When we wash our drugs and cosmetic products down the drain, they don’t always go very far.
In an analysis of groundwater from 20 drinking water wells on Cape Cod, researchers found trace amounts of 18 household chemicals, including prescription drugs, flame retardants and non-stick and stain-resistant compounds. At least one of these chemicals showed up in 15 of the wells. Most of the water tested came from septic systems, which treat about 85 percent of groundwater on Cape Cod and about 20 percent of groundwater nationwide. Full Article »