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Pharmaceuticals

Prescription bottles collected in a box in preparation for Take Back Day pill recycling.
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceuticals in drinking water refers to the trace amounts of prescription and over the counter drugs that can be found in water sources due to improper disposal and/or incomplete metabolism and excretion by humans and animals. There are various pharmaceuticals that can pose as water contaminants such as antibiotics, hormones (i.e. estrogen), pain relievers, antidepressants, etc.

  • Where are they?

    Pharmaceuticals in drinking water are most commonly found in areas such as:

    1. Urban and Industrial Areas: Wastewater treatment plants may not always effectively remove all pharmaceuticals from the water, leading to trace amounts entering downstream drinking water sources.
    2. Agricultural Areas: Land where veterinarian pharmaceuticals were used or where animal waste containing medications is spread onto fields as fertilizer can introduce pharmaceuticals to both surface and groundwater, as well as runoff in other water bodies.
    3. Landfills: Disposal of unused medications into household trash can lead to leaching of pharmaceuticals into groundwater.

    Areas of higher urban density and/or increased agricultural use may be more susceptible to pharmaceutical contamination in drinking water.

  • What is being done?

    Current efforts are primarily focused on research and monitoring. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) conducts monitoring programs to assess the presence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water sources. Research initiatives focus on understanding the sources, fate, and potential impacts of pharmaceutical residues.

  • Resources

Contact us

For questions on pharmaceutical waste, contact EGLE’s Environmental Assistance Center at 800-662-9278 or EGLE-Assist@Michigan.gov and ask for hazardous waste program staff in your county or find your local contact on the MMD Program Staff Maps page.

For questions on medical waste, please contact Andy Shannon at 517-230-9800 or MedicalWaste@Michigan.gov.

Emerging Contaminants Unit
Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division
P.O. Box 30473
Lansing, MI 48909-7973

EGLE-PFAS@Michigan.gov