I was watching the WOAI news yesterday and was happy to hear about students at the N.E.I.S.D.’s STEM Academy “beating out thousands of teams across Texas” with their research on the negative impact pharmaceuticals have on our environment if not properly disposed.
They took 2 samples of soil, watering one with pure, distilled water and the other with water that was contaminated with a common medication. The first soil sprouted healthy plants while the latter didn’t even sprout. Their conclusion was that if we don’t properly disposed common medications today, we could be deteriorating our environment for generations to come.
When they did a survey to find out if people knew the proper way to dispose of medications, 80% didn’t know the correct way. Medications that are flushed down the toilet or dumped in the trash will contaminate San Antonio’s future water supply.
They are on a mission to educate people by developing a prototype for people to safely store discarded medication.
Wow, impressive stuff from our San Antonio youth.