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by According to this report from CNN the water for 28 municipalities tested positive for numerous pharmaceuticals -- including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones. Some areas tested more positive than others, but this test revealed tainted water for at least 41 million Americans.
I recently published an item about how estrogen is deadly to aquatic populations. All over the country dual-sex fish are found in watersheds. With these 'new' findings, what danger is there for the entire ecosystem? While the small PPM of these pharmaceuticals may not have a short term effect on humans; what are the long-term effects?
From the article:
"We know we are being exposed to other people's drugs through our drinking water, and that can't be good," says Dr. David Carpenter, who directs the Institute for Health and the Environment of the State University of New York at Albany.
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Filters? by VnutZ :: NR8 :: on 11 March 2008
I had skimmed the article before but went back and re-read it. Unfortunately, there was no information provided by CNN regarding measures people can take on their own to counter the effect. I was hoping to find that diligent use of filters and whatnot might help. But when you consider that water treatment facilities haven't even removed the residue ... I have my doubts that disposable charcoal filters are going to succeed were some industrial strength system failed. Or perhaps this is yet another clue that my association of "industrial strength" and capability are mistakenly related.
RE: Filters? by ldsudduth :: NR7 :: on 11 March 2008
I have my doubts that disposable charcoal filters are going to succeed...
You're right because that's exactly the method the majority of water (not wastewater, which is predominately activated sludge/ozone) treatment methods are. The other big ones are: UV, Membrane Filtration, and Ozone is also used. None of those address pharmaceuticals.
And, it's not just humans--dairy, cattle, and poultry farmers all have runoff using everything from growth hormones to sexual hormones.
Nothing in our treatment arsenal will help; we have to
I was going to post this as a separate article; but it's really just more on the same topic.
RE: Filters? by VnutZ :: NR8 :: on 11 March 2008
Just to hypothesize ... what do you think about desalinization techniques? I wonder if the evaporative process would render just pure H20. Granted, it's not the best thing to drink straight but it could be processed with minerals if necessary. I wonder if that could remove dissolved meds.
It really is amazing to think there are enough meds in the water system to even be noticeable.
RE: Filters? by ldsudduth :: NR7 :: on 11 March 2008
Desalination? I don't know for sure; I do have some friends I can ask--I used to be employed by a major water utility. My gut says it would be ok.. but this doesn't do anything to help the freshwater environment.
BUT..the small ppm, while not affecting human population, has huge effects on animal life. Try this one as well.
RE: Filters? by VnutZ :: NR8 :: on 11 March 2008
A still - that's the word I was looking for earlier. I wonder if the medicinal residue would be left as a goopy solid at the bottom while the "pure" water evaporated off the top. I can't imagine this process being feasible or energy efficient on any massive scale though.