Pharmaceutical waste in drinking water

Nationwide there is growing concern about pharmaceutical residues in drinking water. In Chicago, recent tests found small amounts of a number of pharmaceutical compounds in water. Some of these residues reach the water supply through human waste, whereas others come from inappropriate disposal of unused medications.

I have been working with the local solid waste agencies, SWALCO in Lake County and SWANCC in Cook County, to examine the options for safe disposal of medicine. SWALCO offers disposal of pharmaceuticals as part of its Household Chemical Waste program. For details visit SWALCO's website. SWANCC has a special medicine dropoff program; click here for information on that.

This week in Springfield I am meeting with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), which represents the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. We will be talking about ways to make collection and safe disposal of unused pharmaceuticals easier without adding expense for consumers. I think this is an important issue to begin to address pro-actively, since we are still in the process of learning about the extent of the problem and what the possible impacts may be.

I will keep you informed about progress on this issue as it develops.