Report on pharmaceuticals and personal care products in Illinois drinking water

              Report on Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products
in Illinois Drinking Water
Bureau of Water, Illinois EPA
June 2008
Introduction
While the presence of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in raw (untreated)
and finished (potable) drinking water has become an issue of concern recently, the original
reports of pharmaceutical chemicals’ presence in water go back three decades. Garrison et al.
(1976) and Hignite and Azaznoff (1977) both reported the presence of clofibric acid, a
breakdown product of several blood lipid regulators, in wastewater, and Hignite and Azaznoff
also found salicylic acid, an aspirin breakdown product, in their study. As analytical techniques
became increasingly sensitive and detection limits approached and sometimes surpassed the low
nanograms per liter (ng/L) or parts-per-trillion (ppt) level, many more PPCPs have been reported
in waste water, ambient water, and drinking water. In one recent survey of 139 U.S. streams,
Kolpin et al. (2002) found PPCPs in 80% of the streams, while in another report Heberer (2002)
reviewed research on pharmaceuticals in water and listed 80 drugs and breakdown products that
had been detected.
The issue of PPCPs in drinking water was brought to the forefront earlier this year when the
Associated Press released a three-part series of reports that found PPCPs in the drinking water of
24 U.S. metropolitan areas serving approximately 41 million residents. Acting on these reports,
Governor Blagojevich requested that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Agency)
monitor water samples for the presence of PPCPs, and that the Agency and the Illinois
Department of Public Health (IDPH) assess the effects on public health of any chemicals that
might be found.
Purpose
Illinois EPA Bureau of Water (Division of Public Water Supplies) staff collected samples of raw
and finished drinking water that were analyzed for the presence of pharmaceuticals, in order to
evaluate whether detectable amounts are present in sufficient concentration to cause adverse
human health effects.
Methodology
Sample Selection – Chicago and four other communities were selected for sampling. Chicago
was chosen because of the large population served, considering the city itself and the numerous
neighboring communities that purchase water from Chicago. Four communities (Elgin, Aurora,
Rock Island and East St. Louis) were chosen because they use surface water (Fox River and
Mississippi River) as a drinking water source and are located downstream near a wastewater
treatment plant discharge. Since the major route for pharmaceuticals’ entry to surface water is
primarily through discharge of treated municipal wastewater, the selected water supplies are
more likely than others to show detectable levels of these substances.