WINONA, Minn. (AP) - Scientists have found that medications are making their way through Minnesota’s wastewater systems and accumulating in lake bottoms.
University of Minnesota professor Bill Arnold said a survey of Lake Pepin, Lake Winona in Alexandria and the Duluth harbor found 10 of 19 common antibiotics present in the sediment, the Winona Daily News reported . All of those bodies of water receive wastewater.
The discovery has raised concerns about the potential effects exposure could have on people, animals and food.
“Wastewater treatment plants aren’t designed to take out trace chemicals,” Arnold said.
Tests indicate that some of the antibiotics are from the 1950s, Arnold said.
It’s important to find a way to deal with the accumulation because continued exposure to antibiotics can change responses to the drugs, Arnold said.
“Resistance is the major worry,” Arnold said.
Antibiotic resistance in the U.S. causes at least 2 million illnesses each year and 23,000 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Winona’s Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention works to collect unused drugs and controlled substances. The organization holds two collection drives annually and operates a 24-hour drop box.
The program primarily aims to prevent drug abuse, but it also encourages proper drug disposal, said program coordinator Philip Huerta. Chemicals end up in the water system because many people don’t think about pill disposal, he said.
“All too common, the first thing people think of is to flush them,” Huerta said.
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Information from: Winona Daily News, http://www.winonadailynews.com
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