(March 10, 2008)—Arlington is among two-dozen U.S. cities where an Associated Press investigation found traces of pharmaceuticals in drinking water supplies.
Tests on Arlington’s water showed traces of five unspecified pharmaceuticals, AP reports.
Results on a test of Dallas’ water supply were pending.
Austin’s water supply tested negative for pharmaceuticals.
No testing was done on water in El Paso, Houston, San Antonio, Denison or Kingsville, the AP reports.
No other Texas cities were included in AP’s investigation.
Overall, the investigation found a vast array of pharmaceuticals in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans.
They include antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones, as well as over-the-counter pain medicines.
The concentrations are tiny, measured in quantities of parts per billion or trillion.
That's far below the levels of a medical dose.
But some scientists are worried about the long-term consequences to human health.
Researchers don't yet understand the exact risks from decades of exposure to combinations of low levels of pharmaceuticals.
But recent studies have found alarming effects on human cells and wildlife.
In the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Kentucky.
Utilities insist their water is safe.
The data come from a survey of more than 60 major water providers and from information from independent researchers.
AP also surveyed more than 50 smaller cities including Denison and Kingsville.
All but one said their drinking water had not been screened for pharmaceuticals; officials in that community, Emporia, Kan., refused to answer AP's questions, citing post-9/11 security concerns.
Test protocols varied widely.
Some researchers tested for more drugs than others.
Tested Positive
Arlington, Texas: 5 (unspecified drugs)
Atlanta: 10 (including caffeine, sulfamethoxazole, diltiazem, acetaminophen, trimethoprim, cotinine and paraxanthine)
Cincinnati: 4 (gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, sulfamethaxazole and ethinyl estradiol)
Columbus, Ohio: 15 (including azithromycin, erythromycin, roxithromycin, tylosin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and caffeine)
Concord, Calif.: (unspecified drugs)
Denver: (unspecified antibiotics)
Detroit: (unspecified total; including carbamazepine, caffeine, cotinine)
Fairfax, Va.: 8 (erythromycin, lincomycin, trimethoprim, tylosin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole)
Indianapolis: 2 (caffeine and cotinine)
Las Vegas: 9 (including sulfamethoxazole, atenolol, trimethoprim, meprobamate, phenytoin, carbamazepine and gemfibrozil)
Long Beach, Calif.: 9 (unspecified drugs)
Los Angeles: 9 (unspecified drugs)
Louisville, Ky.: 2 (ibuprofen and naproxen)
Milwaukee: 1 (cotinine)
Minneapolis: 3 (acetaminophen, caffeine and cotinine)
New York City: 16 (including atenolol, trimethoprim, carbamazepine, ibuprofen, estrogen, acetaminophen and diazepam)
Northern New Jersey: 13 (including acetaminophen, carbamazepine, codeine, dehydronifedipine, erythromycin, lincomycin and sulfadimethoxine)
Oklahoma City: 12 (including acetaminophen, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, ibuprofen, iopromide, sulfamethoxazole and iopromide)
Omaha, Neb.: 2 (caffeine and sulfamethoxazole)
Philadelphia: 63 (including amoxicillin, aspirin, atorvastatin, bacitracin, diclofenac, phenytoin and fluoxetine)
Prince George's-Montgomery counties, Md.: 3 (caffeine, carbamazepine and cotinine)
Riverside County, Calif.: 9 (unspecified drugs)
San Diego: 12 (clofibrate, clofibric acid, ibuprofen and nine unspecified)
San Francisco: 1 (estrone)
Santa Clara, Calif.: (unspecified drugs)
Southern California: 9 (including atenolol, phenytoin, fluoxetine, gemfibrozil, meprobamate, naproxen and trimethoprim)
Virginia Beach, Va.: 4 (fluoxetine, estradiol, acetaminophen and ibuprofen)
Washington, D.C.: 5 (monensin, ibuprofen, caffeine, carbamazepine and sulfamethoxazole)
Tested Negative
Albuquerque, N.M.: tests negative
Austin, Texas: tests negative
Virginia Beach, Va.: tests negative
Did Not Test
Baltimore: no testing
Birmingham, Ala.: no testing
Boston: no testing
Charlotte, N.C.: no testing
Chicago: no testing
Cleveland: no testing
Colorado Springs, Colo.: no testing
El Paso, Texas: no testing
Fairfax, Va.: no testing
Fort Worth, Texas: no testing
Fresno, Calif.: no testing
Honolulu: no testing
Houston: no testing
Jacksonville, Fla.: no testing
Kansas City, Mo.: no testing
Memphis, Tenn.: no testing
Mesa, Ariz.: no testing
Miami: no testing
Nashville, Tenn.: no testing
New York City: no testing
Oakland, Calif.: no testing
Oklahoma City: no testing
Omaha, Neb.: no testing
Orlando, Fla.: no testing
Phoenix: no testing
Sacramento, Calif.: no testing
San Antonio: no testing
Prince George's and Montgomery counties, Md.: no testing
San Jose, Calif.: no testing
Santa Clara, Calif.: no testing
Seattle: no testing
Suffolk County, N.Y.: no testing
Tulsa, Okla.: no testing
Wichita, Kan.: no testing
Results Pending
Dallas: results pending
Smaller Cities That Didn’t Test
Anniston, Ala.
Fairbanks, Alaska
Prescott, Ariz.
Jacksonville, Ark.
Santa Paula, Calif.
Grand Junction, Colo.
Norwich, Conn.
Newark, Del.
Homestead City, Fla.
LaGrange, Ga.
Hilo, Hawaii
Lewiston, Idaho
Freeport, Ill.
Michigan City, Ind.
Fort Dodge, Iowa
Paducah, Ky.
Houma, La.
Bangor, Maine
Annapolis, Md.
Agawam, Mass.
Burton, Mich.
Fridley, Minn.
Pascagoula, Miss.
Kirkwood, Mo.
Sedalia, Mo.
Butte-Silver Bow, Mont.
Grand Island, Neb.
Carson City, Nev.
Dover, N.H.
Millville, N.J.
Hobbs, N.M.
Watertown,N.Y.
Sanford, N.C.
Minot, N.D.
Shawnee, Okla.
Zanesville, Ohio
Lake Oswego, Ore.
Lebanon, Pa.
Bristol, R.I.
Florence, S.C.
Rapid City, S.D.
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
Denison, Texas
Kingsville, Texas
Midvale, Utah
Burlington, Vt.
Salem, Va.
Puyallup, Wash.
Huntington, W. Va.
New Berlin, Wis.
Laramie, Wyo.
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