Water quality questions

[AlaskaAngel]

http://www.witntv.com/home/headlines/16456866.html

"They include antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones, as well as over-the-counter pain medicines.

[R.B.]

Thanks AA.

Unsurprising.

And I believe they use the sludge from treatment works on fields as fertilisers.

What effect does that have on run off crops or the food chain.

I have no idea.

RB

[AlaskaAngel]

I wonder whether or not there are microfilters that could help limit the exposure that we could at the very least use for our direct drinking supplies, or even washing water as well.

I wonder whether the contamination would be even found in rain?

[R.B.]

Not if dissolved and non particulate.

How about reverse osmosis but expensive at a national level as water is not split into drinking and other in supply terms so it will be a case of home units.

RB

[Hopeful]

Would you necessarily have to drink the water to absorb these drugs? Aren't some capable of penetrating through skin contact (i.e., hormonals)?

Hopeful

[AlaskaAngel]

That is how testosterone and estrogen patches and creams work, by absorption through the skin. So if the water has hormones in it and we use that water on the skin, it makes sense that some hormone is absorbed that way.

A.A.