Questions+for+Dr.+Mauro

Please enter any questions that you may have for Dr. Mauro. You may enter questions before, during, or after the video conference. Remember that this is a shared space and problems may arise if more than one group is entering data at the same time.

You may also use the discussion tab to post questions; this tab will be monitored before and during the conference, and occasionally after the conference.

Question from Jack McNally at Gettysburg Area High School, Gettysburg, PA         What about the effects of birth control medications? The human body doesn't absorb all of the progesterone and estrogen in the pill and it can not be removed yet by water treatment, and it's turning fish populations female. Can this still be fixed? Kristen Bechtel        Chemistry Teacher         (717)334-6254 ext. 6184        kbechtel@gettysburg.k12.pa.us

Questions for video conference- From Quakertown Community High School
 * 1) What are some safe alternative personal care products that we can use?
 * 2) What do the pharmaceutical companies do with the drugs they take back? Can they recycle them?
 * 3) When the drugs/chemicals are burned, aren’t they creating toxic air pollution?
 * 4) We recently read an article about Europe targeting pharmaceuticals with new water quality rules. Are other nations/people in the US doing anything about this problem? It sounds like a worldwide problem.
 * 5) Are these pollutants being detected in the ocean yet? What is the impact there?
 * 6) Why are these toxins in our products to begin with? Why don’t they use safe chemicals in the first place? Why doesn’t the government regulate chemicals put into personal care product?