POTOMAC_WATER_WATCH_PILLS

What is happening?

Our fish are dying. Many have a condition called intersex. Many have sores. Our rivers, drinking water, and bodies are polluted.

Where?

The Potomac --including the drinking water for Washington DC -- the South Branch, the Cacapon River, Sleepy Creek, and the Shenandoah.

Why?

It's complicated! We know its pollution but still don't know what emerging contaminants and endocrine disrupters (EDCs) are causes.

Are you at risk?

Maybe! Most septic systems, municipal drinking water plants and bottling plants don't filter out personal care products, herbicides, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, antibiotic hand cleaner. Many contain EDCs such as hormones that can cause cancer and disrupt the body.

What can you do?

Don't flush away or dump medications.

Maintain a buffer strip along waterways.

Work to improve home/community septic and sewage systems. Work for new product standards -- without contaminants.

Potomac Water Watch

"CONSUMER DRUG

RETURN

PROGRAM"

Don't dump pills down the toilet

or down the drain. Return unwanted, expired, or unused medications to collection sites. New ones are being added. Go to www.wvrivers.org for a statewide list.

Baker,

EA Hawse Medical Center

Berkeley Springs,

Morgan County Health Department

Franklin,

The Pill Box Pharmacy

Moorefield,

CVS Pharmacy

Romney

CVS & Reed'sDrug Stores

Peterburg

Judy's

Wardenville,

Wardensville Pharmacy

If there is no location near you, mix pills in used kitty litter or coffee grounds, place in a sealable container and put in the trash

New Brochure:

"Do You Have a Deadly Drain?"

FREE.

Write to the address at left.

PILLS PILLS PILLS

American is swimming in pills -- literally -- and drinking them too.

THE FACTS -The average number of retail perscrip-tions per capita in the US is 12.6 per year. One study over 13 months disposed of 225 lbs of active perscrip-tions and estimated that ophaned medications from deceased population at 19.7 tons.One drug return program collected 2000 pounds of unwanted pharma-ceuticals - over 101,359 pills.

CHEMICAL DISCOVERIES

2002 - USGS document that pharmaceuticals, were found in 80% of US streams sampled.

2004 - A West Virginia Study by USGS "Antibiotics were detected in municipal wastewater, aquaculture -- with greatest concentration in municipal efffluent.

2008 - Associated Press (AP) found a vast array of pharmaceuticals "in drinking water supplies of 41 million. Antibiotics, anticonvulsants, and sex hormones.

2009 - NEW USGS Study:Exposure to estrogen reduces production of immune-related proteins in fish. This suggest that endocrine disruptors, may make fish more susceptible to disease providing new clues about intersex fish.

Potomac Water Watch is run by West Virginia Rivers Coalition, Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment and Friends of the Cacapon River with support from Potomac Headwaters RC&D HC62 Box 88B Great Cacapon WV 25422 - 304/947-7590