[Pharmwaste] FW: Chemicals in water altering genders of fish (*LakePepin, Peedee and Potomac Rivers)

Catherine Zimmer zimme053 at umn.edu
Thu Feb 4 09:23:00 EST 2010


Hi Howard,
Our society does not have the money, nor is likely willing to spend the 
money,  or have the technology to render all the pharmaceuticals and 
other chemicals benign.  Many wastewater treatment plants barely can 
address domestic sewage without the added costs of tertiary treatment, 
e.g. carbon filtration, air stripping, ozone, etc. which add millions to 
smaller facilities and billions to larger facilities and nationwide. 

Minimization will come through reduced use, e.g. advocating for non-drug 
therapies, improving overall health with diet and exercise--basic public 
health tenets, and improved drugs that don't require what is essentially 
an overdose for efficacy.  Drugs that target the organ/s/cells of choice 
are being worked on, as are some that have less environmental toxicity.  
Some of those attributes have already been identified by the city of 
Stockholm.  Physicians can prescribe drugs that have less persistence in 
the environment, but similar biological action.  See, 
http://www.lif.se/cs/Publik%20webb/Sidinnehall/Publik_Dokument/Verksamheter/Milj%C3%B6/Swedish%20environmental%20classification%20of%20pharmaceuticals.pdf

Non-drug therapies include things like physical therapy, heat and cold 
treatment, massage, Neti pots, etc.  For example, this week I fell flat 
on my back, twice due to ice (due to climate change, we get rain in MN a 
lot nowadays) on the neighbor's driveway.  This is concerning because I 
had back surgery 6 years ago. To treat the subsequent pain and 
stiffness, I applied a cold pack for a day and then got back to normal 
activity.  I'm still a bit stiff, but if I keep moving I'll be fine.  
The body has  remarkable capacity to heal on its own given time and 
support, which doesn't necessarily have to include drugs. 


Catherine Zimmer
Health Care Specialist

Minnesota Technical Assistance Program
University of Minnesota
612.624.4635, 800.247.0015

http://www.mntap.umn.edu, http://www.mnexchange.org

Celebrating 25 years of helping Minnesota businesses maximize resource efficiency, increase energy efficiency, reduce costs, and prevent pollution



Howard Anderson wrote:
>
> Dear Pharmwaste List:
>
>  
>
> Remember that over  99% of these drugs come from excretions by those 
> of us who take the drugs and excrete metabolites, or in many cases 
> largely unchanged drug. We should concentrate our efforts on teaching 
> our sewage systems to render the chemicals benign. Sometimes we spend 
> a lot of time and money trying to solve 1 percent of the problem, when 
> we should be better served solving the 99 percent. Then the extra 1 
> percent would come along, as a matter of course.
>
>  
>
> Sincerely,
>
>  
>
> Howard
>
>  
>
> Howard C. Anderson, Jr.,R.Ph.
>
> Executive Director
>
> North Dakota Board of Pharmacy
>
> 1906 E. Broadway Ave.
>
> P.O. Box 1354
>
> Bismarck, ND  58502-1354
>
> Phone (701) 328-9535
>
> Fax (701) 328-9536
>
> Web site www.nodakpharmacy.com
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:* pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us 
> [mailto:pharmwaste-bounces at lists.dep.state.fl.us] *On Behalf Of *Sue 
> Dayton
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 03, 2010 1:22 PM
> *To:* pharmwaste at lists.dep.state.fl.us
> *Subject:* [Pharmwaste] FW: Chemicals in water altering genders of 
> fish (*LakePepin, Peedee and Potomac Rivers)
>
>  
>
> /The "generating source" for these hormone-disrupting chemicals found 
> in rivers and streams is PEOPLE as part of the never-ending waste 
> stream from homes, businesses, restaurants, hospitals, research labs, 
> veterinary clinics, funeral homes, nursing homes, and industry which 
> takes a brief stop at the local wastewater treatment plant before 
> these _unregulated and untested and unremoved_ hormone disrupting 
> chemicals are discharged as effluent into surface waters and onto 
> farmlands via sewage sludge (aka, biosolids) where the chemicals are 
> found to concentrate. The problem may not just be affecting smallmouth 
> bass, //carp, catfish and sturgeon,/ /but humans as well seen through 
> research studies showing decreasing sperm counts in men. A video is 
> also available for viewing at this link. Thoughts, anyone? -- Sue/
>
> .........................................................
>
>  
>
>  
>
> http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/25/eveningnews/main5778106.shtml
>
>  
>
> COLUMBIA, Mo., Nov. 25, 2009
>
>
>   *Chemicals in Water Alter Gender of Fish*
>
>
>     *Pollution Brings Worrying Signs for Fish Populations; Worse, Most
>     U.S. Drinking Water Comes from the Same Sources*
>
>  
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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