10 Everyday Items You Should Never Pour Down the Drain

Medication

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The Dangers of Disposing of Medication in Drains

Many people wrongly believe that flushing medication is safe. They think pills dissolve quickly, but this is not true. Instead, many medications can pollute the water supply, bringing environmental and health dangers.

Flushed medications do not disappear. They may stay whole or partly dissolve, contaminating water sources. Filtration systems can remove most germs, but they are not made to filter out pharmaceuticals. Traces of drugs can linger in drinking water and the environment, harming aquatic life and affecting humans.

Medication in water can disrupt animal hormones, causing reproductive issues and shrinking populations. It can also add to antibiotic resistance, as leftover antibiotics in water affect bacteria.