Frequently Asked Questions

Would you expect similar results for other streams across the nation?
By design, this study primarily focused on stream sites that were more likely to contain pharmaceuticals and other organic wastewater compounds, because most (131 of the 139 sites) are located short distances downstream from expected sources. A few sites (8 of 139) were selected because they were expected to be much less susceptible to contamination from these compounds. Thus, the results of this study should not be considered representative of all streams in the United States.

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