Benadryl, Antidepressants Found Tainting US Rivers

HealthDay News:

The common antihistamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl), an anticonvulsant and two types of antidepressants were among the seven types of pharmaceuticals found in the tissue and livers of fish from waterways in or near Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Orlando, Fla. Each river is considered "effluent-dominated," because they receive large amounts of wastewater discharge from nearby sewage treatment plants.

While federal standards exist for treated wastewater, they do not address pharmaceuticals or most personal care products, and little is known about the effects they have on the environment and wildlife. This study is part of a federal strategy to address the issue.

Read the whole story: HealthDay News

Comments

[SimJack]

If we're talking specifically about drugs in streams and rivers, then they also mention the illegal ones too. It's also a significant problem. They survey for them in Europe and it seems reasonable they do in the US, but the MSM doesn't want to talk about it. I'd like to see a comprehensive scorecard for US cities relative to other environmental pollutants (fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides, agricultural drugs, etc.)

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7798
http:/www.biomedcentral.com/imedia/8996022837410581_manuscript.pdf
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,1771459,00.html

[MadCroation]

Prescription drugs are killing more people than illegal drugs.Phar­maceutical companies bribe congressmen and FDA officials to not enforce the laws. Ther are alot of corporate CEO's other than those at AIG that belong in prison.

[AngieMom57]

"THE HUMANURE HANDBOOK" by Joseph Jenkins

Read it.

[plooger]

The Romans had their lead...

[wadenelson1]

The fish are reportedly much better adjusted because of all the prozac, and their cholesterol levels are waaaay down.

[allier10]

Their allergies have improved as well.

[doriath22]

As a partially guilty party (I did contract work for Parke-Davis/Pfizer before they bailed on Ann Arbor) I can offer at least this insight, as a partial mea culpa--"There's gold in them thar pills!

[stefiz]

did anyone else read the article a few months ago about all the birth control hormones found in water and how animal species are starting to feminize... males being born with smaller or dysfunctional parts ...hermaphroditic polar bears... but no one is sure what the impact on the environment is... scary

[JoshuaLudd]

Stuff doesn't disappear as soon as its flushed, or even as soon as it goes in your mouth. This is what happens when you have a massive industrialized society, much less one that causes people to be on so many medications.

Was everyone always this messed up and miserable? Or do we just put it down to coincidence? Or do we finally admit the way we live makes us pretty miserable?

[plooger]

Or just that we're perfectly "normal," but made to think we're miserable through marketing, in order to sell us the drugs we're told we need.