Originally published April 12 2013
Report: Many urban tap water systems loaded with SSRI antidepressant drugs
by Jonathan Benson, staff writer
(NaturalNews) As you may recall, the Associated Press (AP) released the results of a groundbreaking investigation it conducted back in 2008 concerning the presence of pharmaceutical drugs in the water supply. In this report, it was revealed that at least 41 million Americans are exposed daily to tap water containing trace amounts of antibiotics, sleeping pills, and even sex hormones. Now, a new report by TheFix.com brings to light the presence of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, in the water supply, and the genetic havoc they may potentially be wreaking on human health.
If you are an avid NaturalNews reader, you have probably already seen some of our many reports on the dangers of SSRIs. Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, under his pseudonym Amethios, actually released a music video back in 2012 entitled "S.S.R.Lies" that tackles the issue of SSRIs, and how these potent drugs can severely alter mood and even induce suicidal or homicidal tendencies in those that take them. You can view the music video in the link below this article.
But it now appears that many Americans do not even have a choice whether or not to willingly take SSRIs anymore, as the toxic chemicals are being quietly piped through water taps unseen. Though they are in far lower doses than what comes from the pharmacy, and in heavier dilution, these trace amounts of SSRIs can add up, especially when consumed perpetually over long periods of time. And since they are also accompanied by many other types of pharmaceutical drugs, their effects on the environment and humans are largely unknown.
"There's a good chance that if you live in an urban area, your tap water is laced with tiny amounts of antidepressants (mostly SSRIs like Prozac and Effexor), benzodiazepines (like Klonopin, used to reduce symptoms of substance withdrawal) and anti-convulsants (like Topomax, used to treat addiction to alcohol, nicotine, food and even cocaine and crystal meth)," writes Matt Harvey. "Whether or not this psychoactive waste has any effect on the human nervous system remains unclear, but when such pharmaceuticals are introduced into the ecosystem, the fallout for other species is demonstrable -- and potentially dire."
Exposure to SSRIs found to damage DNA, induce neurological damage
A 1999 paper published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives revealed that a steady stream of pharmaceuticals continuously makes its way back into water supplies due to inadequate filtration techniques. Pharmaceutical substances are often smaller than the filtration devices used at municipal water treatment plants to carry out solid waste, which means unknown levels of such substances make it right back into your water glass if you drink tap water.
Beyond this, Harvey cites the fact that studies have linked SSRI exposure to genetic defects and other health problems. Minnows subjected to tap water spiked with a combination of SSRIs and anti-convulsants at the University of Idaho, for instance, exhibited 324 genetic alterations associated with neurological disorders like autism -- and these small fish were only exposed to the tainted water for a mere 18 days!
"Studies have shown that regular doses of SSRIs can sometimes damage human DNA, most notably in sperm," adds Harvey. "The minnows offer evidence that even trace amounts of SSRIs can infiltrate DNA."
So what can we all do to avoid this unwelcome pharmaceutical exposure? The first thing would be to install a whole-house water filtration system capable of capturing and removing drug particulates, especially if you live in an area served by a municipal water source. You can also contact your local water treatment facility and request information about its filtration methods, and whether or not they capture drug traces.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.thefix.com
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com
http://researchmagazine.uga.edu/summer2005/printprozac.htm
http://www.naturalnews.com/035735_SSRIs_music_video_Amethios.html
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