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New Pollutants, or Old? …Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water
A recent news series by the Associated Press (AP) reported the discovery of pharmaceuticals in municipal drinking water. The pharmaceuticals included antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and hormones. The reported concentrations of these pharmaceuticals in municipal drinking water were measured in quantities of parts per billion or parts per trillion, which are far below the levels of a medical dose. Although pharmaceuticals have been previously detected in our waterways, new advanced technologies have been developed that can detect concentrations measured at the levels of parts per billion or parts per trillion. The AP noted that these concentrations do not pose a threat to human health. Notwithstanding, it does generate public concern. According to the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), an organization representing nearly 300 municipal wastewater treatment plants, there is a need for a national strategy to manage the use and disposal of these compounds. Funding is likely to increase for research into the potential aquatic and human health impacts from long-term exposure to trace concentrations of pharmaceuticals. Will new regulatory levels be introduced, and what will be the new cost of treatment for water purveyors and waste water treatment plants alike? Also, given the long history of pharmaceutical production and use in the United States, the question of just how long these materials have been present in our waterways arises. The U.S. EPA has drinking water regulations for more than 90 contaminants. The Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) includes a process that the U.S. EPA must follow to identify and list unregulated contaminants which may require a national drinking water regulation in the future. The most recent list of contaminants (called the Contaminant Candidate List or CCL) was published in February 2008. From this list the U.S. EPA must decide whether to regulate at least five or more contaminants on the list (called Regulatory Determinations). Currently benzyl chloride is the only chemical listed that is associated with pharmaceuticals, but it is also used in the production of other substances, such as plastics, dyes, lubricants and gasoline.
For more information, please contact John Elliott at (925) 403-6200.
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