Researchers from the Université de Montréal have found evidence of pharmaceutical drugs half a kilometer downstream from the Rivière des Praries waste-water treatment plant. The Rivière des Praries plant, third largest in the world, treats 32 square metres of water per second on average, and while it is able to remove phosphorus and organic matter it is not adequately handling drugs and contaminants.
The university researchers have been studying the plant for over five years and found that only 15 to 30 percent of the drugs are removed by the treatment plant. Detected drugs include antibiotics, antidepressants, and estrogenic compounds. The city of Montreal is currently working on adding a $200 million ozonation system to the existing plant to deal with the problem.
Source: The Gazette, Canwest.com
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