Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) testing for levels of (i) tranquillisers, antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs in drinking water and (ii) psychotropic drugs in UK rivers and seawater; and (b) the potential impact of those levels on (i) persons consuming that water and (ii) the wider environment.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate commissioned research into pharmaceuticals in drinking water in 2007 (Desk based review of current knowledge on pharmaceuticals in drinking water and estimation of potential levels), which was followed up by a small-scale survey in 2011. Benzoylecogonine, carbamazepine (CBZ), arbamazepine-10,11-epoxide (carbamazepine epoxide; CBZ-EP), ibuprofen and naproxen were detected in drinking water. The Inspectorate commissioned further research in 2014 (Toxicological evaluation of pharmaceuticals in drinking water) which carried out a risk assessment of the pharmaceuticals measured in the previous study. Both concluded that the levels detected in drinking water are not anticipated to pose an appreciable risk to public health.

The Environment Agency does not assess impact of substances grouped by their intended use but considers either the risk of individual substances to the environment or groups of substances with similar environmental impacts, for example endocrine disrupting properties. Data can be found at: Defra Data Services Platform(opens in a new tab).