The new pollution
Last August, I rang the warning bell for those of you living near Lake Michigan about a study conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the American Pharmacists Association that found water supplies derived from the lake are contaminated. Not with pesticides or waste byproducts from factories (although I'm sure both of those things are true as well), but with pharmaceutical drugs -- and some big guns, at that: things like birth-control pill hormones, beta blockers, antidepressants, and anti-seizure medications. Unfortunately, that discovery in the Midwest was just the beginning. Since that story broke, more research has been done around the country and an Associated Press investigation has found that "drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas -- from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, KY." And those findings were just ones in major metropolitan areas. As the AP article goes on to say "The situation is undoubtedly worse than suggested by the positive test results in the major population centers documented." Brace yourself -- it gets worse before it gets better. The AP article also said that opting for bottled water or even installing a home filtration system doesn't necessarily mean you're in the clear. Apparently, most commercial bottlers don't test or treat their water for pharmaceuticals, and, since some are simply bottling tap water anyway, there's a very real chance that at least some brands (and there's no real way to know which ones) are contaminated with drugs. Home filtration systems also aren't a fool-proof safety move. They're designed to filter out chemicals like chlorine, but most systems have never been tested to see if they also work on pharmaceuticals. Now for the good news. There is one type of filtration that does appear to eliminate almost all traces of pharmaceuticals in water supplies: reverse osmosis. The problem with reverse osmosis is that it isn't likely to be adopted by those major metropolitan areas with drug-contaminated water flowing through their pipes anytime soon. The pricetag involved in adopting such a system is one most big cities -- let alone small towns and rural areas -- just can't afford. But when it's done on a smaller scale, as in the size of your own household, the cost is much more manageable. Home units using reverse osmosis are available from a number of sources (just type "reverse osmosis filtration systems" into google.com or any other Internet search engine and you'll turn up dozens -- if not hundreds -- of sources). But a word to the wise: Don't be swayed by a model just because it's much less expensive than others. Units range in price, and likely in quality, so it pays to shop around and do your homework before deciding on one. You may find that the best one isn't the cheapest. But when you consider the alternative of being exposed to potentially dangerous pharmaceutical drugs every time you turn on the faucet, it quickly becomes less of an "expense" and more of an investment in your health and the health of your family. Source:
"AP probe finds drugs in drinking water," The Associated Press, 3/9/08 | 
