Did it ever occur to you that the same drug that it saving you could be harming another life? Well, studies have shown that the way we dispose of our medicine can be toxic, not only to ourselves, but to the marine life as well. When we throw our medicine down the drain, in the trash or the toilet, we are polluting the water and environment around us with chemicals that are harmful to the aquatic life. People assume that throwing their drugs in the trash is a good solution to this problem because they aren 't disposing of them in a direct water stream. This thought process is extremely flawed because it will eventually just get absorbed into the ecosystem. A recent study has shown that fish are being tested positive for certain human hormones.
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These drugs include “antibiotics, antidepressants, blood thinners, heart medications, hormones and painkillers” (Harvard Health Publications, Drugs in the Water, www.health.harvard.edu). More studies have been done since then that have proven that there was in fact an increase in the medications and chemicals detected in the water since then. We can only assume that the concentration, as well as the amount of medications and chemicals in the water have only increased with the advancing production of medications. This obviously increases harm and negative effects on marine life even more. Studies have shown that intersex fish have been found in certain areas, in bodies of water, where there have been proved to be extremely concentrated amounts of pollution. This is believed to be caused by the disposal of hormones, specifically estrogen, (which can be found in birth control pills and postmenopausal prescriptions) into bodies of water. In addition to that, further research has shown that there was a concentration of “antidepressant medications concentrated in the brain tissue of fish” (Harvard Health Publications, Drugs in the Water, www.health.harvard.edu). These are only a few of the recorded negative effects that this type of pollution is having on our aquatic life. The longer we ignorantly disregard this issue, it will just grow into a greater one and as this issue worsens, so will its
These drugs include “antibiotics, antidepressants, blood thinners, heart medications, hormones and painkillers” (Harvard Health Publications, Drugs in the Water, www.health.harvard.edu). More studies have been done since then that have proven that there was in fact an increase in the medications and chemicals detected in the water since then. We can only assume that the concentration, as well as the amount of medications and chemicals in the water have only increased with the advancing production of medications. This obviously increases harm and negative effects on marine life even more. Studies have shown that intersex fish have been found in certain areas, in bodies of water, where there have been proved to be extremely concentrated amounts of pollution. This is believed to be caused by the disposal of hormones, specifically estrogen, (which can be found in birth control pills and postmenopausal prescriptions) into bodies of water. In addition to that, further research has shown that there was a concentration of “antidepressant medications concentrated in the brain tissue of fish” (Harvard Health Publications, Drugs in the Water, www.health.harvard.edu). These are only a few of the recorded negative effects that this type of pollution is having on our aquatic life. The longer we ignorantly disregard this issue, it will just grow into a greater one and as this issue worsens, so will its