Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants - Essay Example

The article, ‘Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams, 1999-2000: A National Reconnaissance’ co-authored by Kolpin, Furlong, Meyer et al. The article is highly relevant in the contemporary environment of advancing science and technology because it shows how the survival of the human race is in danger from the effluents and waste material, consisting of various chemical and organic contaminants that are let loose on the streams without effective treatment across America. The study was conducted on the water sample taken from 139 streams across 30 states in America from 1999 to 2000. It was possibly the only study that was conducted to trace the transportation, occurrence in the environment, and the ultimate end result of these chemicals, especially harmonically active chemicals that significantly stimulate physiological response in human beings.

The study had selected 95 organic wastewater contaminants or OWC from the US streams that were observed to be the most damaging to the environment and to the health and survival of human beings. The study had some startling results that showed serious lapses on the part of the industries and pharmaceutical companies who were not effectively treating their effluents for the dangerous chemicals that were allowed to be passed onto the streams whose water was being used by the population at large. Indeed, the presence of many of these potentially fatal and active chemicals in the water poses a serious threat to the health of the masses and needs to be addressed at the earliest.

The scientists’ concern is genuine and reiterates that the conservation and preservation of natural resources are important parts of population dynamics as their sustenance depends on the available resources. The population growth has brought into focus the issue of sustainable development that promotes the maintenance of an ecosystem that facilitates a continuous supply of natural resources like safe drinking water, clean air, energy, and food with proper waste disposal systems. The wide ramifications of science and technology are both good and dangerous and therefore, they must be tempered with conscious efforts toward environment conservation and preservation.