You’ve likely seen the headline by now, or one like it; Probe finds drugs in drinking water. Recent scientific research has indeed found a wide variety of pharmaceuticals in our water, from sedatives to painkillers, from sex hormones to antibiotics. There are a plethora of drugs in our water supply.

Are Small Doses of Pharmaceutical Drugs Really Harmful

The question remains for many, how do pharmaceutical drugs get in drinking water While a small amount get into the water from runoff of pharmaceutical plants and flushed pills, the majority of the drugs actually come from human waste. When we swallow a pill, only a small portion of it is absorbed into the bloodstream. The remainder is sent through the digestive system and leaves our bodies as waste. » Read more: How Do Pharmaceutical Drugs Get in Drinking Water What Can You Do