[Pharmwaste] contaminants article from Oregon

[Tenace, Laurie]

Study finds contaminants from everyday products in our waterways
 http://www.katu.com/news/10402262.html 

By Anita Kissee and KATU Web Staff

PORTLAND, Ore. - The caffeine in our morning cup of coffee, the chemicals in
our shampoo, even our prescriptions - they are all ending up in our rivers
and hurting salmon, according to a recent study.

"The pharmaceuticals - for years we've been told to just flush them down the
toilet and now we're finding out that's not the best way to dispose of them,"
said Debrah Marriott from Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership, the
organization that put together the study.

Marriott said researchers set out to see what contaminants are in our local
waterways, specifically the Willamette and Columbia rivers, and how the
salmon are being affected. 

Not surprisingly, they found longtime pollutants still hanging around, like
banned pesticides, but what they did not expect to find were chemicals from
products we use every day doing damage to salmon.

"They are actually seeing the gender of species change, of salmon changing in
their own life cycle," said Marriott.

The most toxic spot of all that researchers found was right under the
Morrison Bridge.

The researchers said most of the pollutants were in low amounts, but still
significant enough to be passed up the food chain to people.

"We're not going to tell people not to drink coffee, not to wash their hair
or brush their teeth," said Marriott.  "What we hope to do is just provide
consumers with better information about what ingredients are safer."

"A lot of the pollutants being found are things people can't change or are
not going to change," said Nina Bell with Northwest Environmental Advocates.

Bell believes a broader approach is needed - more bans on products and better
filters at wastewater treatment plants.

"This is a perfect example of the kind of thing that you really can't control
at the source, you can only treat," said Bell.

But even that, said Marriott, is not a solution because it is expensive and
may not work.  She believes it is up to consumers to think about ways, and
products, they can change.

The Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership plans to start a campaign soon
to help consumers select the safest options.

Laurie J. Tenace
Environmental Specialist
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
2600 Blair Stone Road, MS 4555
Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2400
PH: (850) 245-8759
FAX: (850) 245-8811
Laurie.Tenace at dep.state.fl.us 

Mercury web pages:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/mercury/default.htm

Unwanted Medications web pages:
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/categories/medications/default.htm




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