Pharmaceutical test results - summary

Early in 2008 the Associated Press released a three-piece story on pharmaceuticals in drinking water sources. While the Onondaga County Water Authority was not one of the systems covered by the story, the article did stir interest of the Boards and Management of both OCWA and the Metropolitan Water Board (MWB). To that end, in April of 2008 the Authority and the MWB water quality personnel made arrangements, through an independent laboratory, to test for some common pharmaceuticals and personal care products in the raw and treated waters of both Otisco Lake and Lake Ontario.

The results of our 2008 testing indicate that, with the exception of two items, all other contaminant analysis were found to be non-detectable.

Of the two contaminants that had positive results, one was caffeine, which was found at 7.8 ng/L (parts per trillion) in Otisco Lake untreated (raw) water. The other contaminant found was 1.6 ng/L (parts per trillion) of Ibuprofen, which was discovered in treated water from Lake Ontario.

While none of us wants to find any contaminants in our drinking water, as zero is the desirable level, it may be helpful to put the sample results in perspective.

Based on the 7.8 ng/L caffeine found in Otisco Lake’s raw water, for someone to receive the equivalent dose of one 8 ounce cup of coffee, he or she would have to drink 73 million 8 ounces glasses of Otisco Lake raw water. With respect to the 1.6 ng/L of Ibuprofen found in the Lake Ontario treated water, someone wanting the equivalent of one 200 mg/L Ibuprofen tablet, he or she would have to drink 528 million 8 ounce glasses of water.

The samples taken last year provide for an introduction to these emerging contaminants and will serve as a baseline for monitoring going forward into the future. OCWA has expanded its ongoing water quality program to include testing for pharmaceuticals and other personal care products on an annual basis from this point forward, with the results being posted on the Authority web site each year in conjunction with the publishing of OCWA’s annual Water Quality Report.

Anyone who has questions about this report or any of the other water quality reports posted on the Authority web site are encouraged to contact OCWA’s Water Quality Manager, Bob Rusyn, Bob can be reached at 315-673-4304, extension 11.

General information: Pharmaceuticals & other emerging contaminants

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products, known in the water industry as PPCPs, are a group of compounds consisting of human and veterinary drugs (prescription or over-the-counter) and consumer products, such as fragrances, lotions, sunscreens and housecleaning products.

These compounds have been detected in trace amounts in surface water, drinking water and wastewater effluent sampling because water professionals have the technology today to detect more substances, at lower levels, than ever before.

Many PPCP compounds are being found at extremely low levels, typically single digit parts per trillion (ppt). Drinking-water standards are typically set in the parts per-billion range, which is 1,000 times higher. The fact that the substance is detectable in drinking water does not mean the substance is harmful to humans. To date, research throughout the world has not demonstrated an impact on human health from trace amounts of PPCPs found in drinking water.

The water community is committed to protecting the public health. Water professional are examining the occurrence of PPCPs in drinking-water supplies and the effectiveness of current treatment techniques on removal, and are paying close attention to health-effects research in this area, including research being conducted by the Water Research Foundation.

In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maintains an active program called the Contaminant Candidate List to identify contaminants in public drinking water that warrant detailed study. While the list does not currently include any PPCPs, EPA may consider these compounds in the future. For information about which compounds were tested for but not detected in OCWA’s water supply, see "OCWA Pharmaceuticals and Other Emerging Contaminants."

Safer medication disposal

To help safeguard water quality, discard your unwanted or expired medications in the trash, rather than dumping them down the sink or toilet. Keep prescriptions in their original container; remove, or black out personal information on labels; then, hide them in an empty, sealable container before placing in your garbage bag. Click here for detailed tips on responsible medication disposal and protecting our water supply visit, the Rx Disposal section.

More information:

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