things I need 2 know!
"need-2-know" list
What can I do to help?
What can we all do?
We all want a healthy environment with vibrant animals and ecosystems.
There are many things we can do that can make a big difference. It includes how we dispose of drugs, household chemicals, plastics, and other materials. It also includes supporting science that seeks to identify what is bad versus what is okay if it ends up in the environment.
Check it out:
1) what goes down the toilet, and why
2) how to dispose of drugs and chemicals
3) reducing entry of trash & debris into the sea, lakes, and rivers
4) supporting scientific research
5) become involved
What goes down the toilet, and Why
Dr. Jeffrey Armstrong
of the Orange County Sanitation District asks that we not be part of a "flush it and forget it" society
...see OCSD's video,
with much more information at their Education page (here)
from www.What2Flush.com
It’s easy...just...Think before you flush!
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If you throw a drug into the toilet, it likely ends up in aquatic environments, rivers and ocean!
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This means the fish, frogs, whales, otters, and many more organisms will be directly exposed.
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And don't forget, this may impact drinking water that land animals depend upon ...and humans too!
How to dispose of drugs and chemicals
The worst thing you can do is flush any drug or chemical in
the toilet!
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If thrown into a toilet, a drug or chemical will end up downstream in aquatic environments, like rivers and ocean. Even the most modern and technological wastewater treatment plants cannot screen all drugs and chemicals. Once there, wildlife will be directly exposed.
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If drugs or chemicals end up in trash, and therefore landfills, they might have more time to degrade (as compared to the more dangerous water route just mentioned) but this too can be bad for the environment over the long-term. It is also dangerous to the people who handle our waste systems.
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The best way to proceed is to find out where you can safely dispose of drugs and chemicals in your region. To find out, ask your local pharmacy or local landfill office.
Links to more information:
Reducing entry of trash and debris
into sea, lakes, and rivers
-coming soon-
Supporting scientific research
-coming soon-
What about chemicals in the environment?
How about trash and debris in the ocean?
What is environmental endocrine disruption?
What does toxicity mean?
What is a biomarker?