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"What would happen if every blog published posts discussing the same issue, on the same day?" Seems today is the day to answer that question.

Blog Action Day is an event is organized by Collis Ta'eed, Leo Babauta and Cyan Ta'eed and is showing, on their home page, that over 14,000 blogs will be participating. This year's topic is environmental issues. 

Pharma and the environment was a hot topic 3-4 years ago but it seems to have cooled off. The biggest concern, at the time, was how much of the pharmaceutical drugs that we taken end up in the environment.

In 2004 a study was done to study the impact of 12 drugs, including antibiotics, antidepressants and painkillers, believed to pose an environmental threat. The study found traces of the drugs in sewage and, more importantly, in drinking water.

How do drugs get into the water? The answer is two-fold. First is through the disposal of unused medication. People who don't take the entire dosage of medicine prescribed to them either throw them in the garbage or flush them down the toilet. The second way that drugs get into the water system is through human elimination. People take the prescribed medication; it goes through the body and gets flushed down the toilet in the form of human waste.

Whenever prescription drugs or over-the-counter medicines are thrown into the garbage or flushed down the sink or toilet their chemical components can be added to the water supply or soil. Understandable the concentration levels are low but their cumulative concentration may be enough to have adverse effects.

There is little specific documentation as to the actual effect either of these has on people or on the environment however, there are things you can do to reduce the amount of pharmaceutical toxins you put into the environment.

• Take the entire prescription as prescribed unless you are having an adverse reaction to the medication. Uncompleted treatments can lead to resistance during future treatment, especially in the case of antibiotics.
• Most pharmacies now have a drug recycling program so take back any unused or expired portions to them. They have programs to incinerate unused drugs.
• Once a year go through your medicine cabinet and check the expiration dates on both prescription and non-prescription medication. If outdated take them to a pharmacy.

Simple steps that may make a major difference. Be sure to do your part!

Environment and Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products -US. EPA

Antidepressants Found in Drinking Water