While charitable causes aimed towards improving the quality of life in third world countries are no doubt noble, worthwhile efforts, it is becoming quite apparent that similar endeavors might be of equal value right here in our own nation.
A new study released by the Associated Press details a series of shocking revelations regarding the quality and safety of the public's drinking water in American cities. At least 13 different medications, such as antidepressants like Prozac and various sex hormones, have been discovered in the drinking water of at least 41 million American homes. The investigation took place in cities throughout the country, but nowhere was the situation found to be more serious than in Philadelphia, where traces of 56 pharmaceutical drugs were discovered.
For the hundreds of thousands of residents that cannot afford the expenses of bottled water or filtration systems, or anyone else who might be dependent on tap water for daily consumption, it would appear as though they are being drugged against their will. Following the Associated Press' announcement, some skeptics immediately countered with the notion that the drugs were found in such small amounts - parts per million - that health concerns were unfounded. However, the report went on to detail a story regarding how these chemicals were having seriously damaging effects on fish living within our reservoirs, thereby drawing a clear parallel to the potential for human harm.
According to the Associated Press, "Pharmaceuticals in the water are being blamed for severe reproductive problems in many types of fish. Male fish were found to have damaged and lower sperm counts. Some fish have become feminized, producing proteins typically made by females. Meanwhile, female fish have developed male genital organs." It would seem rather likely when considering this plethora of negative health effects, that there is a reasonably good chance that humans are being affected as well. It is now known that over the last century, the sperm count in men has dropped significantly, and it is getting worse every decade. Perhaps the abundant presence of estrogen drugs in the drinking supply could be playing a part in a "feminization" process similar to that discovered in fish. Indeed, it seems rather unlikely that a pharmaceutical cocktail of 56 drugs could not be affecting the health of people who depend on the public water supply.
New York environmental organization, Riverkeeper, described the report as a "wake up call" and demanded that the government immediately "conduct a federally funded national study that provides risk assessments for pharmaceuticals in our waters, and measures the potential human effects." American citizens should be outraged by these developments.
Regardless of the quantities involved, people should be free to decide what chemicals and drugs they want introduced into their bodies. Clearly the standards for water quality need to be carefully examined, and questions as to how or why all of these drugs are entering the system in the first place need to be carefully addressed and resolved.
Whether the root of the problem lies in sheer incompetence, aging infrastructure, or some sort of ill-conceived mass inoculation scheme similar to that of water fluoridation, the fact remains that millions of people are relying on a system that is clearly damaged and in need of serious repair.
