Program aims to keep drugs out of the bay
By Paul Rogers
Mercury News
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Finished with that old Advil? Done with the Lipitor? No need for those birth control pills anymore?Don't flush them or wash them down the drain. They could end up in San Francisco Bay -- and fish and pharmaceuticals don't mix.
That's the message from a coalition of cities and sewage plant operators who are urging Bay Area residents to drop off old prescription and over-the-counter drugs at one of 30 locations for proper disposal.
Through May 21, a select group of Walgreens drug stores, along with senior centers and other community buildings, will accept discarded drugs.
The program is the first widespread effort in the Bay Area to collect unwanted medications to keep them out of sewer systems, said Phil Bobel, Palo Alto's manager of environmental compliance.
``We're finding all kinds of drugs that are showing up in waters of the United States and San Francisco Bay,'' Bobel said. ``It's not a huge problem yet, but it is a scary thing. We've got some time to put procedures in place so we can avoid major problems.''
Steroids, antibiotics, anti-depressants, hormones and other compounds are turning up in waterways nationwide. Sewage treatment plants don't filter them out, so they end up in bays and rivers.
Although the compounds are found in tiny quantities, some studies suggest they can harm fish and other animals. In the Potomac River, for example, scientists have found male smallmouth bass that produce both eggs and sperm, a characteristic researchers say could be linked to human drugs.
A 2003 study of San Francisco Bay waters found traces of flame retardants; acetaminophen; musk compounds from perfume and detergents; and DEET, a chemical used in mosquito repellent.
It is unclear if the pollutants, found in parts per trillion, are in large enough concentrations to harm fish, amphibians or other species.
No large-scale studies have been done because of lack of funding, said Daniel Oros, an environmental scientist with the San Francisco Estuary Institute who conducted the 2003 study.
``But if drugs do enter the bay,'' Oros said, ``there is potential for causing harm.''
Drugs collected at drop-off sites will be taken to an incinerator. When the drop-off event is over, officials urge people to put old drugs in sealed containers, like plastic bags, and throw them in the trash.
Contact Paul Rogers at progers@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5045.
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