Pharmaceuticals in the environment

This week's Health Report on ABC's Radio National had an in-depth report on the hazards of pharmaceuticals entering our waterways via waste water.  Reporter Corinne Podger interviewed Dr Stuart Khan who heads the Trace Chemical Contaminants research team at the University of NSW, David Cunliffe, principal water quality advisor with the South Australian Department of Health, Professor Alistair Boxall from York University and Dr Richard Cuthbert from Britain's Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.  All expressed great concern about where prescription drugs end up if flushed down the sink or when leaving our bodies. 

Apparently 300 million prescriptions are filled each year in Australia, and many are quite toxic. One study found alarming levels of antibiotics in vultures, and another found male fish taking on female characteristics after ingesting oestrogen from contraceptive pills. More studies are needed on the effects on drinking water and on humans and other plants and animals and there are calls for better prescribing and better disposal of unwanted drugs.

Listen to the podcast or read the transcript here.