LONDON (Reuters) - Traces of the anti-depressant Prozac have been found in Britain's drinking water supply, setting off alarm bells with environmentalists concerned about potentially toxic effects.
The Observer newspaper said Sunday that a report by the
government's environment watchdog found Prozac was building up
in river systems and groundwater used for drinking supplies.
The exact quantity of Prozac in the drinking water was
unknown, but the Environment Agency's report concluded Prozac
could be potentially toxic in the water table.
Experts say that Prozac finds its way into rivers and water
systems from treated sewage water, and some believe the drugs
could affect reproductive ability.
A spokesman for Britain's Drinking Water Inspectorate said
Prozac was likely to be found in a considerably watered down
form that was unlikely to pose a health risk.
"It is extremely unlikely that there is a risk, as such
drugs are excreted in very low concentrations," the spokesman
said. "Advanced treatment processes installed for pesticide
removal are effective in removing drug residues."
But environmentalists called for an urgent investigation
into the findings.
Norman Baker, environment spokesman for the Liberal
Democrats, said it looked "like a case of hidden mass
medication upon the unsuspecting public."
"It is alarming that there is no monitoring of levels of
Prozac and other pharmacy residues in our drinking water," he
told the Observer.
The Environment Agency has held a series of meetings with
the pharmaceutical industry to discuss any repercussions for
human health or the ecosystem, the Observer said.
Prescription of anti-depressants has surged in Britain. In
the decade up to 2001, overall prescriptions of antidepressants
rose from 9 million to 24 million a year, the paper said.
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