http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336286,00.html
Study Finds Traces of Drugs in Drinking Water in 24 Major U.S. Regions
Monday, March 10, 2008
A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.
To be sure, the concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion, far below the levels of a medical dose. Also, utilities insist their water is safe.
But the presence of so many prescription drugs — and over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen and ibuprofen — in so much of our drinking water is heightening worries among scientists of long-term consequences to human health.
In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas — from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.
Water providers rarely disclose results of pharmaceutical screenings, unless pressed, the AP found. For example, the head of a group representing major California suppliers said the public “doesn’t know how to interpret the information” and might be unduly alarmed.
How do the drugs get into the water?
People take pills. Their bodies absorb some of the medication, but the rest of it passes through and is flushed down the toilet. The wastewater is treated before it is discharged into reservoirs, rivers or lakes. Then, some of the water is cleansed again at drinking water treatment plants and piped to consumers. But most treatments do not remove all drug residue.
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,336493,00.html
Sources: Spitzer to Resign Following Reports of ‘Involvement’ With Prostitution Ring, Faces Indictment
Monday, March 10, 2008
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer has been indicted and is expected to resign from office following news reports that he was linked to a high-profile prostitution ring, sources told FOX News Monday.
Spitzer scheduled an abrupt announcement from his office as news reports were breaking that the governor told staffers about his involvement.
Spitzer, who was especially tough on corporate crime as New York attorney general, told his staff Monday that he was involved in the ring, according to The New York Times’ Web site, citing an anonymous administration official. No further details regarding his involvement were immediately available.
Just last week, four arrests were made in connection to the high-profile prostitution ring known as the Emperors Club that served big-dollar clients.
The Times reports that a source with knowledge of the governor’s role believes the governor is one of the men identified as clients in court papers in the prostitution ring.
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