Pharmaceuticals, including birth-control hormones and anti-seizure medications, have been found in Lake Michigan and public water supplies, according to a new study. The study was jointly sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the American Pharmacists Association.
The water system examined serves more than a quarter-million people in Grand Rapids, East Grand Rapids, Walker, part of Kentwood, Ada, Cascade and Grand Rapids townships, as well as parts of Ottawa County.
In Lake Michigan, near the Grand Rapids water filtration plant, tests found traces of Tylenol, ibuprofen, hormones from birth-control pills, and some beta blockers in heart medication, Department of Environmental Quality toxicologist Amy Perbeck stated.
In treated water at the Grand Rapids water filtration plant, scientists found traces of the anti-seizure medication carbamazepine, she said. The drugs were measured in parts per trillion -- too small to be considered a "therapeutic dose" in humans, said Perbeck.
"Someone would have to drink 17,000 gallons of water to get the concentration they would get in one ibuprofen pill," she said.
However, Perbeck expressed concern about the effect of birth-control hormones on fish, stating "The fish are constantly exposed to hormones." In some parts of the country, scientists have found male fish with female ovarian tissues.
Professor Rick Rediske, senior program manager at Grand Valley State University's Annis Water Resources Institute, pointed out even the smallest amounts of pharmaceuticals, as well as substances such as anti-bacterial soap, could harm aquatic life.
He referred to shellfish, which excrete serotonin to signal they are ready to mate. Trace amounts of serotonin in anti-depressants such as Prozac could send false messages.
"It can mess up part of their life cycle," he said, "It's very complicated when there are very low levels of exposure over a long time."
While some scientists claim the drugs are too diluted to harm humans, they acknowledge no one knows the dangers of lifetime exposure.
"Pharmaceuticals are toxic chemicals that pollute the environment, and the pharmaceutical industry has so far refused to take responsibility for the environmental impact of its products," explained Mike Adams, author of The Real Safety Guide to Protecting Your Environment, "Consumers need to be warned that popping pills is not just harmful to your own health; it's also harmful to the health of water supplies and aquatic systems."
Related Articles
• Pure Water, Pure Consciousness: Finding a Water Filter That Works
• The Poisoning of America's Water Supplies
• Water: The World Is Facing a Dire Shortage of This Essential Element
• The Dangers of Dehydration (Part I)
• Water Restoration Act May Lead to Privatization of Water Supply
 |
Additional Resources:
water
pharmaceuticals
water supplies
|
Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com
 Email this article to a friend
 Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us
Permalink to this article: http://www.NaturalNews.com/021886.html
Reprinting this article: Non-commercial OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link.
|
 |
 |
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE
 Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber!
- Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more.
- Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.
|
|
 |
 |
Recommended Special Report:
 Seven Words that can Change the World
by Joseph R. Simonetta
Read this special report now...
"Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com
|
More on NaturalNews.com:
• Streaming Health Ranger Videos
• CounterThink Cartoons
• FREE Special Reports
• Podcasts
|
 |
|
 |
 |
NEW 6-CD audio set reveals amazing new protocol for reversing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and more. Click to learn more. |
 |
Own the first 8 Health Ranger Report audio programs on 6 CDs. Covers weight loss, ADHD, vaccinations, processed meats, bone health and more. Click to learn more. |
Featured Videos
Short clip on Aspartame
A short clip on aspartame from the documentary All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive video on Aspartame
The dangers of aspartame! Exclusive interview footage from Cori Brackett of Sweet Remedy.
Click here to view now...
Exclusive Footage from All Jacked Up!
See interview footage featuring the Health Ranger in the upcoming junk food film, All Jacked Up.
Click here to view now...
Drug Ad Parody
See the Health Ranger's satire parody of Merck's cholesterol drug ad.
Click here to view now... |
Honeybees Go on Strike
The Corn Ethanol Biofuels Sham
The Plan for the Food Supply
|
|
Read recommendations on supplement companies, health food manufacturers and personal care product makers that you can trust. Our 100% independent review list tells you who to trust and who to avoid in the natural health industry. Click to read. |
|
Printable Version
