Get rid of medicine in a responsible way, and take a shower after swimming in rivers or lakes.

Don't flush your meds...unless you want your water full of supergerms.

05-15-09 RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—There are a lot of bacteria mingling about in a wastewater treatment plant. In fact, the process of breaking down organic matter depends on beneficial bacteria. But with all those microbes confined in a relatively small area, both helpful and dangerous strains mix, multiply, and interact with antibiotics found in the wastewater. And sometimes the result is the emergence of superbugs, or bacteria that don’t respond to antibacterial medicines, according to a study that will appear in the journal Science of the Total Environment this month.

THE DETAILS: Researchers tested water during three different stages of treatment: at a wastewater treatment plant, at a site upstream from where the treated water is discharged into a river, and at a spot downstream from the discharge site. They were looking for Acinetobacter, a group of drug-resistant bacteria that’s becoming more prevalent in hospital settings. Like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, another antibiotic-resistant bacteria of growing concern, Acinetobacter can infect some people without causing any problems. But the bacteria can also cause pneumonia and serious blood or wound infections.

In the study, researchers found 366 strains of Acinetobacter in the sites they tested. Levels of multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter were nearly 40 percent higher in the final treated water, compared to samples taken of wastewater not yet treated. This implies that the wastewater treatment process contributes to the selective increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in aquatic environments, say the study authors. “A conventional wastewater treatment plant isn’t designed to get out all antibiotics,” says study coauthor Chuanwu Xi, PhD, assistant professor of public health at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. And exposure to those antibiotics during treatment seems to promote the growth of bacteria that can resist them.

WHAT IT MEANS: Health experts are increasingly concerned about the overuse of antibiotics, which can produce bacteria that are resistant to medicines. Because so many antibiotics wind up in sewage from homes and hospitals, wastewater treatment plants may become breeding grounds for antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Xi cautions people not to panic, but he urges everyone to do their part while scientists continue to study the situation.

Here’s how to protect yourself and do your part to curb antibiotic-resistant bacteria:

• Don’t flush it! Most drugs should absolutely not go down the commode or sink. This study is a good example of why that’s a bad idea. To responsibly get rid of most old meds, mix the pills with cat litter or coffee grounds to make them unattractive to kids or animals, and put them in the garbage.

• Don’t push your doctor’s buttons. If you’re sick, don’t insist on antibiotics if your doctor says you don’t need them. In the past, doctors prescribed antibiotics for flu, colds, and other viral infections. Antibiotics will do absolutely nothing to treat these sicknesses, and their overuse helps bacteria develop resistance to our medicines.

• Rinse after the river. Previous studies have found MRSA in the water at beaches, and Xi says antibiotic-resistant bacteria are found in rivers, too. Typically they won’t pose a problem unless someone has a wound, but it’s still good to take precautions. “There is a potential risk for those who swim in rivers or streams downstream from discharge points,” he says. When you’re swimming in a waterway whose cleanliness is unknown, try not to get water in your mouth, don’t open your eyes underwater, and take a shower when you’re finished.