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Pharmawater: An AP investigative series
Monday, March 10, 2008 11:42 AM EDT
A five-month-long inquiry by The Associated Press National Investigative Team has determined that traces of many pharmaceuticals _ including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones _ have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans. Some water supply systems screen for drugs _ one major city found 56 pharmaceuticals or byproducts in treated drinking water _ but usually they don't tell customers what they find. In a three-part series "PharmaWater," the AP shows how drugs _ mostly the residue of medications taken by people, excreted and flushed down the toilet _ have gotten into the water supplies of at least 24 major metropolitan areas. And it details growing concerns among scientists that this pollution has adversely affected wildlife, and may threaten human health. "We recognize it is a growing concern and we're taking it very seriously," says an environmental official in the Bush administration.
CLICK HERE for a 3D interactive on the cycle of drugs in drinking water supplies, along with a review of major metropolitan areas where pharmaceuticals have been found in drinking water supplies
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