| Pharmaceutical drugs have recently been detected in drinking water, raising concern regarding the potential risk to human health from long-term exposure. Present treatment systems do not completely remove these compounds. The objective of this study is to determine whether pharmaceutical drugs present in the drinking water of Calgary, Alberta pose a potential risk to human health, and if so, whether it can be addressed through improved water treatment. Specific aims are to: identify the extent of pharmaceutical drugs occurrence in drinking water; assess their fate, transport and transformation in water; evaluate whether current water treatment technologies are effective in removing these drugs from drinking water; determine the economics of using improved water treatment technologies; and obtain expert opinions regarding the gravity of drug detection in drinking water. It is hypothesized that cost-effective technologies are available for removing pharmaceutical drugs from drinking water to provide protection from exposure. |
