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Report Released on Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water

September 12, 2011

A new report from government investigators says a task force responsible for studying the risks of pharmaceuticals in drinking water is at an impasse. The report says its been five years since federal regulators were told to decide whether to limit prescription drugs in U.S. drinking water. The task force appears to be no closer to understanding the problem or whether the contaminants should be regulated under the Clean Water Act.

The new report by the Government Accountability Office shows a large number of prescription drugs  in the U.S. water supply including hormones, antibiotics and painkillers. But the extent of the contamination and whether it poses a risk to human health remains unclear.

A government work group in charge of finding the answer was created in 2006. The group, Pharmaceuticals in the Environment, included represntatives from six agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administsration. The group generated a draft report but it was never released because of internal disagreements. The GAO report calls for the creation of a new, permanant task force to investigate the health impact of drug’s in drinking water.

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Drinking Water Violations Widespread

July 26, 2011

Federal regulations that keep our drinking water safe are not being followed in many states. An investigation by Congress shows many states are failing to report health violations such as elevated levels of arsenic and chlorine in drinking water. 14 states either failed to tell or inaccurately reported hundreds of violations at public water systems to the EPA in 2009. The report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO)  found 778 health-based drinking water violations that should have been reported to the EPA either went unreported or were inaccurately reported. Chlorine and other disinfectants are put in water to reduce microorganisms, but the GAO says long term ingestion of unsafe levels can increase the risk of cancer and could attack the nervous system and kidneys.

The federal law that protects drinking water requires states to collect data from community water systems. If violations have occurred, states must take enforcement action and report violations to the EPA which will decides whether or not it needs to step in to protect public health. After the release of the GAO report, several lawmakers called for increased funding to the EPA to improve drinking water protection. Due to budget constraints, the EPA recently stopped data collection that would reveal whether health violations were accurately reported by states.

The report says the EPA’s ability to identify water systems with the most serious problems is compromised. The GAO report recommends the EPA resume data collection and find out whether states with drinking water issues followed up with enforcement action. In response to the GAO report, Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass) assailed a proposal before the House of Representatives which would cut $134 million dollars from the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program, saying it would only compound the problem highlighted by the report.

 

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Methane Gas Found in Water Wells Near Drilling Sites

May 11, 2011

A controversial form of drilling for natural gas could be contaminating nearby drinking water wells. A new study found that methane levels in private water wells are 17 times higher when they are within 1,000 feet of natural gas drilling site. The Duke University study tested wells in Pennsylvania and New York for methane and found measurable amounts of the gas in 85 percent of the wells with higher levels showing up closer to the drilling. At least nine wells had methane levels exceeding what the Interior Department calls an “action level” which means the well should be vented immediately. The controversial process of drilling for natural gas is called hydraulic fracturing or fracking. The drilling method involves blasting water mixed with sand and chemicals deep underground to fracture shale formations and allow natural gas to escape. Shale gas has about 90 percent methane which is colorless, odorless and tasteless but is also explosive and can cause asphyxiation. Researchers only found evidence of methane contamination but no levels of fracking fluids which contains high levels of salts, contaminants and radioactivity.The study also found not all wells close to drilling sites had methane suggesting that methane leakage is not an automatic side effect of drilling but more likely an improperly run drill-pipe. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently investigating the potential impacts of fracking on drinking water, public health and the environment. Researchers recommend more research into the medical effects of methane exposure and more study of disposal of fracturing fluid and the waste that comes up with it. They also say governments should require disclosure of the chemicals in fracturing fluid and Congress should order regulation of fracturing under the Safe Water Drinking Act.

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Strict Guidelines Proposed for Protecting Water

April 28,2011

Millions of acres of wetlands and thousands of miles of streams will be better protected from pollution under new federal guidelines. The Obama administration released a national clean water framework that protects the health of America’s waters. The new guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency could prevent the dumping of mining waste and the discharge of industrial pollutants into water that feed swimming holes and provide drinking water. The new guidelines will specify which streams, wetlands and waterways are protected under the Clean Water Act. The question of which waterways qualify for pollution protection has been in dispute and in limbo for a decade. Environmental groups applauded the announcement. A spokeperson for the Natural Resources Defense Council says even very small streams and wetlands can contribute to our drinking water, filter pollution and absorb flood waters. Since 1972, the Clean Water Act has kept billions of pounds of pollution out of America’s waterways, doubling the number of waters that meet safety standards for swimming and fishing. Despite the progress, it’s estimated that one-third of America’s waters do not meet the standards of the Clean Water Act.

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EPA Will Regulate Toxins in Drinking Water

Millions of Americans are exposed to a toxic chemical in their drinking water.  It’s called perchloate, a chemical that has contaminated hundreds of public water wells and has been linked to thyroid problems in pregnant women and young children. The Environmental Protection Agency now says it is developing new regulations for perchloate and 16 other chemicals that can invade water supplies and impair human health. Perchloate occurs naturally in very small amounts and is also used in rocket fuel, explosives and fireworks. In the past, industrial users of perchloate often dumped it into unlined pits where it would leach into groundwater. The chemical has been found in drinking water, groundwater and soil in 45 states. A study by the Food and Drug Administration also found it in 74% of tested food items. The Washington Post reports the Bush administration in 2008 bucked the advice of its own EPA scientists and announced it would not regulate perchloate. The chemical can inhibit thyroid hormone production especially in fetuses and infants which studies show can lead to developmental delays and lower IQs. EPA officials say it will take several years to develop new standards and propose a formal rule.

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Report Ties Chemical in Drinking Water to Coal Ash

A cancer-causing toxic chemical found in samples of drinking water across the U.S. is now being tied to leaking coal ash sites. The connection between the chemical and coal ash waste is detailed in a new report by Earthjustice. The report found the toxic chemical hexavalent chromium at several coal ash sites across the country. Hexavalent chromium first made headlines in the movie “Erin Brokovich”, the true story of a woman who sued Pacific Gas and Electric because of poisioned drinking water from the chemical. New information contained in the report shows hexavalent chromium can leak from coal ash dump sites and that the sites have contaminated water with much higher concentrations of the toxic chemical. Coal ash is the waste produced by coal-fired power plants. Earthjustice counsel Lisa Evans says “it is now abundantly clear that the EPA must control coal ash disposal to prevent the poisoning of our drinking water with hexavalent chromium.” Studies by the EPA and the Agency for Toxic Substances Disease Registry show ingesting even minute amounts of hexavalent chromium increases the risk of cancer.

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EPA Urges Testing for Cancer-Causing Chemical in Water

Public water systems should test and monitor for the chemical chromium-6 on a regular basis. That’s the advice from the Environmental Protection Agency. Chromium-6 (hexavalent chromium) attracted worldwide attention from the movie “Erin Brokovich” and a recent study found the cancer-causing metal in the tap water of more than two dozen cities. The EPA’s new guidelines encourage quarterly or semi-annual testing for the metal. The advice is not binding but could be a first step toward national limits that help reduce cancer risk from exposure to contaminated water. Right now the EPA requires testing only for total chromium, which includes chromium-6. The agency has promised to complete a full scientific review of chromium-6 by this summer. A recent draft concluded that ingesting the metal in drinking water is likely to be carcinogenic in humans. The EPA’s latest data show that no water system is in violation of the current standards for total chromium. But a recent study by the non-profit Environmental Working Group found the chemical in tap water from 31 of 35 cities tested.

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LA After-School Program Helps Kids Ditch Disposable Water Bottles


The after-school program LA’s Better Educated Students for Tomorrow (BEST) is working with the American Chemistry Council (ACC) to educate young people about the importance of drinking water and the importance of recycling. On October 22, 2010 LA’s BEST began its second-run of Go H2O!, an initiative to challenge students to drink one bottle of water every afternoon. At the courtesy of the ACC, each student received a reusable water bottle which will help the student meet his or her goal without polluting the environment with disposable water bottles. The program also includes tips on the environmental benefits of recycling which the students will learn through after-school games and lessons. The program will run until November 12th, and is active at 89 LA’s BEST school sites. Steve Russell of the ACC said, “Working with LA’s BEST has allowed us to provide an educational program for more than 30,000 students. We are pleased to be part of a partnership that not only teaches kids the importance of recycling but also the importance of healthy habits.”

How can you Do Your Part?

Do Your Part and ditch those disposable plastic water bottles too! Disposable plastic water bottles are major waste of natural resources. In fact, it takes about 3 times as much water to make the bottle than it does to fill it. Do Your Part and switch to a reusable bottle. If you choose a plastic water bottle, look for ones that are BPA-free. Other options include metal bottles that are made form aluminum or stainless steel. For other tips about banning the bottled water in your home, watch this DYP feature.

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A Bottled Water Breakthrough

One North Carolina company is getting creative while trying to tackle the disposable water bottle problem. The Charlotte Observer reports Clearwater Manufacturing has created a water bottle refilling machine to reduce the impact of all those individual plastic bottles. The machines purifies the water on site and then bottles it in sterilized glass or aluminum bottles that can be returned to the machine to be reused again. This is such a great idea for hospitals, colleges, sporting arenas and theme parks!

How Can You Do Your Part?

You can Do Your Part by investing in reusable water bottles or when you have to buy bottled water, pick a better one. This Do Your Part video walks you through all the ways to reduce your bottled water habit!

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Prozac Found In Wild Fish

A Texas magazine has shed a little more light on the reality of chemicals in our waterways and it isn’t pretty. In addition to pesticides and insecticides, scientists are now finding traces of pharmaceuticals, both prescription and over-the-counter; flame retardants; cosmetics; and more. The newly identified chemicals are dubbed “emerging contaminants” and they have scientists all over the nation testing and sampling the waterways. The rivers and streams of particular interest are those that feed the drinking water supply. But according to the article, local municipalities are not mandated to test waste-water and drinking water plants for these emerging contaminants which means some officials may not be directly aware of what’s in the water.

While the prevalence of the contaminants is disconcerting alone, scientists are concerned about the volatility of the mixture.  While alone each chemical may have documented tests on its isolated effects, many scientists are in agreement that it’s difficult to predict all the possible outcomes of a mixture. Much like we can experience side effects from mixing prescription medicines,  a mixture of chemicals might create a more dangerous chemical, or, conversely, make both substances disappear altogether.

Currently, the scientific body is poring over the effects these chemicals are having on the aquatic life. One South Carolina study tested the effects of Prozac on striped bass. While the tested amounts were significantly small compared to a human’s prescription dosage, the effects on the fish were surprising. The researchers found that Prozac impaired the fish’s ability to catch its food—an outcome that could have a rippling effect on the entire eco-system.

To read the full Texas Observer article, refer to the links below.

Links:
Texas Observer: There’s Something In The Water
Atrazine: Is It In Your Drinking Water?

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