Unhealthy Drugs in the Fish We Eat

Sure, fish are good for you, but not if they’re full of drugs!

A recent study showed that eating salmon or other fatty fish just once a week helped reduce men’s risk of heart failure, adding to growing evidence that omega-3 fatty acids are of benefit to cardiac health BUT researchers working with the EPA have detected low-level residues of several human medications and personal care products in fish collected from effluent-dominated rivers, including the residue of one pharmaceutical in wild fish that has not been previously reported. What’s an eater to do?

Researcher Bryan Brooks says, “While this study found the residue of several pharmaceuticals and personal care products in fish tissue, it also demonstrated for the first time that fish from several different locations across the country are exposed to multiple (pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs) in effluent-dominated waterways.”

Many aquatic systems throughout the United States routinely receive effluent discharges from wastewater treatment plants. Sometimes, the flow of streams and rivers can become dominated by these effluents. Although there are federal standards for treated wastewater, no guidelines or federal testing standards exist for pharmaceuticals or most personal care products in wastewater because their effects in surface waters are not well understood.

The study involved collection of fish from five effluent-dominated rivers in various parts of the country. The sampling locations included discharge areas of wastewater treatment plants in Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, and West Chester, PA., near Philadelphia. The Gila River Wilderness Area in New Mexico provided a suitable reference site for the study, because it is isolated from human sources of pollution. The researchers tested fish fillets and liver tissue for 24 different human medications. They also tested fish fillets for 12 chemicals found in personal care products. The study results revealed that the residue of seven pharmaceuticals and two personal care products was present in fish at all five effluent-dominated river sites. In many cases, multiple compounds were found in the same fish.

Galaxolide and tonalide, both fragrances used in soap and other personal care products, were found in fish fillet tissue from all five effluent-dominated river sites. The concentrations in the fish tissue for these fragrances were the highest of all compounds tested.

There’s nothing fishy about our Dreamland Festival, we GUARANTEE you’ll have an AFFORDABLE good time! (Those of you who were there last year know how true that is). Tickets are selling fast and we’re trying to hold it down to 200 attendees so we can have personal contact with everyone who comes, so don

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