Effects of improperly disposed pharmaceuticals in waterways discussed Wednesday (9/10)

The effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products that wind up in local waterways will be discussed Wednesday (9/10) at 6:30 p.m. at The Calumet Conference Center at Purdue University Calumet.

In his presentation, Todd Nettesheim of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Great Lakes National Program Office will discuss the problems caused by these products when they are disposed of improperly, such as by flushing down the drain.

According to an Associated Press investigation, pharmaceuticals have been identified in the drinking water supplies of more than 40 million Americans, while also affecting aquatic wildlife.

The free presentation is part of the Go with the Flow seminar series designed to increase awareness of land use practices on Lake Michigan’s coastal resources in Indiana.

The series is funded by a grant Purdue Calumet received from the Lake Michigan Coastal Program. Also sponsoring the series are the Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Purdue Calumet’s Calumet Conference Center is located one-third mile north of Interstate 80/94, three blocks east of Indianapolis Boulevard, south of 173rd Street. Other information is available by contacting Leslie Dorworth, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant aquatic ecology specialist, at 219/989-2726; 800/HI-PURDUE, ext. 2726; or dorworth@calumet.purdue.edu.

News Release Date: September 8, 2008