Document Story

Drugs in the water creating genderless and deformed frogs and possibly overmedicating the American people sounds like the intro to a dystopian thriller, but it may not be a fictional tale.

Researchers in Washington and across the country are finding traces of pharmaceuticals in much of the nation’s water supply. Concern is growing about the consequences and solutions to this unintentional medication of the environment and people.

Researchers use the term pharmaceuticals and personal care products (including cosmetics, lotions, shampoos etc.) or PPCPs to describe these chemicals.

Fish exposed to PPCPs have shown increased feminization and altered neurological behavior, Janis Gilbert, DOE public information officer, said in an email.

Deformities and decreased populations have also been noted in amphibians, said Patricia Maarhuis, WSU Alcohol Drug Counseling and Prevention Services coordinator.

So far, concentrations of PPCPs are too low to have an impact on humans. However, research is still incomplete, especially in the areas of drug interactions and impact on children. Skeptics like Maarhuis also point out that chemicals like DDT and nicotine were also originally considered harmless.

“There may be ways we are affected, and we just don’t know,” she said. “If we can avoid pollutants, it’s always good.”

The problem is certainly widespread, according to several local and national studies. A 2000 US Geological Survey study found compounds in 80 percent of system samples.

A DOE study in the northwest part of Washington found 16 compounds in the water including over-the-counter medicines, caffeine and hormones.

These products get into the water from sinks, showers, and incomplete absorption and excretion by humans. All of these sources come together at waste-water treatment plants. Waste-water treatment plants are not set up to remove PPCPs, and the technology to do so, while being researched, is not ready, said Gregory Zentner, Department of Ecology Water Quality Program supervisor.

“That is a level of waste-water treatment no one has achieved yet,” Attorney General Rob McKenna said.

For years, flushing kept unused prescription medication from being stolen out of trash cans or medicine cabinets, but with new environmental concerns, policymakers are looking for better solutions.

“We need to set up a drug disposal program so that people can dispose of drugs legally and safely, in a way that does not affect the environment,” said Sigrid Gauger, community mobilization and prevention coordinator.

Some programs are in place at pharmacies and police stations, and McKenna is working on a state-wide program.

“We want people to know there are safe ways of disposing where [the drugs] will not be stolen or in the water supply,” McKenna said.

These methods include mixing drugs with undesirable substances, he said. Sites such as McKenna’s, SMARxTDISPOSAL.net, the EPA’s and many others outline more steps.

“Of course, one of our main goals is to keep medications out of the water supply,” McKenna said.

When a drug return program is set up, the unused drugs will be incinerated, Gauger said. While it is unclear if incinerated drugs have an impact on the air, the risk is much smaller than drugs in the water supply, she said.

Drug-return programs and disposal steps, while certainly contributing to the prevention of environmental and abuse problems, are not end-all solutions. The majority of pharmaceuticals in the water supply come from human excretion, McKenna said.

Humans excrete up to 90 percent of the ingredients in pharmaceuticals, according to a DOE project document, “Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Wastewater Treatment Systems”.

With more Americans taking more medications each year, PPCPs in the environment and drinking water will become an increasingly significant problem, according to the same document. Both the DOE and EPA have several ongoing studies that will tease apart the relationship between PPCPs and the environment.

“It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to our environment,” Maarhuis said.

**Ben, I emailed the other documents and my 499 story to your hotmail account, let me know if you don't receive them**

Questions

_How do you feel about advocacy journalism? Does it blur the line of traditional journalism? But could it be the future of journalism?
_Is it difficult to walk the line between commentary and unbiased reporting?
_Have you written stories that you wanted to present a certain way, include commentary or a bias on?
_What do see as the main purpose and responsibility of journalists?
_Have you ever encountered a story which had too great of risks to pursue?

Document Story Proposal

For my document story, I will be writing about pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) that research has found in ground and surface water systems. I am looking at the studies and monitoring reports that find these substances, research on the impacts of the chemicals on the environment and human health. I would also like experts to voice their opinion on the situation, possible impacts and the future. I will also include information on the future of this issue and what is being done to prevent problems.