Illinois EPA

Illinois EPA releases final report on pharmaceuticals in public drinking supplies finding no immediate
public health risk

Results found only trace levels of several prescription drugs and
common chemical; further study needed

SPRINGFIELD –The Illinois EPA has completed its report summarizing the findings of unregulated pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Illinois drinking water supplies from samples taken in Chicago and four water supplies that rely on river water as their source. The report indicates that Illinois’ drinking water continues to be safe, and the Illinois EPA sees no cause for immediate concern; however, low levels of several pharmaceuticals were found in Illinois drinking water.

While there are no federal standards established for pharmaceuticals, the Illinois EPA tested drinking water as a proactive step to assess the scope of the presence of pharmaceuticals in our waterways to ensure that our drinking water supplies are adequately protected. Illinois EPA screened for 56 chemicals typically found in drugs and personal care products that may be released from water treatment plants into lake and river water. Illinois EPA detected low concentrations of 17 of these chemicals.

“I am pleased that the report found that concentrations of chemicals measured in drinking water supplies do not pose a threat to human health,” said Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott. “We believe that the consumers deserve as much information about their drinking water as we can provide to them. That’s why we’ll continue to monitor the safety of drinking water supplies and educate the public about how to keep pharmaceuticals and personal care products out of our water supplies.”

In March of this year, the Illinois EPA collected samples from both untreated “source” water and from the treated drinking water from public water supplies in Chicago, Aurora, Elgin, East St. Louis and Rock Island. In addition, the city of Springfield collected its own samples and provided the data to Illinois EPA; these data can be seen at www.epa.state.il.us. The samples were analyzed for 56 pharmaceuticals and chemicals commonly found in prescription medications and commonly used in personal products, including: pain relievers, antibiotics, anticonvulsants, antidepressants, an insect repellant, and chemicals derived from coffee and tobacco.

In order to assess the safety of the very low levels of the chemicals found in the treated drinking water, Illinois EPA toxicologists consulted with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)to determine what chemical concentrations will adequately protect public health. Illinois EPA and IDPH used the best available international risk assessment standards and then adjusted them to a level 3.5 times more stringent to ensure even greater public health protection. These protective thresholds were then compared to the chemical concentrations found in collected samples to determine if any of the chemicals pose a public health risk.

Cotinine, a byproduct of nicotine, was the chemical found closest to its threshold of concern, but still 333 times below the threshold of concern for human health. At the opposite extreme Lincomycine, a veterinary anti-biotic, had a margin of safety greater than ten million. The margin of safety for other chemicals fell between these levels.

While all samples revealed low chemical concentrations far below levels that could likely pose a public health risk, chemical concentration in samples of lake water were lower than samples of river water. Because river samples were collected during “high-flow” conditions, which could potentially dilute the concentrations, the report recommended additional sampling under low-flow conditions. The report suggested that additional chemicals may need to be tested beyond the 56 for which Illinois EPA screened in this study.

As a follow up step, the Illinois EPA will continue to do additional sampling, to provide an even better understanding of potential risks from pharmaceuticals in water. The Agency will continue to assess the results, and do more sampling and testing as necessary. As with the initial sampling results, future analysis will add to the growing base of information currently available, and further reduce the uncertainty about the presence of pharmaceuticals in water.

For people who would like to dispose of unused pharmaceuticals in their home, the Illinois EPA will continue collecting unused pharmaceuticals at its household hazardous waste collection event, which are held across the state each spring and fall. Residents are advised to save all old or unwanted medications for an Illinois EPA-sponsored household hazardous waste collection: the current collection schedule is on the Agency’s web page: http://www.epa.state.il.us/land/hazardous-waste/household-haz-waste/hhwc-schedule.html.

The Illinois EPA advises people to not flush pharmaceuticals down the toilet or pour them down the drain because wastewater treatment plants and septic systems are not designed to treat pharmaceutical waste and the drugs often end up in our waterways, and ultimately in our drinking water. Instead, residents should save old or unwanted medications for an Illinois EPA sponsored household hazardous waste collection. At such an event last year, seven 55-gallon drums of pharmaceuticals were collected and properly disposed.

In the event that citizens cannot attend one of the Agency’s Household Hazardous Waste collections, four permanent household hazardous waste collection facilities in Rockford, Naperville, Chicago and Lake County also accept pharmaceutical waste. In addition, many hospitals, pharmacies and police departments also offer programs to collect and dispose of unwanted drugs.

To discourage illegal and unsafe ingestion of discarded pharmaceuticals, the state encourages people remove unused or unneeded drugs from their original containers, mix them with coffee grounds or kitty litter, and put them in non-descript impermeable containers, such as empty cans.

In an effort to reduce the amount of pharmaceuticals discharged into our environment, the Illinois EPA is working with communities across the state to collect and safely dispose of unwanted and unused pharmaceuticals. If your community is interested in cosponsoring a collection, please call the Illinois EPA’s Waste Reduction Unit at (217) 785-8604.