The 5th International Conference on Pharmaceuticals and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals in Water will take place in Costa Mesa, Calif., March 13 to 15, 2006.
At the conference, the world’s leading experts on monitoring water supplies will present data showing the presence of dozens of drugs and hormones in streams, rivers and groundwater throughout the U.S. and Europe. The data include important new findings showing population declines in certain bird species due to exposure to diclofenac, a common anti-inflammatory.
In addition, the conference will examine drung-resistant bacteria. The news media has reported widely on the creation of “superbugs,” new strains of bacteria that have evolved and are resistant to antibiotics. Some of these have been detected in water resources near major cities and in rural areas.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC) and wildlife will also be examined. Evidence will be presented regarding the harmful effects on wildlife from exposure to natural and synthetic hormones and certain other EDCs. Risk management tools and the need for their further development to address pharmaceuticals and EDCs will be spotlighted.
The conference will be conducted by the National Ground Water Association and is co-sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey Toxic Substances Hydrology Program, U.S. EPA National Risk Management Research Laboratory, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, Minnesota Department of Health, Berlin Centre of Competence for Water and the Technical University of Berlin.
Source: National Ground Water Association
