Pharmaceuticals and by-products of personal care products are the top contaminants of emerging water quality concerns. According to the Alliance for the Great Lakes, studies have found a 70% increase of these contaminants in all streams over the past five years. Sources could include home septic systems, combined sewer overflows, manufacturing facilities, failing sewers and municipal sludge application to land. Pharmaceuticals are an $80 billion industry. Half of the antibiotics used are for livestock. Manure is then applied to the land. Bacteria are the work horses of streams; breaking down pollutants. Exposure to antibiotics can kill the bacteria. Eventually, forms of bacteria will develop that are resistant to the antibiotics. This resistance can then be transferred to humans. What can we do? Help educate your friends and family to never flush unused pharmaceutical drugs. Take them to a recycling site – see http://rxdrugdropbox.org/ Personal Ca
Out of 300 billion cigarettes sold a year, almost 100 billion of them are tossed into our waterways, beaches, parks, etc. The Cigarette Butt Pollution Project is a partnership between public health and environmental advocacy groups. They work to conduct research, provide assistance, and advocate for effective butt-free policies. 
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