#702 - Pay Dirt From The Human Genome

The 3 billion genetic instructions that form a blueprint for human life have now been cataloged, but the meaning of most of those instructions remains unknown. Therefore, the practical significance of deciphering the book of human life remains murky except in one area: many new pharmaceutical drugs will soon be possible. Unfortunately, this is a mixed blessing. A raft of new drugs may benefit those humans who need and can afford them, but new drugs make serious trouble for the natural environment and for many of the non-human creatures living there. Even for humans, drugs already represent a major environmental challenge -arguably the most difficult chemical challenge that we face. The environment is already heavily polluted with drugs and personal care products that have passed through humans, entered sewage treatment plants and then been discharged into waterways. (See REHW #614.) Increased drug pollution of our waterways --including our drinking water -is one of the dark sides of the human genome project -a dark side that few acknowledge.