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Post by emmsmommy on Jul 25, 2024 15:00:03 GMT -5
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Post by breezygardener on Jul 25, 2024 17:45:29 GMT -5
Except for farm-raised catfish & the very occasional farm-raised trout, I don't eat freshwater fish. In fact, I don't even like to touch "wild" fresh water (aka swimming). Far, FAR too many terrible & sometimes fatal diseases happily existing in wild fresh water. While yes, saltwater can also be heavily polluted, it will NEVER approach fresh water re: the diseases one can catch & die from.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Jul 25, 2024 18:33:43 GMT -5
emmsmommy, breezygardener, This does not surprise me at all. What should be is that Health departments, physicians, pharamcists should be instructing people on how to dispose of unused or unwanted medicines.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 25, 2024 19:10:18 GMT -5
The drugs being found are statins and beta blockers. They are being found in trace amounts. They are more concerned with their effects on the fish but need to do studies with larger numbers of fish. Their main concern is that fish may not be storing as much fat which they need in the winter.
In other news, 13 sharpnose sharks off the coast of Brazil were tested and all were positive for cocaine. It appears that cocaine users pee out the excess which ends up in the rivers and eventually the oceans (there is high use in South American countries). They had been testing sharks for other contaminants and when a researcher found that the rivers tested also had cocaine, they decided to look for it in the sharks. No research done yet on the effects of cocaine on sharks but should result in a lot of sharks on drugs jokes.
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Post by Latitude33 on Jul 25, 2024 19:16:02 GMT -5
In other news, 13 sharpnose sharks off the coast of Brazil were tested and all were positive for cocaine. Great, what's next? Trout on meth?
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 25, 2024 19:27:46 GMT -5
What should be is that Health departments, physicians, pharamcists should be instructing people on how to dispose of unused or unwanted medicines. Most of it comes from the pee of people who take the medications. Sewage plants have put in place mechanisms to break down or remove certain drugs, but not all of them.
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Post by Latitude33 on Jul 25, 2024 19:56:44 GMT -5
All kidding aside, beyond the medical and pharmaceutical communities educating people, there exists a lack of responsibility on the part of individuals. Most chain pharmacies have take back programs and mail in options exist. Unfortunately, there is still a segment of the population that is lazy and believes that "dilution is the solution" and flushes unused meds down the toilet. Waste water treatment can only do so much. This type of pollution has gone on too long.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 25, 2024 20:44:03 GMT -5
there is still a segment of the population that is lazy and believes that "dilution is the solution" and flushes unused meds down the toilet. Although it is true that some people flush the actual pills, the majority of the medication found in sewage comes from unmetabolized medications that people have taken. A certain percent of the pills you take is not broken down and instead is peed or pooped out of the body and into the sewage system. Along the same lines, the cocaine (and other meds) found in sharks is not bales of drugs jettisoned overboard or even from the manufacturers of the drug but is from the unmetabolized cocaine peed out into the sewage systems (some places don't even have those) and from there into the waterways.
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Post by desertwoman on Jul 25, 2024 22:45:31 GMT -5
Well, this topic is in keeping with the issue our little village is dealing with, regarding dumping treated effluent into one of our creeks. The guilty party (big resort) is proud of the fact that they are treating it to EPA standards, with 'state of the art treatment plant' ("it's a Ferrari not a Yugo") What we have learned is that EPA standards allow pharmaceuticals and PFAS to remain in spite of the fact that they state that PFAS are cancer causing. I won't go into all the details but the village is organized, monied , educated and up for the fight to prevent the dumping into the creek. There are good options-the big money resort claims they are "too expensive". Well then... up your $1000/night (you read that right) rates a couple hundred dollars/night.
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Post by gardendmpls on Jul 26, 2024 5:35:08 GMT -5
n spite of the fact that they state that PFAS are cancer causing. In what % are they considered cancer causing compared to the percent allowed? It is usually not possible to totally remove things from water. Most are measured in parts per million or even parts per billion, so we need to know what the proportions are. Some things they are still figuring out how to remove.
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Post by lilolpeapicker on Jul 26, 2024 6:05:10 GMT -5
Most chain pharmacies have take back programs and mail in options exist Alot is awareness... I did not know this until a couple years go when I looked it up online how to dispose of my insulin syringes and expired medications.
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Post by emmsmommy on Jul 26, 2024 13:01:49 GMT -5
Until recently the only drug take-back events were maybe once a year on a specific date. Usually not convenient for everyone. I did notice that the pharmacy my parents use have a sign in the window that they accept unneeded drugs every day. Hopefully the bigger pharmacies catch on or start advertising a bit if they already do it.
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