Prescription drugs found in drinking water across U.S.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Elok
You mean a growing body of research indicates that this is bad for FISH. There's nothing in that article about humans being harmed. They make sure to mention that it "could potentially harm humans," in much the same sense that shaving could potentially cause you to slit your carotid artery and die. "Scientists discover some threat to a bunch of fish" doesn't make great copy like "scientists discover potential threat to human race" does.

Some scientists believe it could pose a threat, but as the Kansas school board insists, there are some scientists who doggedly maintain that creationism is a more viable scientific theory than evolution. The trick is how many scientists as a percentage of the whole believe that, and whether that belief is backed up by hard data. Do you have anything indicating a respectable consensus?

a combination of pharmaceutical compounds inhibits the growth of embryonic kidney cells in laboratory tests

It doesn't just harm fish and frogs. It harms all animals. I don't see how someone could think otherwise.

[Elok]

WTF?

1. The article notes that this petri-dish phenomenon does not necessarily translate to real life.

2. These are embryonic cells. Embryos are very delicate things. Exposure to alcohol, acetaminophen or other drugs taken in responsible amounts by the gestating mother can cause birth defects just from the traces that reach the developing embryo/fetus/zygote. Since the source of contamination in question is drinking water, and the contamination is already trace amounts, it's reasonable to think that the mother would "filter" out most of it and leave even more absurdly minuscule amounts.

3. If these studies are right, this has probably been happening all over the industrialized world for decades now. Whole generations have grown up ingesting this crap. Have you heard of an epidemic of men growing uteri lately?

EDIT: Industrialized world, not developing. Dunno why I said that.

[Theben]

Originally posted by Kidicious
In fact, it's a big danger to most animals, since animals eat other animals and plants.

You win the Mr. Obvious award.

[Theben]

btw, I'll take parts per trillion of meds over parts per thousand of animal urine/feces anyday.