I knew for the last several years that pharmaticuals in drinking water had been detected in amounts to make me worry. All those all drugs people didn't use any longer sometimes found their way into the toilet to dispose of - well in the past, I too disposed of some unused drugs that way. Trace amount of antibiotic and birth control always seem to pop up.
85 Comments
Grace Price
9/9/2013 03:45:10 am
This article really makes me think that I should drink more filtered water. Two miles from the sewage outfalls is a long distance for the cemicals to not be diluted. When one lady said that there could be serious near shore impacts, that scares me a little. Children play on the shores of Lake Michigan. Are the children safe? Triclosan was a chemical they found in Lake Michigan. The chemical is a hormone disruptor in fish. People go fishing on Lake Michigan and eat te fish. Is it safe to eat the fish? Another scientist said that there were medium to high ecological risk. I'm actually really concerned about the water I drink now.....
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Taylor Wiggins
9/9/2013 07:57:33 am
Seems like, one way or another, we're all drinking up contaminated water. It might end up getting worse in the near future, or even start killing off fish... Pretty scary, indeed.
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Amber Ramsey
9/9/2013 11:39:19 am
I definitely agree with Grace about drinking more filtered water. It scares me to know that even flushing pills down the toilet can contaminate your water, more than what you think. Sewer water is becoming more harmful to humans. Besides affecting the fish that are in Lake Michigan, it also can affect humans when they drink the water. Public sewer water gets recycled and reused, but its not always clean as it seems to be. Public sewer water can be contaminated with a ton of deadly bacteria and diseases. People should start drinking more filtered water instead of public sewer water. Children or adults shouldn't swim in lake Michigan. Besides consuming water with a meal, getting this kind of water on your skin would possibly produce a skin problem
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Marko Filipovic
9/9/2013 01:27:19 pm
Having drugs in the water is a big problem Grace. Like you said kids play in the lake. Do we want them having some sort of reaction to the water? They should really consider looking and start to at least clean the shore line of the lake. We dont want little kids in jeopardy by some freaky bacteria and drug.
Nick Fleming
9/9/2013 06:03:27 am
In my opinion, this could be bad considering the salt water to fresh water ratio. If our fresh water is getting contaminated by this the effects could be detrimental somewhere down the road. As some optimistic comedic relief, this is why the bottled water industry is a multi-billion dollar company. XD
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Anton Vrebac
9/9/2013 06:10:07 am
Nick has a good Point. If the fresh water is getting contaminated then we can be in trouble.
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Chris Zuren
9/10/2013 07:09:32 am
That's why we should start working on a way to turn salt water fresh. people are always going to abuse their resources, and eventually they're going to screw up bad enough that we a3re going to need it indefinately.
brian patfield
9/13/2013 06:17:20 am
yes anton you too have a good point but i believe in our water filtration plants and that we will be able to figure this out
Anton Vrebac
9/9/2013 06:08:37 am
I think if lake Michigan is contaminated it can be a big problem! Lake Michigan is very important to us because thats how we get our water. If Lake Michigan is contaminated then the water supplies would decrease and we would be in trouble down the road.
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Brianna luksic
9/9/2013 06:05:33 pm
I agree with Anton! Over 40 million people are depending on the Great Lakes for water sources. We need to find a way to clean the water or stop contaminating it!
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Ben Backovsky
9/15/2013 02:31:10 pm
I agree with brianna the great lakes are a very important source of water and we need to find a way to decrease contamination
Lexi Balausky
9/11/2013 06:50:43 am
I agree with Anton, if the lakes are being contaminated and the drugs are showing up in our drinking water, don't you think people would stop flushing them? It really make me only want to drink bottled water.
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Jake Hodges
9/13/2013 02:01:20 am
I also agree with Anton. We cannot use contaminated water. Filters can only do so much. We have to watch what we wash down our drains or it could have a lasting effect!
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brian patfield
9/13/2013 06:20:07 am
seriously people need to stop flushing stuff down the drain and put it in the trash.
Alex Svigel
9/15/2013 10:04:42 am
I agree with anton 100%. I believe we need the cleanest and freshest water in our lakes.
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Aleah Sokalski
9/19/2013 07:17:32 am
I agree with Anton, we all depend on our great lakes for our water source, so imagine what everyone is consuming around here, We don't know
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Taylor Wiggins
9/9/2013 07:59:09 am
This is definitely pretty worrisome. It might not seem like a lot, but for that much water? How long might it be before the organisms in the water get infected, and make their way into our diets? If this can't be fixed, we might end up looking into another pandemic in the next few decades.
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Courtney Curran
9/9/2013 02:26:33 pm
I definitely agree with Taylor.. If we have these chemicals in the water now.. who knows what else we have been taking into our bodies.. that could be the reason for many of the sicknesses and diseases.. That's terrifying .
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Lexy Febres
9/12/2013 03:53:07 am
This is actually a bigger deal then I originally thought. Taylor has a good point the water issue could affect our lives very negatively we depend on water and if the water we have is contaminated that could create huge issues.
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Jensen Luciani
9/9/2013 01:08:24 pm
Reading this article freaked me out! To think that I don't know what I'm drinking is scary! I could be consuming something that I have never even heard of! 54 chemicals and pharmaceuticals products were found in just Lake Michigan. Can you imagine how much is around the world? Drinking bottled and filtered water is probably the safest bet and a great idea to be healthier and take no chances.
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Alexa Vickers
9/12/2013 06:02:19 am
But aren't some filtered waters from the same lake and they aren't completely filtered all the way. So you could possibly still be getting some of the pharmaceuticals.
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Erica Strnad
9/15/2013 05:36:59 am
I agree with Jensen! It totally freaked me out, I always drink tap water now I'm going to show my parents this so we can get a filter for our sink to purify it! It's crazy about the amount of chemicals and products found in Lake Michigan, thinking about other lakes and the water and chemicals that comes in it is totally freaky! It'd be much healthier to drink from bottled water from now on!
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Marko Filipovic
9/9/2013 01:30:39 pm
I think that the drugs will defiantly have an impact on the role of fish life. some of the drugs make the fish react slower to predators. This can disrupt the ecosystem of the lake. This will end up very badly if this really happened on a larger scale. We should really get that lake cleaned up. Also we might want to check the other lakes. That water could be seriously contaminated.
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Matthew Grauel
9/10/2013 03:55:31 pm
Oh wow I didn't even think of it like that. The impact on our fish could ultimately impacting us as well! After certain fish a lot of people rely on get sick, it could eventually end up hurting the economy with sales.
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Connor Addleman
9/15/2013 02:51:38 pm
I agree. But, lets take that notion of slower fish one step farther. What will happen to the human race???
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Matt Tomc
9/9/2013 01:40:46 pm
The pharmaceuticals do not pose as much of a threat as the chemicals, because they can be more easily regulated via careful disposition. The issue of the chemicals should not be taken lightly. All these chemicals being released into the lake from house hold cleaning supplies will be much more difficult to handle. People can properly dispose of pharmaceuticals easily, but restricting the use of cleaning supplies would result in people being unable to keep their living environment as clean as they would like, making they uncomfortable.
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Collan Ware
9/9/2013 02:10:05 pm
This definately got my attention. Even though I don't drink a lot of water, I still worry about the people in Michigan that do drink a lot. If I were them, I'd watch about what would be in the water I will drink because who knows what might be in it even if you cant see it with a naked eye.
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Courtney Curran
9/9/2013 02:23:14 pm
It is very important that we further research and/or try to find ways to uncontaminate the water because it might only be a small amount of chemicals in the water now, but what happens later down the road in the future when people continue to use the hair and cleaning products we are using? were not going to stop using the products because it's contaminating a lake .. a solution to this problem is needed, sooner than later..
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Gabriella Albanese
9/10/2013 05:31:48 am
I agree with Courtney that we need to do more research and find ways to uncontaminated our water. She makes a good point that there is a small amount of chemicals now, but there will be more later.
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Brianna Luksic
9/9/2013 06:02:09 pm
This is just crazy! They say water is the healthiest thing to drink but is it really now? I usually don't drink tap water & am not swimming in the lakes or oceans because of the dirty water (and all the creepy crawlies), but now I definitely won't be. I bet these toxins are having an effect on the fish and human that are in these bodies of water! I will definitely be more aware of the things I let go down the drain because of what Lyandres says in the last sentence!! After all, what we wash down the drain is what we are drinking in the future!
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Gabriella Albanese
9/10/2013 05:28:37 am
It's crazy that chemicals can go into the water that we drink everyday! I don't think I want to drink tap water anymore. I hope they find something to fix this problem soon. This article really caught my attention!
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Frank Valentic
9/10/2013 06:39:47 am
I want to go buy a fauset filter now. This wouldnt be a problem if people threw it away in the garbage. If we properly disposed of them then this wouldnt be a problem. Aslo if the prescribers gave the right amount instead of giving to much.
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Chris Zuren
9/10/2013 07:06:03 am
Why. Why is this a problem? Who in their right minds could have possibly seen this and said "Nope, that's never going to turn into a problem. There's a biological disaster floating in the lake, but i'm going to be completely unaffected by this. what's that you say? The lake is the source of all our drinking water? Sorry i was distracted by this shiny piece of paper dangling from a stick."
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Mitchell R Valaitis
9/10/2013 12:24:00 pm
I will make sure to have Chad put back all the shinny objects. Also I will tell you that the reason companies can't always see these problems is the fact that their piles of money are obstructing their view.
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Anson B
9/12/2013 09:50:54 am
i agree with you about the money part , that what happens when people care about money more then there country and there own actions, that capitalism not regulated enough.
ashley edmiston
9/10/2013 07:48:09 am
This article was really interesting. I had no idea that all those chemicals were contaminating the Great Lakes. This can be a problem considering that so many people rely on these lakes for their water supply. I don't really drink tap water too often and when I do it's filtered. But to think that when I take a shower, traces of chemicals are being absorbed into my skin. I can definitely see this causing serious problems to people and the marine life inside the Great Lakes in the future.
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Mekenna Wallace
9/12/2013 11:34:29 am
I agree with Ashley. Familys depend on tap water for drinking becuase they cant afford bottle water. They need to find a solution fast.
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Ashley Prohaska
9/13/2013 02:13:26 am
I agree with Ashley, I feel terrible for the marine life that has to live in the water that we are contaminating. It's their home and I feel like we're being careless by contaminating it.
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Iva Bradvica
9/10/2013 08:37:55 am
I find this article mind blowing! They say that water is the healthiest liquid to drink yet it is contaminated with all sorts of chemicals! My mom was just talking the other day how she was going to flush old medicine down the toilet but after reading this article I told her not to. Not only is this water harming humans but also the fish and other critters that not only live in the water but use it to stay alive just like we do!
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Suzi Newland
9/10/2013 11:43:59 am
I believe this article is important because it makes us aware of how many chemicals are in our water. Having chemical filled water is very dangerous because the fish get contaminated and we fish eat the fish and could get sick. People swim in the water. Chemicals could get absorbed in our skin and we could start being changed by our DNA and offspring could be born with deformities. We can fix this by using environment safe products to keep our water clean. A clean earth leads to a brighter future
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Mitchell R Valaitis
9/10/2013 12:19:12 pm
The only chemical I saw on that list that I felt comfortable with in my water was caffeine. I should point out though that I am only comfortable with this because of the fact that we consume lots of it in our everyday lives. I do recognize that it is bad for us though. The fish hormone disturbing chemical was probably one of the most concerning ecologically, since if fish aren't spawning correctly then there could be mass disturbances in the fish population. I have to say that Michigan still has one thing going for it that we don't and that is the fact that the rivers over there haven't caught on fire historically.
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Matthew Grauel
9/10/2013 03:50:48 pm
I agree with Olga Lyandres in this situation, “The development and use of new technologies needs to be a priority”. There hasn't been any major problems with our drinking water yet but we should not sit around and wait for something to happen. That could pose a great danger on society. Not only is is bad for us but the wildlife inside the water could be at risk as well. Putting the wildlife in danger could harm us eventually too. I think that the EPA should take more action in the situation.
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Kelly Lang
9/11/2013 02:53:41 am
This is very disturbing to think about, that we don't even know exactly what we are drinking. There are so many chemicals in the lake I can't believe we are just now finding them. We need to find a better way to clean our water or we need a new place to put these harmful chemicals. It is so scary to think that I'm not just drinking water that I'm drinking some chemicals too.
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Anna Mijatovic
9/15/2013 05:28:33 am
I agree with kelly. I am way too scared to drink my own water now that i think about all the harmful chemicals that can be in them. We need to come up with a safer way to filter our waters and keep us all safe!
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Bret Davies
9/12/2013 03:04:47 am
I'm honestly not even surprised by the pollution and pharmaceutical drugs being found in the lake. we are so careless when it comes to littering or throwing stuff into the lake. pollution has been a problem for years and no one seems to do much about it. if its such a problem then why have we not done anything about it??? this could cause major problems in the lake in the future so why haven't we changed anything??
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Eric Elchesen
9/12/2013 03:05:48 am
We should definitely come up with a better solution for getting rid of unused pharmaceutical pills. The EPA should push for better filtering and proper disposing of these pills.
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seth phares
9/12/2013 03:12:49 am
I agree with the idea that our water needs to have a better system of filtration. the amount of chemicals coming out of the water is not good. I believe that we need to take steps in the right direction to better clean our water system. if we do not figure out a way to do this I think that we will see an increase in the amount of fish and other wild life disappearing. I hope we can figure something out.
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Jake Rayl
9/15/2013 01:08:21 pm
Seth is right. whether we know it or not, this is going to alter fish in some way. If we can find and produce better filtration processes then we might be okay
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lexy febres
9/12/2013 03:22:31 am
I think this is a huge issue because we barely have freshwater as it is, and our little freshwater that we have is being contaminated. Water is supposed to be good for you but with all of these drugs and other things polluting the water is going to affect us but also the organisms living in it. We need to fix this problem.
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Alexa Vickers
9/12/2013 06:04:20 am
This really opens my eyes to all the dangers of drinking tap water. But I've personally never been sick from it. Now that I know how many trillions of different things in the water I might take a little more caution to where my water is coming from.
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Anson B
9/12/2013 09:44:08 am
well i guess bottled water company's are going to make a score if they they use this on there advertisements ,I wonder when people are going to realize dumping small percentage of anything will eventually add up,whatever I am sure they/we will find a solution to this problem.
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Katie Host
9/12/2013 09:56:06 am
I was shocked when I read this article. It really is unsettling just how many chemicals are ending up in our drinking water. It surprised me that the chemicals were so concentrated. We really need to find an affordable solution to this problem.
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Joe Zako
9/15/2013 11:53:32 am
Yes I agree with you 100%. It is probably in our best interest to find an effective way to make sure the water in our lakes is clean.
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Mekenna Wallace
9/12/2013 11:30:21 am
This is scary to think about. Chemicals and drugs being in water we drink? i think we need to find a way to fix that and fast. It could impact a lot of differnt organisms in the water and also hurt our bodys. I think they should research better ways to filter the water enough that nothing but water goes into the lakes.
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ashley edmiston
9/13/2013 08:46:09 am
I agree with Mekenna. We should research more solutions to this problem before it gets even worse. I think it will be worth the time and cost because the marine life and people with be healthier.
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Jake Hodges
9/13/2013 02:03:43 am
This is really shocking to me. I thought that our water was the cleanest water in the world! well I know now that i need to pay more attention to what chemicals i use when i use my water at home!
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Jay Milo
9/13/2013 02:08:34 am
Sewer water is becoming more dangerous. It effects the fish that are in Lake Michigan, it also can effect humans when they drink the water. Public sewer water gets recycled and reused, but its not always clean as it seems to be. Sewer water can be combined with a lot of deadly bacteria and diseases. People should start drinking more filtered water instead of public sewer water
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Ashley Prohaska
9/13/2013 02:11:05 am
This article really surprised me. I wasn't aware of how unhealthy our water was. It's actually really aggravating that things such as prescription drugs aren't being disposed in a proper and healthy way. A solution needs to be found before this problem gets even more out of hand than it already is. Reading this makes me want to stick to bottled water.
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Allen Cade
9/13/2013 02:12:43 am
Good thing I don't drink tap water
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sabrena franko
9/13/2013 02:16:03 am
Lake Michigan being contaminated is such a huge problem because people, fish, and animals all need the water to drink. Its crazy how the healthiest thing for us can actually be dangerous now. We could get many diseases or maybe even deformities!
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Nick Strnisa
9/13/2013 02:19:13 am
This article really intrigued me. I am very concerned with the chemicals in the water. With what little fresh water we have, we should try to preserve it as best as we can. Filters can't clean every little thing.
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brian patfield
9/13/2013 06:18:37 am
i believe that contaminating the water in the lakes is bad not only for us but for the animals that live inside of it. We are affecting more than just our lives and need to think about the consiquences
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Daniel Kunsman
9/13/2013 08:26:03 am
Before I read this, I already about some of these facts, but I had no idea that there were over 54 chemicals in just Lake Michigan. I also noticed that the four most commonly found ones were in products that are used very frequently, like caffeine and triclosan from our soaps and the like. Maybe because of these extra strength versions of soaps and shampoos that it is not diluting as much as it should. Hopefully someone can find the answer to this problem, and soon.
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The Great and Regal Sir Chad of Hawkingston
9/13/2013 11:41:19 am
Okay so whats the solution to this problem? Or is that something that is not yet known? If the drug levels in Lake Michigan are too high, than what are the drug levels in Lake Erie? Also will all those drugs kill the zebra mussels. Because frankly I think that the whole zebra mussels issue is a little bit more pressing.
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Chad Hawkins
9/13/2013 11:59:27 am
If you're wonder about the name, don't comment with Zuren around.
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Bill Bordonaro
9/14/2013 09:10:16 am
This was an eye opening article for me. I didn't realize how different everyday chemicals are contaminating the waters. I don't think this problem will ever be able to be fully resolved, but with more awareness, people will take a more active role to pollute less. I think the carbon filter technology is a good start to reducing the chemical problem.
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Alex Goody
9/15/2013 04:43:58 am
I agree bill, we might not be able to fully fix this problem anytime soon, but maybe we can find or research for a different kind of filter technology to help stop it even a little bit more. I already drink filtered but knowing what i used to drink kind of makes me feel, in a way, sick.
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Colin Curtis
9/14/2013 10:14:19 am
It is unfortunate that there are so many harmful chemicals in the lakes and drinking water, but it is hardly surprising to me. We dump so many things down the drain that it would be very hard to get all of it out, especially at the volume that we are doing it in. Parts per trillion may not sound like a lot, but added all up, it will have long lasting effects, like the article said. I hope that the water treatment plants will get new technology to cope with all of the chemicals soon, but even until then, I'll still drink tap water until it is proven to be unhealthier than any sugary drink.
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Ashley nye
9/14/2013 06:19:38 pm
I agree with Anton! So many people depend on Lake Mighican's water for drinking water and it's contaminated. There needs to be a way to stop all the chemicals from entering the lake. Bottled water sounds way better to me now than it did before I had read this article!
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Anna Mijatovic
9/15/2013 05:26:33 am
I have always wondered the same thing about this. We use shampoo, body scrub etc which all goes down into the sewers and lakes and can possible end up in our own drinking water. I use chemicals when i clean and by chemicals i mean the really strong chemicals. So to think that could be in our drinking water scares me. With all these diseases and cancers that are out to get us. an individual might not even know it.
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Alex Svigel
9/15/2013 10:03:02 am
I think this article is very important and I found it very interesting. I think the drugs entering the lake is very harmful. This can effect all the species in the lake by giving off a chemical that is very dangerous. I really hope people look at this article and take effect in this issue cause this problem is really bad for our lake.
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Joe Zako
9/15/2013 11:55:59 am
After reading this I barely even feel comfortable using the water from my sink with all the chemicals in the lake. We should definitely find a way to fix this problem since the lakes are our main source of fresh water. Until then I might be sticking to filtered water.
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Hannah Thomas
9/15/2013 12:12:40 pm
Right with you there Joe.
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Hannah thomas
9/15/2013 12:08:08 pm
Contamination of water is a big problem in our society it has always been, and for that issue to keep popping up kind of makes me worried because we are not doing anything to fix it.
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Jake rayl
9/15/2013 01:05:55 pm
It's surprising that the chemicals are diluting. I learned in chem class that basically if you have more water per mole of solute, then the concentration should be more dilute. However, that does not seem to be the case. I don't think there is any reason to be alarmed though. Humans have done worse to the environment.
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Jen Hufgard
9/15/2013 01:35:10 pm
This article really makes me think that I should drink more filtered water. It might end up getting worse in the future, or even start killing off life in the water. Sewer water is becoming more harmful to humans.
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Tom Kruse
9/15/2013 02:18:32 pm
This article should only make a small amount of Americans apprehensive. The concentration of drugs in Lake Michigan should be taken into consideration for the future. One possible solution, although a long shot, would be to have all Americans drink the at a healthy amount of water, or at least 8 cups per day. This would, on average, indirectly dilute the amount of drugs in the lake. The article said, "the compounds mostly get into sewage through people excreting them." Drinking more water will lower the concentraion of drugs in our system.
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Joey Belz
9/15/2013 04:41:17 pm
I agree with you, Tom. By drinking a higher concentration of filtered water than contaminated water, we would be flushing our system with the clean water we need, causing the drugs to slowly leave our bodies. I recommend that everybody should drink atleast 5 cups of filtered water a day in order to get rid of the contaminated water.
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Ben Backovsky
9/15/2013 02:28:40 pm
I feel that lake michign being contaminated is a big problem. Especially when the samples are being taken so close to shore. People fish near the shore and if the fish contain traces of perscriptions it can cause harm to the people who eat them. Another reason is the perscription traces can be swallowed or possibly absorbed through people's skin. I feel we need to find some way to filter the water and pollution entering the lake so no people or wildlife get harmed
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Anthony DiFrancesco
9/15/2013 02:29:42 pm
it suprises me that al the little things can add up to this much damage. at this rate the contaminated water can start killing people. just flushing pills down a toilet can harm the water. im gonna strt drinking more bottled water.
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Connor Addleman
9/15/2013 02:47:33 pm
All i have to say is what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. then again, im not one for the thought of dying at the "hands" of microscopic organisms, or drugs. on a brighter note or thought, we may evolve because of the effects of these drugs. i guess im mr. brightside lol
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Joey Belz
9/15/2013 04:27:46 pm
I think that we need to stop drinking unfiltered water due to the fact that we are putting unused medicine such as birth control into our bodies. This isn't a minor issue, many diseases have to be putting people into danger. Everybody should invest in a filtered water system at their house if they have not yet. After reading this, I refuse to drink water that has not been cleaned.
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Grace Connolly
9/15/2013 04:50:41 pm
This article really proves that we need to be careful and think about the impact that our actions have on the world around us. It is vaguely worrying that chemicals and pharmaceuticals in the water can harm and the ecosystem, and it would be great if technology to help this issue were to be developed.
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Brian Keller
9/16/2013 04:58:56 am
That's really gross. There is no way I'm drinking tap water anymore. Grosssssssss
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Aleah Sokalski
9/19/2013 07:16:18 am
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