EPA: Don’t flush old meds

by Bob Huffman

April 16th, 2008 in Conservation, Environment, Pharmaceuticals, Water

With trace amounts of pharmaceuticals showing up in the drinking water of major cities, authorities are encouraging consumers around the Great Lakes to drop off leftover and expired medicine at collection centers.

The Environmental Protection Agency has set a goal of collecting 1 million pills and 1 million pounds of electronics during an Earth Day initiative aimed at the more than 30 million people who live around the Great Lakes, which are by far the largest source of fresh drinking water on the planet.

The agency is helping pay for more than 70 collection points in eight states that will take old medicine, along with electronic waste like computers, cell phones and televisions from Saturday through April 27. Past collections have focused mainly on electronics.

A five-month inquiry by the AP National Investigative Team disclosed the presence of trace concentrations of such things as antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones in the drinking water of at least 24 major metropolitan areas.

Earth Day collection sites are being established in New York, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Electronics will be recycled, while most medication will be incinerated. Check with your local waste management for locations.