Environmental Pharmaceutical Polution

The improper disposal of pharmaceutical medication has a big impact of humans, animals, vegetation, and wildlife. A lot of the medication is being dumped, or washed into, our lakes, rivers, and streams. Then, then water that contains the newly added pharmaceuticals is being used for a number of things. For example, some fish are taking the chemicals into their bodies, so technically if a person ate a fish that came into contact with these chemicals they would be bringing the nasty chemicals into their body as well. Contaminated water may also be used to water our crops. Therefore, some of the food we eat may contain some of the hazardous chemicals...and we don't even realize it. There are numerous ways in which pharmaceuticals can escape into our environment and affect humans, animals, etc., but it needs to stop.

There are a few different ways in which to dispose pharmaceuticals safely and efficiently. You could return the excess medication to a pharmacy, and they will dispose of it properly for you. If there are no pharmacies that are located near you, you could remove the medicine from the original container and mix it with a waste material, such as used kitty litter, ashes, or coffee grounds. Then place the mixture in an impermeable container such as a sealable bag before discarding in the trash. :)