Study Finds Antibiotics in Minnesota Groundwater

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - A government study finds that measurable levels of antibiotics, detergents and other consumer chemicals are turning up in Minnesota's groundwater.

The chemicals apparently come from landfills, septic systems and sewage treatment systems. They've been found in surface waters in recent years.

The new survey is the most extensive evidence yet that the chemicals are also making their way into both shallow and deep aquifers in the state.
 
Groundwater supplies drinking water for three-fourths of Minnesotans.

The study, conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, found no chemicals in excess of drinking water quality standards. But no standards exist for some of the most commonly found chemicals, and officials say they may warrant a closer look.