High on Drugs

Lake Michigan is on prescription drugs

Or at least....prescription drugs are in Lake Michigan. And that's a problem for those folks whose cities rely on the Great Lakes for their water source.

This ability of the drugs to travel and remain at relatively high concentrations means that fish and other aquatic life are exposed, so there could be “some serious near-shore impacts,” said Rebecca Klaper, an associate professor at the university of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition, Milwaukee draws its drinking water from Lake Michigan, although no pharmaceuticals have been detected in the city’s water. The researchers reported that 14 of the chemicals "were found to be of medium or high ecological risk," and that the concentrations “indicate a significant threat to the health of the Great Lakes." nevertheless, it is not clear what, if any, effects the drugs are having on fish and other creatures in Lake Michigan. - More