Have you cleaned out the medicine cabinet lately? The old advice was to flush expired or un-needed medications down the toilet. Not anymore. Small amounts of antibiotics, anti-depressants, veterinary drugs, birth control hormones and ibuprofen have been detected in waterways across the United States. Research suggests that the hormones found in pharmaceuticals may cause abnormalities in the reproductive cycles of fish. Antibiotics that are present may also lead to the development of drug-resistant germs, which are linked to antibiotic-resistant bacteria. More research still needs to be done to determine the effects of long-term human exposure, but the available research suggests that we need to keep medicines out of our waterways.
Putting unused or expired medications in the garbage is not ideal either. Keep in mind, when you throw medicine in the garbage, kids, pets and animals can still get into them or they could be stolen. Also, landfills can leak into the groundwater.
Many communities have collection days for old medicine, just like they do for hazardous wastes. You could also check with your pharmacist to see if they'll take care of it for you.
Every Green Thursday we post information for the good of the planet.
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