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.
我们在电视上或电影里总会看到这样的场景，警察破门而入时，坏人正将罪证毒品倒入厕所冲走。
But, you might be surprised tofind out how many drugs innocently wind up in our lakes and rivers every day.
但是，你可能会惊奇地发现每天将有多少药品流入我们的河流湖泊里。
Household drugs like painkillers, antibiotics and hormones enter the water system through manychannels.
像去疼片，抗生素，激素等家庭用药会以多种渠道进入水系统。
For example, some animal feeds contain antibiotics and flood into rivers with run-offwater.
比如，一些动物饲料中包含抗生素，会随水流一起流入河中。
Antibiotics are regularly flushed or dumped down sinks and toilets.
通常，抗生素会被冲进或倒入水池和厕纸中。
Since many sewagetreatment plants don't effectively remove drugs or hormones, these compounds enter ourwaterways and wind up in our tap water.
许多污水处理厂并不能有效的去除药品或激素，这些化合物就进入我们的水管中，最终成为我们的自来水。
Are flushed drugs a health concern?
该不该担心那些被冲走的药品会影响我们的健康?
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.
药品一旦进入河流，抗生素会杀死水中，土壤中正常的微生物， 而它们是形成当地生态系统的基础，所以抗生素可能会影响野生动物。
Or, perhaps more dangerously, the microbes may learn to adapt and reproduce in thepresence of antibiotics, developing antibiotic resistance.
或者可能更具危险性，微生物也许会学着适应，并在有抗生素存在的情况下繁衍，衍生出抗药性。
At present, common household drugs are found in many lakes and rivers in relatively smallconcentrations, but we can do something to help.
目前，家庭常用药物在河流湖泊中的浓度还不高，但是我们可以改善这种情况。
We can avoid throwing drugs down the drainand, instead, take them to a hospital, pharmacy or hazardous waste center for safe disposal.
我们可以不往下水道里扔药品，将药品带去医院，药房或者危险废弃物中心进行安全处置。
