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hubie [soylentnews.org] writes:

In 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey [usgs.gov] sampled 59 small streams in the Southeastern United States for 108 different pharmaceutical compounds and detected one or more pharmaceuticals in all 59 streams [usgs.gov]. The average number of pharmaceuticals detected in the streams was six. The research was posted online as an open access paper [acs.org] on May 24 in the journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters [acs.org].

The most common pharmaceutical chemicals detected are:

• Metformin: Used to treat Type II diabetes, this chemical was detected in 89 percent of samples
• Lidocaine: Used as a pain reliever, this chemical was detected in 38 percent of samples
• Acetaminophen: Used as a pain reliever, this chemical was detected in 36 percent of samples
• Carbamazepine: Used to treat seizures, this chemical was detected in 28 percent of samples
• Fexofenadine: Used as an anti-histamine, this chemical was detected in 23 percent of samples
• Tramadol: An opioid pain reliever, this chemical was detected in 22 percent of samples

Although much uncertainty remains as to how pharmaceuticals affect aquatic organisms, some adverse effects have been documented. Antibiotic/antibacterial contaminants – detected in at least 20 percent of streams – can affect aquatic microbial communities, altering the base of the food web. Antihistamines, frequently detected in this study, affect neurotransmitters for many aquatic insects. And metformin, nearly ubiquitous in the streams studied, can affect the reproductive health of fish.

None of the compounds detected exceeded the benchmarks for human health concerns. Among all compounds detected, the two groups most observed were nicotine-related compounds (71 percent of samples) and caffeine-related compounds (detected in 49 percent of samples).

[BREAK]

Paper abstract:

Pharmaceutical contaminants are growing aquatic-health concerns and largely attributed to wastewater treatment facility (WWTF) discharges. Five biweekly water samples from 59 small Piedmont (United States) streams were analyzed for 108 pharmaceuticals and degradates using high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The antidiabetic metformin was detected in 89% of samples and at 97% of sites. At least one pharmaceutical was detected at every site (median of 6, maximum of 45), and several were detected at ≥10% of sites at concentrations reported to affect multiple aquatic end points. Maximal cumulative (all detected compounds) concentrations per site ranged from 17 to 16000 ng L–1. Watershed urbanization, water table depth, soil thickness, and WWTF metrics correlated significantly with in-stream pharmaceutical contamination. Comparable pharmaceutical concentrations and detections at sites with and without permitted wastewater discharges demonstrate the importance of non-WWTF sources and the need for broad-scale mitigation. The results highlight a fundamental biochemical link between global human-health crises like diabetes and aquatic ecosystem health.

Original Submission