questions: humonia and meds and more

[Jeffrey Ihara]

'Kay. Being an older dude I'm on a low dose of a beta blocker to keep my arterial system from blowing out later. So out of worries over the consequences on fish and flora from whatever med residues are in my urine, I have opted to use drugstore ammonia (for fishless cycling, which I'll be starting up in the next week or so) rather than making my own. Probably an unnecessary precaution, but it does mean I'll have one less stinky vessel in my back yard.

What are the risks from medications that leak through the body, and which meds are of particular concern? 

Also, a friend was getting rid of their freshwater aquarium, and I rescued the gravel and very grungy filter. I've been keeping them wet and running in a Rubbermaid tub (with fish). I figured I'd be able to use this stuff to get my microflora up to speed quicker.

How would you recommend that I use this material to inoculate the new AP system (275g IBC tote for a fish tank and two plywood growbeds)? Since I'll be filling with tap water, how long will it take for chloramines to disappear enough to make it safe for my bacterial helpers?

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

It does matter...

http://www.nature.com/news/anti-anxiety-drug-found-in-rivers-makes-...

[Jeffrey Ihara]

Nice find, Kadish. Thanks!

No pee drugs (so far):

Prozac and probably all benzodiazeprines,

Birth control pills (and probably postmenopausal hormone replacements).

Jonathan Kadish said:

It does matter...

http://www.nature.com/news/anti-anxiety-drug-found-in-rivers-makes-...

[Pat James]

This thread set me back a little. I am on lisinapril ( an ACE inhibitor) and Zoloft which I often call my  "anti-go postal and killem all" med. I have been steadily adding my urine to my pond for several weeks. I'd be curious to see if anybody has found any links to the residuals for either of these drugs. A few minutes of searching so far has yielded zilch.

[Jeffrey Ihara]

just found this free pdf. will be reading it for the next spell...

http://www.biol.uw.edu.pl/pl/files/docs/st_dokt/SD_SCB_Ecotoxicolog...

hmm. looks like sertraline (zoloft) is eliminated in urine unchanged, and there is evidence that it does bioaccumulate in fish 

"The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) fluoxetine and sertraline and the SSRI metabolites norfluoxetine and desmethylsertraline were detected at levels greater than 0.1 ng/g in all tissues" (Brooks et al. 2005. Determination of selectantidepressants in fish from an effluent-dominated stream. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 24 (2), 464–469)

[Jonathan Kadish NYC AA Chair]

I hear the New API test kit tests for ammonia, nitrates, PH and now you can get PPM levels of Xanex, Paxil, Vicodin and Viagra in your pond water ... But seriously there are way too many people on the planet. Pat, by all means go postal!