Drugs for Free?

Maybe one reason all the bugs(virus) are getting immune to antibiotics.

Not such a weird thought at all to be honest. I would not be surprised it did indeed do something to our microbiology as well as to us. Thinking about it it has to have an affect. Nothing good I think.

While debunking some Homeopathy claims a friend had made not too long ago I came across and article that mentioned Avogadro's number. It determines the number of molecules in a given solution. What I found interesting at that time was that for him to get one molecule of medicine he would need to drink 8,000 gallons of "solution" (mostly water in the case of Homeopathic cures).

I think the concentrations mentioned in this article are far less than that. Just a thought. The article I'm referring to (respecting Homeopathy) can be found at:

http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/sciences/story/0,,847946,00.html

Homeopathy was never scientifically proven but you can now start to understand why, with those immense amounts of water you have to drink, it sometimes works.

OK, so homeopathic remedies are prepared by taking a substance and diluting it, and diluting it and diluting it.....

So, how far do we go before the levels of substance in the diluent equals the levels of substance in the previously-diluted materials? And do the levels of other substances in the diluent have any more pronounced/any different effects than the homeopathic remedy being diluted?

I think we should be told......

I only mentioned the Homeopathy to get Avogadro's number into the discussion. I feel that many of these concerns regarding the safety of drinking water could be dispelled if we viewed the subject with more information. Then again maybe some of us feel that one molecule of a substance would be enough to cause harm.

Are homeopathic remedies produced by over dilution? I couldn't say, but it would seem so. However, my point for mentioning it was not the homeopathy, but Avogadro's number.

The article you linked to mentions Reverse Osmosis as being too expensive a water purification process to be viable. It did not specifically state whether or not RO does in fact remove all drugs and chemicals. I have heard it cannot remove some virus because these are too small and will pass through the membrane. So what about steam distillation? Is that a safe treatment process.

I have also heard that both steam distillation and RO water is too pure and lack essential trace minerals and metals needed by the body. In fact some cruising yachts that rely entirely on RO water have experienced health problems related to dietary deficiencies. Deficiencies brough on by the ultra pure RO water they drank for months or years on end.

It (RO) doesn't remove absolutely all substances from water. Nothing can. Not even distillation. It doesn't mean they're not safe.

On the way from the source to the consumer it passes through:

• Concrete structures, with their leachates
• Chemical processes, with their by-products
• Plastic structures, with their leachates
• Steel structures, with their leachates and corrosion products
• Plastic pipework, with their leachates
• Copper pipework; copper in ionic form is toxic to many organisms
• Lead pipework (in heritage installations in some countries); we all know about the health effects of lead (or do we?)
• Brass and bronze fittings, and their leachates and corrosion products
• Resilient structures, like the washers found in the taps themselves, and their leachates
• air, with all its biological contaminants, etc.

Many people flavour their waters with:

• Cola
• Tea infusions
• Ground coffee - now how pure is that?
• Beer
• Grape juices, both fermented and unfermented
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Distilled high-alcohol products, etc.

and do so without even blinking an eyelid at safety!

So what are we all really worried about, on the scale of things?

Don't worry. Be happy.

....and its been "Peed" by the Dinosaurs, other parts of the human race and like animals for millions of years and the like.......not forgetting ourselves of course!

Properly filtered rainwater must be reasonably safe....though if it comes off an asbestos roof, you might want to think again!!!! Good filtering is important and maybe a check with some good laboratory as well....

(What do you like bestus Rastus, I like asbestos"....)

"....and its been "Peed" by the Dinosaurs, other parts of the human race and like animals for millions of years and the like......."

In fact some cruising yachts that rely entirely on RO water have experienced health problems related to dietary deficiencies. Deficiencies brough on by the ultra pure RO water they drank for months or years on end.

I find this hard to believe that this has been allowed to occur. It has been known for many years that it could be danngerous to drink demineralised water. At sea on steam ships if we were supplying, from the evaporator, water to ships tanks and it had been making boiler feed water, you had to make the evaporator "throw a cloud," before changing to ship's tanks.

This meant there had to be a slight salt content in the outlet of the evaporator, so that the water was potable.

This is a question that berrars the asking from the manufacturers of these units.

You have to keep in mind cruising folks are often on a shoe string budget, stay at sea for longe periods of time, and until recently did not have access to affordable refrigeration. The net result means they drink demineralized RO water, eat canned foods and except for the first week out of last port of call have no fresh provisions. Had they been drinking ordinary water full of dissolved minerals, the problem would not have been nearly as bad. Although; about a decade back we started hearing about the occasional scurvy symptoms in a few long distance cruisers. Not large numbes but occasional.

Commercial ships that use RO or steam distilled water but also feed the crew with fresh rations that is replendished every couple of weeks there is no problem. I mention it only because RO water has now been available to cruising boats for 20 years and until recently no one had any idea that demineralized water posed any risk whatsoever.

This is alarming, but not new. Many of us have known about this crap for decades (it helps to be a fisherman - perch and small mouth bass are particularly susceptible to the estrogen) but we were dismissed as wild-eyed environmentalists.

In a what would be funny if it weren't frightening note. A friend of mine ran a small dairy farm. Water for the herd had to be regularly tested in order for him to sell the milk. It was too full of chemicals and he had to have water brought in. He asked the health department to check if the water it was safe for him and his family and was told it was way below what they considered unsafe concentrations.

Have you heard or seen the gators with half developed sex organs of both sexes?

That is another effect of the estrogen mimicking chemicals. Paint and printing industry as well as the plastic industry are the biggest contributors but now it seems we also have to take into consideration all the drugs we "recycle" and flush down the loo. What about direct hormone manipulators such as the pill for woman or hormone replacement therapy. How about anabolics for the sporting world. All very much in the firing line with regards to this stuff.

Now that might make one mean alligator!

Is that the Florida origin of the saying "GO F**K YOURSELF!"

OR..............that alligator's up himself!!!!!!!

and they want us to stop drinking bottled water.

uh uh, i don't think so.

Have you had the bottled water tested? It may be the same.....

The best way round this is to drink rainwater you have collected, and filtered yourself.....trust no one else.....

In Germany we can buy filter systems that will clean rainwater (yes it gets dirty too as it falls) to be perfectly potable....

Funnily enough it is also illegal to drink it here (but who will find out?) as they want to be able to charge you for tap water!!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dasani

Look out. There's a Beadle about.......

This issue is worthy of monitoring and correcting if needed. However, on balance we tend to improve life as we go. I have Parkinsons Disease and since there is no history in my family it most likely caused by something I encountered in the environment. I consider this as part of my dues for living as long as I have and am not in a rush to start a crusade.

We have it good here in civilization. Just try drinking the water in some areas of the world and you learn real quickly to appreciate "good water". So, on balance, I applaud the continuous improvement approach and bristle when I hear the "lets all go out and live in tents and drink rainwater" crowd.

In water contamination the issue often comes down to biological accumulation. That is what causes issues like top predators being effected by toxins, example - pelicans and DDT. The mechanism also points to a solution, biological filtration. Algae farms not only clean the water (especially of agricultural runoff) but also can supply biomass for energy generation. One company claims to be able to economically extract metals using an open, native strain system. (hydromentia)

There is only one sure way to stop all the drugs and medicines from getting into our water. Stop using drugs and medicines! Let the sick die and make it survival of the fittest.

Unacceptable? Of course. So stop complaining and come up with a solution that will work. Keep in mind that it cannot be prohibitively expensive and should not make the bottled water companies rich. [Besides all those empty water bottles are bad for the environment and use oil to make them.]

How about not going into panic mode and getting all hysterical and insisting that "Something Must Be Done", until there are more studies done.

Yeah like more studies always solve the problem......not! Just more waste of paper and ink and more tax payers money on some highly paid "specialist"

What about stopping the EXCESS use of drugs and tell doctors to stop giving in to wingeing hypochondriacs. Studies already conducted say that most healthcare services are spending more than double on drugs then they really need to but most prescriptions are just given to shut people up. Also the prescriptions are for too long a course while most are disposed of through the toilet or the bin. Even the wasted drugs in the bin end up in the environment. Even though we know of this problem most people will still NOT give unused drugs back to the pharmacists for incineration but decide to throw or flush them instead.

I don't think that this is unacceptable at all. Instead I would call this a proper, well balanced and fire proof first step to a much needed improvement.