ABCNEWS.com : Beauty Aids Contaminating Waterways

A government analysis shows the nation's waterways are awash in traces of chemicals used in beauty aids, medications, cleaners and foods.
Among the substances: caffeine, contraceptives, painkillers, insect repellent, perfumes and nicotine.
Scientists say that the problem is that these substances largely escape regulation and defy municipal wastewater treatment. And the long-term effects of exposure are unclear, they say.
The compounds are sold on supermarket shelves and found in virtually every medicine cabinet and broom closet, as well as farms and factories. And they are flushed or rinsed down the drain every day. But they do not disappear, researchers warn.