Pharmaceuticals in Atlanta’s drinking water
March 10, 2008 at 11:29 am by Scott Freeman in NewsAn investigation by the Associated Press has revealed traces of pharmaceuticals in Atlanta’s drinking water.
Tests on Atlanta’s drinking water turned up traces of acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol), caffeine and cotinine. Cotinine is a chemical made by the human body from nicotine.
Other water systems turned up antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones, as well as over-the-counter pain medicines.
Yum.
The pharmaceuticals enter the water stream through treated sewage. The treatment process does not remove them.
The state is considering whether to test water and sediment near drinking water intake pipes for pharmaceuticals. It may also test for PFOA, the Teflon chemical used to make nonstick and stain-resistant coatings.
PFOA has been linked to cancer and birth defects, and it is found in the bloodstream of most Americans.
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March 10th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
so we essentially have Midol coming out of our taps.
is this a part of International Women’s Day?
March 10th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
I’ve thought it was funny that I haven’t had a headache since moving to Atlanta.
March 10th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I’ve thought it was funny that I’ve lost my Adam’s apple, now wear pastels and billowy pant-suits, and often find myself crying at Kleenex commercials since I moved back. Thanks, water system!
March 10th, 2008 at 6:15 pm
blog activity is way up this week. i thought it was crossover day or the ides of march but after reading this, i think they have already started filtering the lithium out.
March 11th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Sorry, but this is the kind of fear-mongering “how safe is your water” reportage I would expect from an I-Team investigation, not the Loaf. I’m all for clean water, but I’m a little disappointed you guys omitted the part about how infinitesimally small the traces of contaminants were.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
Dear Please –
I think what elevates this AP story beyond typical “Let’s get scared” local news reporting is that, based on what I’ve read in the past 24 hours, there aren’t a lot of studies about how even small amounts of certain of these substances can effect people over years.
It may be nothing.
After all, it’s probably silly to be concerned about trace levels of hormones in water if you regularly ingest doped-up animal products.
There’s nothing in the story that’s gonna make me give up tap water, but it makes me want to know more about what municipalities are doing to ensure water quality.