Educational Resources

Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Our Waterways

These educational resources address the topic of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in our waterways. They include a brochure, fact sheets, a PowerPoint presentation and instructor's guide, a reference article, and federal guidelines for properly disposing of prescription drugs. They are designed for small community leaders and decision-makers, water and wastewater board members, and the general public, although many other audiences will find the information useful. All items may be downloaded and used for non-profit educational purposes. Please view our Guidelines for Publishing or Using the Materials.

 

Brochure: "Do you know what's in the water? Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)"
This brochure explains facts about PPCPs in our water and recommended disposal options. Two downloadable options are provided.
- High Resolution, Print (very large sized file for professional quality printing) [pdf file, 53.4 MB]
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/waterwedrink/PPCP_outreach/brochure_high-res.pdf
- Low Resolution, Web (for web viewing and linking or home/office printer copies) [pdf file, 368 KB]
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/waterwedrink/PPCP_outreach/brochure_low-res.pdf

Fact Sheet: "Do you know what's in the water? Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs)"
This one page, double-sided fact sheet explains PPCPs in our water and recommended disposal options. Two downloadable options are provided.
- High Resolution, Print (very large sized file for professional quality printing) [pdf file, 53.4 MB]
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/waterwedrink/PPCP_outreach/factsheet_high-res.pdf
- Low Resolution, Web (for web viewing and linking or home/office printer copies) [pdf file, 304 KB]
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/waterwedrink/PPCP_outreach/factsheet_low-res.pdf

PowerPoint: "What's in our water and what can we do about it?" [ppt, 2.3 MB]
This 13-slide PowerPoint covers information about how PPCPs get into the water, what is known about their effects, suggestions for making more informed use and purchasing decisions, and proper disposal practices. Supporting facts and information are provided in the "notes pages" view. The PowerPoint can be adapted to reflect local activities or services.
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/waterwedrink/PPCP_outreach/powerpoint.ppt

Instructor's Guide: "What's in our water and what can we do about it?" [ word document, 104 KB]
This eight-page Instructor's Guide accompanies the PowerPoint Presentation above and offers learning objectives, sample activities and handouts, and resources for more information.
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/waterwedrink/PPCP_outreach/instructor_guide.doc

Fact Sheet and Illustration: "Origins and Fate of PPCPs in the Environment—U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [ pdf file ]
This one-page fact sheet includes detailed drawing and basic explanation of the many ways PPCPs enter the environment and waterways.
http://www.epa.gov/ppcp/pdf/drawing.pdf

Federal Guidelines: "Proper Disposal of Prescription Drugs"—Office of National Drug Control Policy [ pdf file ]
One-page document listing federal recommendations for disposing of prescription drugs.
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/pdf/prescrip_disposal.pdf

Reference Article: "This is Your Water . . . on Drugs?"—RCAP's Safe Drinking Water Trust eBulletin [pdf file, 312 KB]
This article, published April 23, 2008, summarizes the Associated Press findings and subsequent articles about drugs in drinking water, discusses responses to this information, and provides a case study and recommendations for addressing the problem.
http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/waterwedrink/PPCP_outreach/Safe_Drinking_Water_Trust_eBulletin.pdf

 

Guidelines for Publishing or Using the Materials

These products are available free to download for educational and non-profit use, such as reprinting in your newsletter or magazine, distributing via email or Internet, or using in training, meetings, or presentations. For each product, please acknowledge the source; for each article, please acknowledge the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), the National Environmental Services Center (NESC), and the article author(s).

We would appreciate hearing about how you use this information. Please contact:

Sandra Fallon, NESC Training Specialist
(phone) 1-800-624-8301 ext. 5582 or (e-mail) sfallon@mail.wvu.edu