that treat symptoms without ever addressing underlying health

problems.Of course, to curb the pollution problem drug use will also have to be greatly reduced among livestock and other animals in our food supply.How to Get Clean Drinking WaterSince regular tap water may be polluted with everything from fluoride to pharmaceuticals, I recommend filtering it. I do not suggest using bottled water as an alternative because of the extreme toll it takes on the environment. Right now, the best way you can provide pure water to your family is by using a reverse osmosis filter, which you can install in your home. Remember that you may also want to filter the water that you use to bathe with, as this can be a significant source of exposure to toxins as well. Related

Articles: Drugs in Your Drinking Water May be Affecting Your Health 13 Million in US at Increased Cancer Risk Due to Arsenic in Water How Your City Adds

Chloramines to Your Tap Waterhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/2/cancer-drugs-found-in-tap-water.aspx Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now. Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.

[Guest guest]

Thank you Michele for the sites. Yes, just as the pesticides and fertilizers are being washed into the ocean, killing the coral and other life in the seas. These pollutants gets in our water tables, then into the rivers that flow into the seas. It really is worldly sea of madness!

Have to get back to cleaning house now. Keep up the sharing on health please. :-) Lots of Love All, Joy

Re: [ ] Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water

yes, Our world must be saturated with drugs from being dumped in the ocean, spreading to the fish, the sea animals and their food chain, which then we eat and its in our food chain, like the kelp, ect.

There are some states that actually allow ocean dumping, have you seen that there is a large type of dump in our ocean that is the size of texas, it has plastic and other garbage floating along. In the Pacific..Fish and birds do die from eating the debris thinking its food, it doesnt get digested and kills them.

Its a sea of madness.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2007/10/19/SS6JS8RH0.DTL & type=politics

More:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/great-pacific-garbage-patch.htm

yvette moore <iqtraveler@...> wrote:

Wonderful article. I have seen this myself, when there's the need to "waste "a drug/ medication. 2 nurses witness each other, and they get flushed down the toilets. This usually happens, when the meds are dispensed, and then the patient decides that they don't want to take it. Because dispension is done by a computer, they can't put it back, they have to waste it. Seen this on a daily basis. My first thought, what about the fish that live in the waters?michele horton <epifany97523 > wrote:

Cancer Drugs Found in Tap Water

Traces of cancer and psychiatric drugs were found in Britain’s tap water, according to a 100-page report commissioned by the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI).Despite extensive purification treatments used by water companies, traces of bleomycin, a cancer chemotherapy drug, and diazepam, a sedative, have been found in the drinking water.Though experts say the drug levels are too low to pose a direct health risk, concerns have been raised about exposing pregnant women to the drugs, which could harm an unborn child.A separate study by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Wallingford, Oxfordshire also revealed that chemotherapy drugs are being washed into Britain’s rivers. The report estimated that an adult who drinks more than three pints of water a day would receive doses of the drugs between 300 and 30,000 times lower than recommended safety levels each week. Still, some experts are worried."There is not evidence to show that drinking water treatment removes all these drugs, so while we are not wanting to alarm people, it would be foolish to assume there is no risk,” said scientist , who led the Wallingford study.

Sources:

The Telegraph January 13, 2008

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This is one unintended consequence of the drug-addicted health care paradigm plaguing the United States, and other countries as well. Dubbed “pharmaceutical pollution,” increasing numbers of drugs, and personal care products, are finding their way into drinking water supplies. As if there weren’t already enough environmental toxins.Drugs get deposited into your drinking water via two routes. One, through excretion. Drugs that you take, or that are given to livestock, do not necessarily become inert in your body. Some of the active components are not absorbed, and so they are deposited into sewage treatment centers that are not always looking for, or removing, prescription drugs. Drug-ridden waste from livestock also ends up polluting ground water, where it makes its way into soil, waterways and eventually our drinking water.The second route has to do with unused prescription drugs that are flushed down the toilet or deposited into landfills by individuals, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies, where they ultimately end up back in the environment.Some of the potential concerns include:

Some people are now exposed to traces of multiple drugs at one time, in addition to other harmful metals and chemicals in their water Many drugs in the water supply are known to have dangerous side effects when taken in normal prescription doses Drugs that were only intended for external application will now be ingested and vice versa Some individuals are allergic to drugs found in the water supply People are exposed to combinations of drugs that should never be combinedEarly last year, to try to remedy the potential harm these drugs could cause to people, plants and marine life, the Environmental Protection Agency and other government agencies released the following guidelines:

Throw most drugs in the trash after crushing them or dissolving them in water, mixing them with kitty litter, coffee grounds or other unappealing materials, and placing the mixture in a sealed plastic bag. Remove and destroy any prescription labels before throwing away the containers. In some states, pharmacies can take back medications. When in doubt, you should ask your pharmacist for advice. However, while some of the new guidelines -- such as returning unused drugs to the pharmacy where you bought them, or asking a pharmacist what to do with them -- make great sense, others merely move the environmental peril from one place to another -- such as diluting medicines in water and mixing them in garbage that eventually ends up in a landfill near you anyway.The best way to reduce environmental drug pollution is also the simplest and most obvious -- Take Control of Your Health by cutting down the number of drugs you take in the first place. The vast majority of drugs are dangerous and unnecessary band-aids that treat symptoms without ever addressing underlying health problems.Of course, to curb the pollution problem drug use will also have to be greatly reduced among livestock and other animals in our food supply.How to Get Clean Drinking WaterSince regular tap water may be polluted with everything from fluoride to pharmaceuticals, I recommend filtering it. I do not suggest using bottled water as an alternative because of the extreme toll it takes on the environment. Right now, the best way you can provide pure water to your family is by using a reverse osmosis filter, which you can install in your home. Remember that you may also want to filter the water that you use to bathe with, as this can be a significant source of exposure to toxins as well.

Related Articles:

Drugs in Your Drinking Water May be Affecting Your Health 13 Million in US at Increased Cancer Risk Due to Arsenic in Water How Your City Adds Chloramines to Your Tap Waterhttp://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/2/2/cancer-drugs-found-in-tap-water.aspx

Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Mobile. Try it now.

Looking for last minute shopping deals? Find them fast with Search.

Never miss a thing. Make your homepage.