Emerging chemical contaminants: Looking for greater harmony.

The article provides historical and current viewpoints of the methods utilized and policies instituted to monitor and address the list of chemical contaminants in water. Topics discussed include the widespread occurrence of pharmaceuticals in drinking water in the U.S. in the 1970s, the number of organic and inorganic chemicals that have been registered according to Chemical Abstracts Services, and the drug thalidomide previously used by pregnant mothers for morning sickness.