Mar 13, 2008 1:38 pm US/Pacific
Water Worries Don't Wash Away
Barbara Kessler
Get a little queasy pouring yourself a nice cool glass of potentially
mind-altering agua this week? The drinking water investigation by the Associated
Press, which found traces of many medicines – including tranquilizers and mood
drugs — in water supplies across the country, has apparently left an aftertaste
in several quarters.
In response to the weekend report, the governor of Illinois and the New York
City Council have announced they want more information on the quality of their
drinking water.
Gov. Rod Blagojevich has ordered a screening of the state's water sources and
will work with local authorities to test the city water in Chicago, which was
one of the large cities cited as not routinely testing its water in the AP
story.
The AP series uncovered trace amounts of heart medications, hormones,
mood-leavening and cholesterol -lowering drugs in water supplies from the North
East to Southern California. Though it was unclear how dangerous these chemicals
are to human health (and there was no suggestion that the drugs were present in
high enough quantities to cause any immediate danger or psychedelic effects),
the story reported long term harm to fish in some contaminated waters.
In New York City, where the AP found traces of several medicines in the
city's upstate water sources, the City Council has planned a hearing for April
3.
Meanwhile, the Senate will hold hearings called by Sens. Frank Lautenberg,
D-N.J., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. In addition, Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has
asked the Environmental Protection Agency for full disclosure on
"pharmaceuticals in our water."
In a story about the hearings, the Washington Post tried to
determine the degree of threat from the traces of drugs. Experts they
interviewed said they wouldn't tell anyone not to stop drinking municipal water
because of the contaminants, but also viewed the problem as a bellwether. One
expert likened the situation to the proverbial canary in the mine, saying the
findings are an alert about the impurity of our water supplies.
More information, see the AP's original piece.
(Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media)
