A number of recent newspaper articles have reported on the presence of trace amounts of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals in our water supply, both here in Illinois and nationally.
Hormones from birth control pills and Viagra. Chemicals such as DEET from insect repellent. Drugs such as painkillers and Prozac. All of the above have been found in very small amounts (parts per trillion) in water samples taken from Chicago area waterways.
We really shouldn’t be surprised. Think about how many drugs we take: from prescription medications such as antibiotics, cancer treatments, and anti-depressants, to over-the-counter products like vitamins, nasal decongestants, and ibuprofen. It's gotten to the point where major pharmaceutical companies are now developing two new drugs for dogs – one to address obesity and another to help with sleep problems.
These substances are entering our waterways because people flush unused or expired medicine down the toilet and because we excrete what our bodies don’t absorb.
