Do pharmaceuticals in the drinking water pose a public health risk, and what steps can be taken to reduce the likelihood of pharmaceuticals getting into the water supply?
Those were some of the questions asked during a water summit held Monday at the Lake Forest Health and Fitness Center
State Sen. Susan Garrett, D-29th, of Lake Forest, invited representatives from the U.S. and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, the Illinois Department of Public Health, the Office of the Governor, the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and other experts to talk about the issue of pharmaceuticals in drinking water.
Garrett said recent studies have found trace amounts of pharmaceuticals in public water supplies, including anti-seizure medication, anti-depressants, cholesterol medication and blood pressure medication.
"We're focusing on the issue of pharmaceuticals in the water to determine if there is in fact any danger, and at what level that danger exists," she said.
Representatives from the IEPA said present levels of pharmaceuticals in the water supply are very low and do not pose a health risk, but recommended further study of the issue.
"We think at this point in time, all the water supplies are very safe in terms of pharmaceuticals," said Tom Hornshaw, chief toxicologist for the Illinois EPA.
Hornshaw said tests done of selected water supplies in the Chicago area found last year found extremely low levels of pharmaceuticals in water, but he said more samples would be taken at different locations this year.
Down the drain
Pharmaceuticals can get into the water supply in several ways, including residents flushing unused drugs down the drain or toilet. Pharmaceuticals can also be excreted from the body through urine.
William Cooper, professor and director of the Urban Water Research Center at the University of California at Irvine, discussed the use of advanced oxidation techniques that can be used to remove pharmaceutical contaminants found in wastewater and reduce the chances of those contaminants getting into drinking water.
Cooper said there is currently is not enough research on whether pharmaceuticals in the drinking water pose a risk to public health.
"The jury is still out on whether low concentrations are a problem or not," he said. "Pharmaceuticals are developed for specific populations. It's possible that non-targeted populations may be exposed."
Cooper said as the U.S. population continues to grow, and the population grows older, the amount of pharmaceuticals in the water supply could begin a bigger issue.
"As the population ages, we're going to be using more pharmaceuticals, not less," he said.
Properly disposing of pharmaceuticals can be a challenge. Throwing away pharmaceutical drugs in the trash can also pose a problem because drug dealers have been known to scavenge through garbage looking for prescription narcotics, which they then use to make meth or other illegal drugs.
The IEPA has had a pilot program for drop-off sites to properly dispose unused prescription drugs and Garrett wants to expands that program.
Garrett said she has sponsored "Do Not Flush" legislation, which would prevent hospitals and health care providers from improperly flushing or disposing of pharmaceuticals.
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