Posted on 03/10/2008 10:36:58 AM PDT by metmom
A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.
To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.
But the presence of so many prescription drugs — and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
ping
We can’t devote serious scientific resources to issues like these, no matter how compelling they might appear to be. The mass hysteria over global warming must continue.
Time to get a reverse-osmosis filtering system....
Yup.
I saw some “scientist” freaking out about this on TV, and figured it was measured in parts per million, but it seems to be parts per billion or trillion. Sounds like our ability to measure such minute quantities out weighs our common sense. You’d be amazed at whats in the air you breath if you go into parts per billion.
Distilled water most closely fits the definition of “pure” water.
That’s all one should drink.
OK, that’s it! I’m leaving the planet! I’m moving to California!
-—yeah—and I first heard about it “seriously” in Leadville , Colorado vis-a-vis the local water supply forty years ago and it was goiing to sterilize us all—doesn’t seem to have happened—
LOL! I bet you’re right.
I’m so glad I have my own well water!
Compelling indeed! measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion,
Parts per trillion is serious or compelling? You're talking about a bird crapping in a lake and calling the entire lake a biohazrd.
The hydrologists out there may appreciate this:
Q: How did they detect Viagra in the water sample data?
A: Stiff diagrams.
Increased estrogen in males does not sterilize them. Increased estrogen supplants testosterone leading to decrease muscle mass, increased belly fat, lowered libido, decreased strength, and increased moodiness and depression. Yeah, I know it’s funny, but while it certainly may sterilize anyone, there’s a lot of unnatural estrogen floating around in the water supply. Who’s to say the impact this may or may not have had?
-with the proliferation of chem labs since the EPA became god, you can literally find anything in everthing and everything in anything --in parts per billion or trillion--and it is of no practical consequence whatsoever--
It sounds like you have decided that it is not compelling. I've made no determination either way. Because I cannot look at a sentence, see parts per trillion, and know that it is irrelevant. I have to see research that shows me why is or is not irrelevant. For ex, there are chemicals believed to cause cancer in tiny quantities.
Keep in mind this is not parts per trillion of one drug in isolation. It can be dozens of drugs, maybe more. My own opinion that it is not something to take lightly, but an issue deserving of research.
I was thinking that drinking the pee itself would be more of an issue than the estrogen...... :-)
Seriously, isn’t the real problem that Homeopathy tells us these drugs, even in such minute quantities, will have caused the water to take on the properties of the drugs that are no longer measurable in any real quantities?
:-)
OK, that wasn’t serious either. Can I use this excuse on my next drug test?
Isn’t California the one that wanted to treat human waste water for drinking water? That would really be tasty.
Sorry, but this is done across the nation right now. As a former waste treatment operator, I can tell you that as bad as it may seem, the water exiting a waste treatment operation is cleaner than 99% of the streams in this country. To make it safe to drink, all you need do is add some alum to settle murkiness, sand filter it for sediment, chlorinate to kill bacteria, and it is now ready.If you're going to bottle it and sell it on store shelves, you also o-zonate it.
Don’t forget the grain alcohol. (Hats off to Dr. Strangelove)
My well is right off the river. I’ve been drinking fish poo my whole life and haven’t grown fins yet.
My well is right off the river. I’ve been drinking fish poo my whole life and haven’t grown fins yet.
Well, you really just made my day. Can you tell me if this is also happening to “spring water”?. I never understood the difference between, spring water, mineral water, distilled water, infant water, drinking water and purifed water. Can you tell me. I am very interested now. But this overall discovery is not very pleasant to hear about. Any info you have would be most appreciated.
Five or six years ago, there was a report about a chemical in birth control pills that had changed the sex or fish. This latest story is a follow up, and a pretty good one.
I knew there was a reason so many are nuts in the blue states....LOL!!
“I drink only grain alcohol and rainwater” General Jack D. Ripper.
My understanding is that nobody should drink distilled water. It can throw off your electolyte balance and kill you. Distilled water does not exist in nature.
Back 20yrs ago, it was mercury in fish from Great Lakes.
At the time I wondered and commented on, if scientific testing was not getting better. I often commented that if they tested fish from 100 yrs ago with todays methods would not results be close.
However I am not holding my breath for that to happen, scientists would not run test for fear of losing grants to run these silly tests.
I am interested if this is valid, but only interested.
Having typed above, I am not surprised, we are using more drugs, be they for contraceptive or general health.
They will turn up somewhere in the enviroment, due to fact that we all excrete into enviroment
As to what we breathe I agree, pollen, exhaust gasses, dust or whatever.
Drink alcohol, you know what fish do in the water.
Para or ripping off WC Fields
I guess the bottom line is: “Always drink down stream!”
A common myth regarding distilled water.
Here are some facts...
Distillation, when combined with carbon filtration, will kill and remove virtually 100% of bacteria, viruses, cysts, and will remove heavy metals, inorganics; including minerals, radionuclides, particulates, and organics; including VOC’S.
Over 95% of our minerals come from our food and less than 5% from drinking water. You would practically have to drown yourself by drinking it to get the RDA of any beneficial minerals.
Pure water refers to water that is H2O, and that’s it! It’s not H20 with calcium, iron, fluoride, etc... Distilled water comes the closest to this definition.
Distilled water will not leach minerals from your body. There has never been any documented evidence to prove this claim true. It is perfectly safe to drink.
Long term drinking of distilled water is not deleterious to your teeth. LOL
We have used only distilled water for drinking and in recipes in our home for ten years.
My own opinion is that "dose makes the poison."
My own opinion is that 100.000000% pure water can be deadly toxic.
My own opinion is that we are bombarded every day by 'minute levels' of radiation which may cause cancer and/or kil you.
My own opinion is that this is a scientifically content-free article from fox news which is worthy of absolutely nothing but 'buy a RO filter' or 'only drink bottled water' BS scare-monger level....and the "serious science" that may or may not be justified at one or another lakes etc has nothing to do with this article.
To be labeled "Spring Water" it must come from a "spring". But, that doesn't mean the spring was clean. Mineral water has a couple (usually) of minerals added, and if you run tap water through a sock, it has now been "filtered" and could be called purified (though there is no such thing as "pure water".) Impurities are still present, just to what degree?
This is my problem with the entire bottled water industry. No standards. Truthfully, I'd trust tap water first. The municipality has state regulations that MUST be met. Want it cleaner or without chlorine? Run the tap water through a carbon or charcoal filter (pretty cheap at Lowes or Home Depot)
Drink all that sewer water you want Sam.
Just the chlorine, and fluorine are sufficient reasons not to drink, or cook with unfiltered water.
thanks for not mandating what I have to drink!
Over at DU they think the drug companies are to blame by dumping their waste into the water. It didn’t occur to them that it may be from Grandma flushing her old pills down the toilet, or from peoples liver and kidneys flushing out some of the drug, as not all of it gets used by the body.
I’m not talking about mineral loss as in calcium, fluoride, iron. I’m talking electrolytes - salts.
Drinking too much water period can cause hyponatremia. That can be exacerbated by having it be distilled where there’s NO other minerals to make up for what your body is losing.
Distilled water will pit stainless steel pots. I’ve seen it happen to mine so only use glass to boil my canning jar lids in.
Water does not come distilled in nature. It always has something in it.
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