Written by Aaron Baumgardner, Director of Natural Resources for the Catawba Nation

The proper disposal of pharmaceuticals is vital to keeping our waterways clean—especially the Catawba River. The improper disposal of these chemicals by flushing them down the toilet or throwing them in the trash can adversely affect our drinking water and our non-human relatives.

Whether you live in a home that uses a septic tank or a home that is connected to a municipal wastewater treatment plant, prescription and over-the-counter medications that are improperly disposed of can pass through these systems and enter rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers. Similarly, medications that are thrown in the trash and make their way to landfills can be dissolved by rainfall and runoff into those same waterways.  

Earth’s water cycle is an interconnected system. The consumption of dissolved pharmaceuticals by the smallest of aquatic organisms can cause a chain reaction through the entire ecosystem and have lasting effects on food webs through bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Bioaccumulation occurs when contaminants build up in an organism’s body over time, and biomagnification occurs when these toxins increase in concentration as they move from the bottom of the food chain up to apex predators–which can include human beings.

For example, it may not be harmful to small aquatic animals such as snails and insects to consume dissolved antianxiety medication, but small fish can consume a lot of contaminated snails and insects. These now-contaminated small fish are the food source of larger fish and birds of prey. As the antianxiety medication moves up the food chain, the concentration magnifies and has the potential to alter the behavior of wildlife. Studies have observed fish with accumulations of antianxiety medication in their muscle tissue to exhibit bolder, less social behavior and more frequent eating; this altered behavior all began with small aquatic animals eating dissolved medications.

These unexpected changes in behavior have the potential to alter entire ecosystems. Fish that eat more frequently reduce the populations of the small aquatic organisms. As a result of the reduced populations of these organisms, there is an increase in algal populations. Increased algal populations can then result in harmful algal blooms that deplete dissolved oxygen and cause massive fish die-offs. One small action can impact the entire system.

Think before you flush and think before you toss!

To help prevent wildlife from consuming these medications, join us for Catawba Nation’s Drug Take-back Day on Saturday, April 30th from 11 AM to 1 PM at the Food Distribution Center (971 Avenue of the Nations). If you are unable to drop off medications on the Drug Take-back Day, many pharmacies have boxes where you can drop off your expired, unused, or unwanted medications.