New pharmaceuticals are churned out and tossed out regularly without regards to the environment.

Published in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, researchers assessed 1,052 locations across 104 countries and about half of them (43.5%) had concentrations of pharmaceutical ingredients that were concerning with 23 ingredients at concentrations exceeding ‘safe’ levels. Included substances were antidepressants, antimicrobials, antihistamine, benzodiazepine, beta-blockers, pain killers, hormones, antihyperglycemics, etc.

“Our findings show that a very high proportion of rivers around the world are at threat from pharmaceutical pollution. We should therefore be doing much more to reduce the emissions of these substances into the environment,” said author, Alejandra Bouzas-Monroy.

And while it is easy to blame pharmaceutical companies and local governments, both of which are very much responsible, it is we the people and our lack of resilience, proper self-care, and all-around shitty lifestyle that is creating all the demands and putting all these chemicals into our natural environment un-necessarily.

A Bouzas-Monroy et al. Assessment of the potential ecotoxicological effects of pharmaceuticals in the world’s rivers. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. DOI: 10.1002/etc.5355