by Sam Winston

Who says we aren’t over-medicating ourselves, huh? The AP investigates traces of prescription drugs found in city water supplies across the country and while traces where minute, many were alarmed at what they found ( including sex harmones, pain relievers, and anti-cholesterol drugs in New Orleans water, after the jump).

“A vast array of pharmaceuticals including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones - have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans…

How do the drugs get into the water?

People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.”- AP

“…water department officials in New Orleans said their water had not been tested for pharmaceuticals, but a Tulane University researcher and his students have published a study that found the pain reliever naproxen, the sex hormone estrone and the anti-cholesterol drug byproduct clofibric acid in treated drinking water. “

Click Here for the full story.