Toxic Substances Find Way into Columbia River

From:  http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2012/05/toxics_from_everday_life_getti.html

A new federal study found more than 100 toxic substances from everyday life are making their way through wastewater treatment plants into the Columbia River.

The U.S. Geological Survey study released today looked at post-treatment effluent from plants in Portland and eight other cities large and small up and down the river.

USGS hydrologist Jennifer Morace says everyday life is the source of the pharmaceuticals, flame retardants, pesticides, personal care products and cleaning materials, and the treatment plants are just the pathway.

She adds that she was surprised at how much toxic material was found at each of the sites, whether they were big cities like Portland or small towns like Umatilla. The study did not find an obvious pattern of contamination levels based on population.

She says it is not clear how harmful the toxic materials are, because no standards have been developed for safe levels in water.

Flame retardants and steroids were consistently detected in all the samples, although few pesticides were detected. Other common pollutants included a fixative often included in sunscreen, detergent metabolites, a disinfectant used in most hand soaps, plastic compounds and prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Two drugs were detected at all the treatment plants: carbamazepine, used to treat epilepsy, bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and diphenhydramine, a common ingredient in over-the-counter medicines used for allergy relief or as a sleep aid. Trimethoprim, a prescription antibiotic, was detected at all plants except Umatilla's.

See also http://o.seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2018197814_columbiatoxics13.html