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Just as the police bang down the door, the bad guys flush theincriminating drugs down the toilet.Surely, a scenario we've allseen on TV and in the movies.
我們在電視上或電影里總會看到這樣的場景，警察破門而入時，壞人正將罪證毒品倒入廁所沖走。
But, you might be surprised tofind out how many drugs innocently wind up in our lakes and rivers every day.
但是，你可能會驚奇地發現每天將有多少藥品流入我們的河流湖泊里。
Household drugs like painkillers, antibiotics and hormones enter the water system through manychannels.
像去疼片，抗生素，激素等家庭用藥會以多種渠道進入水系統。
For example, some animal feeds contain antibiotics and flood into rivers with run-offwater.
比如，一些動物飼料中包含抗生素，會隨水流一起流入河中。
Antibiotics are regularly flushed or dumped down sinks and toilets.
通常，抗生素會被沖進或倒入水池和廁紙中。
Since many sewagetreatment plants don't effectively remove drugs or hormones, these compounds enter ourwaterways and wind up in our tap water.
許多污水處理廠并不能有效的去除藥品或激素，這些化合物就進入我們的水管中，最終成為我們的自來水。
Are flushed drugs a health concern?
該不該擔心那些被沖走的藥品會影響我們的健康?
Once in a river, antibiotics might affect wildlife by killing off thenormal microbes that are naturally found in the water and soil and that form the basis of the local ecosystem.
藥品一旦進入河流，抗生素會殺死水中，土壤中正常的微生物， 而它們是形成當地生態系統的基礎，所以抗生素可能會影響野生動物。
Or, perhaps more dangerously, the microbes may learn to adapt and reproduce in thepresence of antibiotics, developing antibiotic resistance.
或者可能更具危險性，微生物也許會學著適應，并在有抗生素存在的情況下繁衍，衍生出抗藥性。
At present, common household drugs are found in many lakes and rivers in relatively smallconcentrations, but we can do something to help.
目前，家庭常用藥物在河流湖泊中的濃度還不高，但是我們可以改善這種情況。
We can avoid throwing drugs down the drainand, instead, take them to a hospital, pharmacy or hazardous waste center for safe disposal.
我們可以不往下水道里扔藥品，將藥品帶去醫院，藥房或者危險廢棄物中心進行安全處置。
