[LookOutSugarLake] New York Times and pharmaceuticals in water

[handr at telus.net]

Greetings,

Another article regarding pharmaceuticals in water, in the New York  
Times this time (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/science/earth/ 
03water.html?_r=2&ref=science&oref=slogin&oref=slogin) that again  
concludes this is such a complex issue that it needs more research  
and much more expensive treatment systems.... Yet when fish change  
gender, frogs die off and mussels eggs cannot survive, should we not  
question whether human ailments such as prostate and breast cancers  
are related to chemicals in water?

Do you not agree that the precautionary principle should lead us to  
immediately prevent new discharges of effluents in our waterways?  
Should we not insist that all new developments follow the model of  
the KC Choi building at UBC and use composting toilets and control at  
source of grey water?

I am even starting to think that retrofitting the whole country with  
composting toilets and banning (or at least discouraging) the use of  
harmful personal care products would be cheaper than (and certainly  
morally superior to) letting the dangerous practice of dumping  
effluents in our waterways continue. We will not be able to ignore  
the results of this practice forever and all past experience leads me  
to believe that not so many studies would be published, were there  
not a serious problem associated with it,

Huguette Beaudin-Allen
www.sensociety.org/SLAMSS.htm
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