Environment DEC
From the September 2008 issue
Don't Flush Medications!
Pete Grannis, Commissioner of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), announced a new initiative to help reduce the growing presence of pharmaceuticals in water bodies. The "Don't Flush Your Drugs" campaign will raise public awareness and explain how to dispose of medicines properly to help prevent problems with water quality in the future.
Reports Raise Concern
Chronic exposure to low levels of drugs in rivers and streams is altering the behavior and physiology of fish and other aquatic organisms
Recent reports have shown that New York State rivers and streams and drinking-water supplies in a number of American cities contain traces of an array of medicines. These reports indicate that pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics, can be found in the drinking-water supplies of 41 million Americans. Philadelphia officials found 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in the city's treated drinking water. Anti-epileptic and anti-anxiety medications were detected in a southern California drinking-water supply, and three medications, including an antibiotic, were found in the water supplied to Tucson, Arizona. Concentrations of the pharmaceuticals are small-far below typical medical doses-but studies have found problematic effects on wildlife, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has acknowledged that the issue is a serious concern.
An Emerging Environmental Issue
At least 24 major metropolitan areas in the U.S. have been identified as having traces of pharmaceuticals in drinking-water supplies. Scientists say pharmaceuticals get into water in a variety of ways: individuals and institutions flush unused drugs; unabsorbed drugs pass through the human body; pharmaceuticals may not be completely decomposed in septic tanks and drug manufacturers discharge pharmaceutical wastes. Wastewater treatment plants are not specifically designed to eliminate these types of chemicals, so treatment of municipal and industrial discharge is not the entire answer. Drinking-water treatment plants don't necessarily remove all drug residues either.
Preventive Campaign
Flushing is no longer the recommended disposal method. Drugs should be disguised and placed in your household trash.
In response to this issue, DEC has launched the "Don't Flush Your Drugs" campaign. Under this campaign, DEC will take steps to educate the public about the potential hazards of pharmaceuticals in water systems and about the proper disposal of unused drugs. Instead of flushing medicines, residents should place their unused, unwanted or expired drugs in the trash, taking care to destroy or disguise them to prevent their misuse or misdirection. Adding water, salt, ashes or coffee grounds to unused medications before placing them in the trash can further guard against misuse. Detailed instructions and suggestions are available online.
