Nexus - 1203 - New Times Magazine-pages

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DRUGS AND CHEMICALS STRAIGHT FROM THE TAP CHEMICALS DRUGS AND STRAIGHT TAP FROM THE Evidence is mounting that many of the poisons that are polluting our waterways, our water supplies and our bodies are sourced from pharmaceutical drugs and personal care products. ‘ave you ever wondered what happens to the hundreds of millions of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications that are swallowed daily throughout the world? Probably not! So, here's something to ponder as you're sipping your morn- ing coffee or relaxing in your spa bath. Up to 90 per cent of every drug that a person takes into their body is either excreted from the body totally unchanged or is broken down into an active metabolite before being flushed down the toilet and into the sewerage system, ultimately finding its way into the water supply. But there's one more step to this chain of events: this chemical potpourri eventually returns to us every time we turn on the kitchen faucet. In addition to pharmaceutical drugs, there's another group of chemicals sneaking into the water supply. More than 10,500 chemical ingredients are used to manufacture what is collec- tively known as personal care products. These are products that most of us can't imagine living without: the moisturisers, cleansers, bubble baths, shampoos, fragrances, deodorants, mouth- washes, sunscreens, etc. It is now proven that vast numbers of these chemicals interfere with our endocrine, neurological, respiratory and immune systems. This collection of chemical compounds is now officially known as Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Pollutants (PPCPs), a label which refers in general to any product consumed by individuals for personal health or cosmetic reasons. PPCPs comprise a broad, diverse array of thousands of chemical substances, including prescription and over-the-counter therapeutic drugs, fragrances, cosmetics, sunscreen agents, diagnostic agents, nutraceuticals, biopharmaceu- ticals and many others. Until recently, little if any thought had been given to the consequences from the staggering quantities of chemicals that are washed down the sink, flushed as human waste down the toilet or rinsed from our bodies into drains. According to Dr Christian G. Daughton, EPA scientist and a leading researcher in the PPCP field, "the amount of pharmaceuticals and personal care products entering the environment annually is about equal to the amount of pesticides used each year"! Many pharmaceutical and personal care products have persistent chemicals and compounds that remain biologically active even when they are disposed of in landfills and water systems. Hospitals, doctors' offices, veterinary clinics, farms, ranches and even the average home are major contributors to the PPCP overload. Other sources include unused medications, which are commonly flushed down the toilet, leaks from failing septic systems and discharges from waste- water treatment plants. It's indeed a most sobering thought to realise that our personal grooming habits as well as our reliance on pharmaceutical drugs may, however unwittingly, be contribut- ing to a global PPCP problem. It is reasonable to surmise that the occurrence of PPCPs in water supplies is not a new phenomenon; it's just that it remained unrecognised for decades. Current knowledge about PPCPs is due to remarkable advances in science that have enabled the detection of compounds in water at infinitesimal concentrations. These advances have finally piqued interest in the extent of the presence and persistence of PPCPs in water, as well as their effects on aquatic organisms and, most importantly, their possible effects on human health. The fact is, no one really knows how these chemical mixtures might be altering our health. But there are plenty of clues. Many chemicals are designed to profoundly affect human physiology. Dr Daughton warns that it wouldn't be surprising if they affected fish, birds, frogs and insects as well. However, unlike pesticides, these drugs—as well as shampoos, sunscreens and other personal care products—are not examined for their effect on the environment before they're placed on the market. by Sherrill Sellman, ND © 2005 GetWell International PO Box 690416 Tulsa, OK 74169-0416, USA Email: golight@earthlink.net Website: http://www.ssellman.com APRIL — MAY 2005 NEXUS = 35 PHARMACEUTICAL AND PERSONAL CARE POLLUTANTS (PPCPs) www.nexusmagazine.com