"Pharmaceutical Chemicals Found in Every Stream Sampled in USGS Study"

"Our waterways are filled with traces of drugs, says a new study conducted by the USGS.

A team of researchers, led by hydrologist Paul Bradley, recently collected water samples from 59 small streams in the Southeast from Virginia to Georgia, which were analyzed for 108 pharmaceuticals and degradates.

All 59 streams tested positive for at least one of compounds and the overall average was six different compounds per stream.

“Pharmaceutical contaminants are growing aquatic-health concerns and largely attributed to wastewater treatment facility discharges,” the study says. But only 17 of the 59 streams have any reported wastewater discharges."

Eric Chaney reports for the Weather Channel June 1, 2016.