PORTLAND, MAINE — A study by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection has found that even properly disposed of pharmaceuticals may find their way into the drinking water supply, according to an article on wmur.com.
Researchers found small amounts of medications — including antidepressants, birth control pills and over-the-counter pain relievers — in landfill water, or leachate, the story stated.
Leachate can eventually wind up in rivers, where many states draw their drinking water, the report stated.
The results of the study have been released at the same time that Maine legislators are debating a bill which would require drug manufacturers to collect and dispose of unused drugs, according to the article.
“People need a way to properly dispose of their drugs, and they’re not getting it right now,” said Mark Hyland, director of the state Department of Environmental Quality’s Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management.
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