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Pharmaceuticals in Water

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) are a growing concern for water quality.  PPCPs inlude:

  • Prescription and over-the-counter drugs
  • Veterinary drugs
  • Fragrances
  • Cosmetics
  • Sun-screen products
  • Diagnostic agents
  • Nutraceuticals (e.g., vitamins)

These substances can have an impact on both human health and environmental health.

Human Health

Recent studies have shown that PPCPs are showing up in  some of our nation's water supplies.  Because the concentration levels of these substances are so low (generally parts per trillion), they are far below prescription dosages.  However, there is growing concern that these chemicals contribute to health problems such as disruption of human hormone systems and lowered sperm counts, and they may be linked to increased rates of breast, testicular, and prostate cancer.  They also may be linked to increased incidences of hyperactivity in children. 

Environmental Health

While PPCPs may have an impact on human health, they have a much greater impact on fish and other aquatic wildlife.  These organisms are more susceptible to problems from PPCPs because they have:

  • continual exposures
  • multi-generational exposures
  • exposure to higher concentrations of PPCPs in untreated water
  • possilbe low dose effects

Around the world, changes in fish, amphibians, and other organisms have been noted.  These range from premature spawning in shellfish to the inability of fish to repair damaged fins (Reynolds 2003).  In all cases, low levels of PPCPs are a prime suspect.  For more information on the environmental impacts from PPCPs, visit the epa website http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/.

Sources of PPCPs

PPCPs get into our water from many different sources.  These include:

  • pharmaceutical industries
  • hospitals
  • medical facilities
  • households
  • veterinary drug use (especially antibiotics and steroids)
  • agricultural areas

In 1999 and 2000 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) implemented a national reconnaissance to provide baseline information on the environmental occurrence of PPCPs.  For more information, see their website at http://toxics.usgs.gov/highlights/whatsin.html.

Proper Disposal of PPCPs

For several years disposal of unused PPCPs has primarily been to flush them down the toilet.  This method is still widely practiced today, however, it is NOT the recommended way to dispose of unused medications.  Most water treatment plants are not equiped to treat these substances which means they may end up in our water largely unchanged.  Utah has a medication disposal program that is expanding in many parts of the state.  For more information, please see their website at http://www.medicationdisposal.utah.gov/index.htm or visit http://useonlyasdirected.org.  For information on resources in other states, go to http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/wyl/stateprograms.htm.

If you do not have a medication collection facility in your area, it is recommended that you mix your drugs with an undesirable substance, such as coffee ground or cat litter, and place it in a sealed bag in your trash.  Make sure you do not leave any of your personnal information on your containers before disposing of them.  For more information, see http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf.

For More Information 

Bohlander, B.  2004  Colorado State Study Finds Antibiotics used for Growth, Prevention of Diseases in Food Animals can make their way into Waterways. Press Release. http://www.news.colostate.edu/Release/656

Davis, J.  2004.  Antibiotics in the Environment. From the Ground Up - Agronomy News.  Volume 23, Issue 3.

Gujarathi and Linden.  2004.  Antibiotics in the Environment.  From the Ground Up – Agronomy News. Volume 24, Issue 3. http://www.extsoilcrop.colostate.edu/Newsletters/documents/2004_antibiotics.pdf

Jobling et al.  1996.  Inhibition of Testicular Growth in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhhynchus Mykiss) exposed to Estrogenic Alkylphenolic Chemicals.  Journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. Volume 15, Issue 2 :  194-202.

Lamb, Leah Ann.  Proper Medication Disposal (Powerpoint or pdf)

Mesner, Nancy.  Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water (Powerpoint or pdf)

Reynolds, K. 2003.  Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water Supplies.  Water Conditioning and Purification Magazine  Volume 45, Number 6. http://www.wcponline.com/NewsView.cfm?ID=2199

Ternes, TA.  1998.  Occurrence of drugs in German sewage treatment plants and rivers.  Water Research 32  (11):  3245-3260.

USEPA http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/

USGS, 2002.  Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in US Streams. USGS Fact Sheet FS-027-02 (PDF [372k]) http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/FS-027-02/

Utah Medication Disposal http://www.medicationdisposal.utah.gov/index.htm