Apparently there is no need to worry about the high cost of pharmaceuticals and pesticides as our waterways are full of them and free by the glass full. In just a matter of days multiple reports have been released describing the poor quality of our waters and identifying yet another threat to the long-term sustainability of endangered species and our fisheries.
On the eve of Earth Day, the National Marine Fisheries Service has found commonly used agricultural pesticides are endangering Pacific salmon and steelhead populations. According to the Associated Press, “Researchers have found that even extremely diluted concentrations of drugs harm fish, frogs and other aquatic species. Also, researchers report that human cells fail to grow normally in the laboratory when exposed to trace concentrations of certain drugs.”
And that’s not all as the AP is also reporting, ” U.S. manufacturers, including major drugmakers, have legally released at least 271 million pounds of pharmaceuticals into waterways that often provide drinking water.”
If only I was done with contaminated water as a Washington Post article from last week described the EPA is getting onto the ‘pesticide in our water bandwagon’ by ordering manufactures to test 67 chemical components for endocrine disruptive properties.
“Researchers have raised concerns that chemicals released into the environment are interfering with animals’ hormone systems, citing problems such as male fish in the Potomac River that are growing eggs. The chemicals, known as endocrine disruptors, may interfere with the hormones that humans and animals produce or secrete.”
EPA to test effects of chemicals in pesticides
