Mmmmmmmmmmm Pharmaceuticals in my fish

[cheferson]

Fish caught near wastewater treatment plants serving five major U.S. cities had residues of pharmaceuticals in them, including medicines used to treat high cholesterol, allergies, high blood pressure, bipolar disorder and depression, researchers reported Wednesday.

Findings from this first nationwide study of human drugs in fish tissue have prompted the Environmental Protection Agency to significantly expand similar ongoing research to more than 150 different locations.

"The average person hopefully will see this type of a study and see the importance of us thinking about water that we use every day, where does it come from, where does it go to? We need to understand this is a limited resource and we need to learn a lot more about our impacts on it," said study co-author Bryan Brooks, a Baylor University researcher and professor who has published more than a dozen studies related to pharmaceuticals in the environment.

A person would have to eat hundreds of thousands of fish dinners to get even a single therapeutic dose, Brooks said. But researchers including Brooks have found that even extremely diluted concentrations of pharmaceutical residues can harm fish, frogs and other aquatic species because of their constant exposure to contaminated water.

Brooks and his colleague Kevin Chambliss tested fish caught in rivers where wastewater treatment plants release treated sewage in Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Philadelphia and Orlando, Fla. For comparison, they also tested fish from New Mexico's pristine Gila River Wilderness Area, an area isolated from human sources of pollution.

Earlier research has confirmed that fish absorb medicines because the rivers they live in are contaminated with traces of drugs that are not removed in sewage treatment plants. Much of the contamination comes from the unmetabolized residues of pharmaceuticals that people have taken and excreted; unused medications dumped down the drain also contribute to the problem.

The researchers, whose work was funded by a $150,000 EPA grant, tested fish for 24 different pharmaceuticals, as well as 12 chemicals found in personal care products.

They found trace concentrations of seven drugs and two soap scent chemicals in fish at all five of the urban river sites. The amounts varied, but some of the fish had combinations of many of the compounds in their livers.

The researchers didn't detect anything in the reference fish caught in rural New Mexico.

In an ongoing investigation, The Associated Press has reported trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals have been detected in drinking water provided to at least 46 million Americans.

The EPA has called for additional studies about the impact on humans of long-term consumption of minute amounts of medicines in their drinking water, especially in unknown combinations. Limited laboratory studies have shown that human cells failed to grow or took unusual shapes when exposed to combinations of some pharmaceuticals found in drinking water.

"This pilot study is one important way that EPA is increasing its scientific knowledge about the occurrence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the environment," said EPA spokeswoman Suzanne Rudzinski. She said the completed and expanded EPA sampling for pharmaceuticals and other compounds in fish and surface water is part of the agency's National Rivers and Stream Assessment.

[RIJIMMY]

if that bothers you, the articles states that the fish get the drugs, becasue people piss them out .....

[ProfessorM]

No worse than all the antibiotics we ingest eating meats and chemicals and pesticides on our produce and chemicals in the air we breathe. I am pretty sure that over 75 % or more of the antibiotics used in this country are used for livestock. Surprising anyone lives to be over 50.

[Circlehook]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

No worse than all the antibiotics we ingest eating meats and chemicals and pesticides on our produce and chemicals in the air we breathe. I am pretty sure that over 75 % or more of the antibiotics used in this country are used for livestock. Surprising anyone lives to be over 50.

People live past 50??

[Pt.JudeJoe]

Take 2 fillets and call me in the morning.

[Nebe]

estrogen in the water from women pissing out bith control pee have been known to change the sex of fish from male to female..

[ProfessorM]

Originally Posted by Circlehook

People live past 50??

I read it in Rolling Stone , it must be true.

If I make it till Sat. I'll prove it.

[PRBuzz]

I should be so lucky to catch enough fish to get a single therapeutic dose:

"A person would have to eat hundreds of thousands of fish dinners to get even a single therapeutic dose, Brooks said."

I'm going to keep trying and I'll let you know when I get a dose.

[piemma]

Percodans in my fillet of fish!!!! Oh boy, no more meat for me!

[PaulS]

The FDA has recommended that people stop throwing their RX in the toilet and instead crush them (I guess people can still snort them).

[JohnnyD]

Originally Posted by PaulS

The FDA has recommended that people stop throwing their RX in the toilet and instead crush them (I guess people can still snort them).

A lot of it developed in the '70s, at time when smoking was healthy for you. Many sources (including the government? please correct me if I'm wrong) suggested people flush their expired meds down the toilet. Now, the misconception of that being a good idea has continued.

[Back Beach]

Originally Posted by piemma

Percodans in my fillet of fish!!!! Oh boy, no more meat for me!

Be careful what you wish for Paul.Some day we may all be walking around with permanent wood.....I can hear the defendants plea now...."Your honor I wasn't sexually harassing her, it was the haddock I ate last night."

[tattoobob]

No wonder why I was tripping after I ate that fish, I thought it was a flash back

[Raven]

Originally Posted by ProfessorM

No worse than all the antibiotics we ingest eating meats and chemicals and pesticides on our produce and chemicals in the air we breathe. I am pretty sure that over 75 % or more of the antibiotics used in this country are used for livestock. Surprising anyone lives to be over 50.

you forgot growth hormones which adversely affect women
and cause the growth of Fibroids in the womb .....

then the meat sellers........
extol the virtues of grass grown beef like it's some new method
and we should have to pay extra for that...

[piemma]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Be careful what you wish for Paul.Some day we may all be walking around with permanent wood.....I can hear the defendants plea now...."Your honor I wasn't sexually harassing her, it was the haddock I ate last night."

That'll happen when they start putting Viagra in our drinking water. What a hoot that would be!!!!

[MAKAI]

So , . . . what was in the crap ? Man, we are a plague on the planet.

[wheresmy50]

I think I read that something like 60% of Americans are being medicated. The early 2000s are going to be known as the decade of unintended consequences.

[redcrbbr]

no wonder the striper stocks are in trouble. shouldn't mix high blood pressure meds with anti depresents meds. I guess no one is flushing thier viagra.

[Raven]

that our present form of health care
consists of prescribing drugs for patients
in ten minutes or less .....

this is in my opinion is the "true" drug problem
in this country...

the food is so contaminated with crap (preservatives)
or sugar and salt
that even the kids have to be on medications

there's a reason why children are having heart attacks

[stiff tip]

where did u say that was ??? i think i'll go for a swim...the true fountain of yout....

[stiff tip]

in defence of medication.... i take a hand full of meds each day for heart to thyroid, to vit.and min. it keeps me alive and kicking .propper meds and a good doctor helps me . i think?????????????

[Raven]

you'd better "think" about not snagging a root
as that sometimes leads to a heart attack