A typical pill has on the order of a hundred billion trillion molecules of the active compound. Our detection limits for finding these compounds are many many orders of magnitude smaller. Of COURSE we can detect them. The question is whether they are found at a level that is of particular concern, and largely the answer is no. The AP article, as with most articles on the subject, failed to mention concentrations or the fact that the dose makes the poison.

If you read an article about “contamination” that doesn’t give specific concentrations, quit reading. You are wasting your time.

James, I wouldn’t think bathing would exacerbate exposure–these are all pharmaceuticals that are taken orally, so skin exposure shouldn’t matter. But you make an interesting point about other organisms that consume pharmawater. As with the water, the concentrations will be in very trace amounts (unlike mercury, which accumulates), so it’s sort of the same vague story there.

And yes, waiting for long term experiments is not very appealing. If we can find stronger evidence that the chemicals can affect human health, e.g. longitudinal studies in other mammals like rats and monkeys, it might be reason enough to step in.