Pharmaceuticals Found in Drinking Water

At least one compound was detected at all sites. Ofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole — antibiotics prescribed for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections — were the most frequently detected compounds. Caffeine was detected in approximately half of the samples, while naproxen — an anti-inflammatory drug used for the management of pain, fever and inflammation — was not detected in any samples. "It is now widely known that over-the-counter and prescription medications are routinely present at detectable levels in surface and groundwater bodies," said Heather Gall, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, whose research group in the Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences conducted the study. "The presence of these emerging contaminants has raised both environmental and public health concerns, particularly when these water supplies are used as drinking water sources." The good news, Gall pointed out, is that the concentrations of the pharmaceuticals in groundwater sampled were extremely low — at parts per billion levels. However, given that sampling with the Master Well Owner Network only occurred once, the frequency of occurrence, range of concentrations and potential health risks are not yet well understood, especially for these private groundwater supplies. https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/pharmaceuticals-found-in-drinking-water-307028?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=64885171&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9CwPgfgD9JUWnjC72af77OBPdgPSlGP8IkIzQ5-Q6XG1oo6KLHvRMLc5tYifFajvmXkNXMRehxnC2EdPjmnbH26MLFvA&_hsmi=64885171