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AP investigation details pharmaceuticals found in watersheds of 28 major metro area
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At least one pharmaceutical or byproduct was detected in testing within the watersheds of 28 major metropolitan areas, according to an Associated Press survey of 62 major water providers and data obtained from independent researchers.

Test protocols varied widely. Some researchers tested for more drugs than others. Thirty-five areas said they tested. Four said tests were negative and three said they were awaiting results. Twenty-seven locations said they had not tested watershed supplies.

Here's the list of the 28 areas with pharmaceuticals detected, with the number found and some examples.

Arlington, Texas: 5 (unspecified drugs)

Atlanta: 10 (including caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, diltiazem, acetaminophen, trimethoprim, cotinine and paraxanthine)

Cincinnati: 4 (gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, sulfamethaxazole and ethinyl estradiol)

Columbus, Ohio: 15 (including azithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin, tylosin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and caffeine)

Concord, Calif.: (unspecified drugs)

Denver: (unspecified antibiotics)

Detroit: (unspecified total; including carbamazepine, caffeine, cotinine)

Fairfax, Va.: 8 (erythromycin, lincomycin, trimethoprim, tylosin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole)

Indianapolis: 2 (caffeine and cotinine)

Las Vegas: 9 (including sulfamethoxazole, atenolol, trimethoprim, meprobamate, phenytoin, carbamazepine and gemfibrozil)

Long Beach, Calif.: 9 (unspecified drugs)

Los Angeles: 9 (unspecified drugs)

Louisville, Ky.: 2 (ibuprofen and naproxen)

Milwaukee: 1 (cotinine)

Minneapolis: 3 (acetaminophen, caffeine and cotinine)

New York City: 16 (including atenolol, trimethoprim, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, estrogen, acetaminophen and diazepam)

Northern New Jersey: 13 (including acetaminophen, carbamazepine, codeine, dehydronifedipine, erythromycin, lincomycin and sulfadimethoxine)

Oklahoma City: 12 (including acetaminophen, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, iopromide, sulfamethoxazole and iopromide)

Omaha, Neb.: 2 (caffeine and sulfamethoxazole)

Philadelphia: 63 (including amoxicillin, aspirin, atorvastatin, bacitracin, diclofenac, phenytoin and fluoxetine)

Prince George's-Montgomery counties, Md.: 3 (caffeine, carbamazepine and cotinine)

Riverside County, Calif.: 9 (unspecified drugs)

San Diego: 12 (clofibrate, clofibric acid, ibuprofen and nine unspecified)

San Francisco: 1 (estrone)

Santa Clara, Calif.: (unspecified drugs)

Southern California: 9 (including atenolol, phenytoin, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, meprobamate, naproxen and trimethoprim)

Virginia Beach, Va.: 4 (fluoxetine, estradiol, acetaminophen and ibuprofen)

Washington, D.C.: 5 (monensin, ibuprofen, caffeine, carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole)


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Comments from Examiner Readers

8:25 AM MST on Sat., May. 24, 2008 re: "Pharmaceuticals found in drinking water, affecting wildlife and maybe humans"

Ezra said:
Cocktail effect?

1 agree | 2 disagree
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8:09 AM MST on Sat., May. 24, 2008 re: "Water providers and researchers rarely release full test results to the public"

Ezra said:
Water is pretty important stuff, if the wildlife starts suffering we will not be far behind. Societies convinced to take their medication instead of lead a healthy lifestyle. A Drug-Free America should mean just that. Get off the Drugs you Drugies. Thank you.

3 agree | 1 disagree
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11:31 PM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008 re: "Water cleaning technologies present challenges - some work better than others"

Examiner Reader said:
Paul Westerhof comments that RO produces several gallons of brine for each gallon of product water, which is a very misleading statement. In brackish or wastewater treatment, recoveries are normally much greater than 50% so less than one gallon of brine is produced for a gallon of product. Seawater may have recovery less than 50%, but this source is unlikely to be of concern for trace pharmaceuticals. Graeme Pearce Director Membrane Consultancy Associates

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4:03 PM MST on Fri., May. 2, 2008 re: "No standards, no mandates to test, treat or limit pharmaceuticals in water"

Examiner Reader said:
Your article is wrong when it says-------Today, municipal drinking water is cleansed of germs - but not drugs. The germs are there. Suggest that you read the works of Amy Pruden------but the long and short of it is as follows: sewer plants release anrtibiotic resistant pathogens to rivers, these and their genetic material are later picked up by the fresh-water intakes to drinking water treatment plants. These are not affected by chlorine and pass through the filters. Pruden, et al (2006) has found these viable genetic fragments in the drinking water supply. These fragments then go to your intestinal bacteria. Once ingested, this genetic material may be transferred to normal gut flora, and subsequently to pathogenic bacteria found in humans or animals, making later treatment with particular antibiotics ineffective. Also one must consider transfer of genetic information from these organisms to more robust organisms as highlighted by Maria Sjolund et al. (2005) indicating that resi

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