Biology professor Karen Kidd, seen here with two students, is a leading expert on water pollution and its impact on aquatic life, and the Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Environment and Health. “The disposal of drugs, whether it is through human excretion or flushing unused drugs down the toilet, leads to water pollution,” says Kidd. “We are seeing mixtures of pharmaceuticals in rivers and lakes on every continent, especially in countries with poor or no wastewater treatment. This is a global problem.”Exposure to drugs can cause severe developmental, physiological, morphological and behavioural changes in wildlife, the researchers write. “We need to educate people about the proper disposal of unused drugs, which should be taken back to the pharmacy,” says Kidd.
