Water Contaminant: Antibiotics

Antibiotics in drinking water

Antibiotic contaminations in the environment pose human health risks including disturbing the microbiome in the human body and producing antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics have been detected in aquatic environments and drinking water all over the world.

How do Antibiotics contaminate our water?

Antibiotics and other pharmaceutical drugs get into water systems in several ways. 

Medication human waste

Our bodies only metabolize a fraction of the medication doses that we take – the rest is excreted in urine or feces, or sweated out. All of the waste ends up in our sewers and eventually, after being treated at wastewater plants, is discharged back into rivers and other bodies of water, recycled for municipal water use, or put back into groundwater supplies. 

Medication disposal

In the US we throw away huge quantities of unused or expired drugs. Some estimates suggest it could be half of what we purchase. Those discards are flushed down the toilet, or else tossed out carelessly so that they end up in waterways. 

Agriculture use

The agriculture industry, which has long used antibiotics to make livestock grow faster and keep them from getting sick, is another big contributor to pharmaceutical pollution.

“A study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1999 and 2000 found measurable amounts of one or more medications in 80% of the water samples drawn from a network of 139 streams in 30 states. The drugs identified included a witches' brew of antibiotics, antidepressants, blood thinners, heart medications (ACE inhibitors, calcium-channel blockers, digoxin), hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone), and painkillers. Scores of studies have been done since. Other drugs that have been found include caffeine (which, of course, comes from many other sources besides medications); carbamazepine, an antiseizure drug; fibrates, which improve cholesterol levels; and some fragrance chemicals (galaxolide and tonalide). Sewage treatment plants are not currently designed to remove pharmaceuticals from water. Nor are the facilities that treat water to make it drinkable.”

Source: Harvard Health Letter

A study released in 2010 by the U.S. Geologic Survey, for example, found that a variety of antibiotics -- azithromycin, sulfamethoxazole, and ciprofloxacin, among others – were detected in 11 of 12 sampling sites in Ohio (Source: USGS).How does TDS contaminate our water?

TDS can come from a variety of sources, including natural sources such as rocks and soil, human activities such as agriculture and industry, and municipal water treatment plants.

How do we know if Antibiotics are in our water?

The high use of pharmaceuticals in the U.S. means the presence of antibiotics in drinking water supplies is all but guaranteed.

It is possible to test your water for the presence of antibiotics. However, testing for antibiotics in water is not a routine practice because specialized testing is required to detect the presence of these compounds. A certified laboratory that specializes in water quality testing can test for antibiotics, though it's important to note that lab water testing is expensive and not all labs offer testing for antibiotics specifically.

What are the health hazards of Antibiotics in water?

There are several potential dangers associated with the presence of antibiotics in drinking water supplies in the U.S. These dangers include:

Antibiotic Resistance: Exposure to antibiotics through drinking water can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in humans and animals. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics over time, they can develop resistance to the drugs, making them more difficult to treat.

Human Health Concerns: Antibiotics in drinking water can also pose direct health risks to humans. Exposure to antibiotics can disrupt the normal balance of bacteria in the human gut, potentially leading to a range of health issues, including gastrointestinal problems, allergies, and autoimmune disorders.

Unknown Long-Term Effects: There is still much that is unknown about the long-term effects of exposure to antibiotics in drinking water. While short-term exposure is unlikely to cause significant harm, repeated exposure over time could have cumulative effects that are not yet fully understood.

Environmental Impact: Antibiotics in drinking water can also have a negative impact on the environment. When antibiotics are excreted by humans and animals, they can enter the water supply through wastewater treatment plants and agricultural runoff. This can result in the contamination of surface and groundwater sources and harm aquatic ecosystems.

Antibiotic removal and reduction

There are several ways to remove Antibiotics from water, but the best method is activated carbon filtration. A backwashing carbon system is ideal. Here are the known methods for removing antibiotics from water.

Activated Carbon Filtration: According to a recent study, activated carbon filtration is the most effective method to remove antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals from drinking water supplies. 

Reverse Osmosis (RO): Reverse osmosis is a popular method for removing TDS from water. It works by forcing water through a semipermeable membrane that removes the dissolved solids. RO systems are effective at removing many common TDS, including minerals, salts, and metals.

Coagulation and Flocculation: This process involves the addition of chemicals to the water to cause impurities, including antibiotics, to form clumps, which can then be removed through sedimentation or filtration.

Longevity systems that remove antibiotics

Longevity Water Systems use a combination of activated carbon filtration and reverse osmosis to reduce and remove antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals.

Longevity Carbon Filtration

Our activated carbon filtration systems remove contaminants such as chlorine, pharmaceuticals, and organics — including Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and antibiotics. Using special process media and coconut shell carbon or catalytic carbon in a back-washing system, contaminant removal is effective and reliable.

Reverse-Osmosis

RO is considered one of the most all-around effective ways of eliminating water contaminants, removing up to 99% of heavy trace metals such as lead and chromium, unsafe minerals like asbestos, and 80+ other additional contaminants. A 5-stage RO like the Longevity system uses GAC carbon and dual activated carbon filters that can remove antibiotics. Because RO requires higher maintenance and frequent filter changers, it is advised to use them only at drinking water use points, such as in the kitchen.

Conclusion

The presence of pharmaceuticals and antibiotics in drinking water supplies is a growing concern for public health and environmental sustainability. The overuse of antibiotics in medicine and agriculture has contributed to the widespread presence of these compounds in our water sources, which can have negative impacts on human health and the environment. It is important to treat water to remove pharmaceuticals and antibiotics, and many treatment methods are available to do so.