Don't Drink The Water

If you are looking for a reason not to drink water, take a look at this bit of information about water in a major metropolitian area. Southern California waters now harbor tiny amounts of prescription medications released with treated sewage.

"There is no place on Earth exempted from having pharmaceuticals...in its wastewater," Shane Snyder, head toxicologist at the Southern Nevada Water Authority, told the Los Angeles Times. "This is clearly an issue that is global, and we're going to see more and more of these chemicals in the environment; no doubt about it."

The drugs (including Viagra, Prozac and steroids) in rivers and lakes are probably so diluted that there is no immediate threat to human health. But researchers say that no one knows the effect of ingesting small quantities of these drugs for decades. In other words, if your grandkids start turning green like "The Hulk", you may have an explanation.

Amounts that are harmless to people can also devastate wildlife. Biologists have found examples of fish affected by estrogen and are studying how turning fresh water into pharmaceutical cocktails affects frogs and other aquatic life.


Source Materials From United Press International