| I found this discussion when searching the web for the urban myth about vitamins and the sewer system. The idea that thousands of pounds of vitamin pills are found in the sewers (some of these myths embellish further and claim that sewer systems have been "clogged" with them) is absolute rubbish. The most common story is that Tacoma, WA, removes 250,000 pounds of vitamin pills from their sewers every few weeks. This story was invented by a Chiropractor, a Dr. Friedman, in 1998 as a way to sell liquid vitamin pills. In 2000, the national water quality association (WEF) actually called the Tacoma treatment plant to check on the story and was assured that no one in that city had even talked to Dr. Friedman, much less made any ridiculous claim about tons of vitamins in the sewers. I worked in sewer systems for over 25 years and never found any accumulations of vitamins in the sewers or at the treatment plant.
Anyone who can do simple math can figure out that even if 100% of all vitamins passed without absorption (a claim easily debunked by simply putting a vitamin pill in a glass of water and watching it dissolve), it would be necessary for every single person in the city to take about six or seven pills a day for this amount to show up in the sewer system. Before accepting stories like this as fact and passing them on, it might be nice to give the subject some rational thought. |
daily vitamins..good or bad?
