Emerging Contaminants

Emerging Contaminants

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were first synthesized in 1881, and commercial production in the United States began in 1929. PCBs were used in the electrical industry, as well as surface coatings and plasticizers in sealants, caulking, rubber, paints and asphalt. By 1972, scientific evidence showed that PCBs were an environmental and human health hazard and, in 1977, the manufacturing and non-electrical use of PCBs was banned. PCBs are a chemical that gained a lot of attention when scientific evidence began to suggest that it was an extremely dangerous substance.

Escherichia Coli

Escherichia Coli

Escherichia coli, abbreviated E. coli, is a bacterium that is found in the large intestine or feces of healthy warm-blooded animals and humans. Most E. coli strains are harmless and serve a useful function in the body by stopping the growth of harmful bacteria species and by making necessary vitamins.

Facts and Statistics: Did You Know?

Facts and Statistics: Did You Know?

About 70 percent of the earth is water, but only 2.5 percent of that is freshwater. Of the freshwater, 68.9 percent is in the form of glaciers and snow cover, 30.8 percent is groundwater, and about 0.3 percent is in lakes and rivers.

Filters for Families in Nepal

Filters for Families in Nepal

In the Terai region of Nepal, many tube wells - a major source of drinking water - have tested positive for arsenic. The arsenic occurs naturally in sediments from the Himalayas. Levels higher than 600 parts per billion have been detected (the United States Environmental Protection Agency sets a standard for arsenic in drinking water at 10 parts per billion). 

Fracking

Fracking

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the procedure of creating fractures in shale, coalbed and tight-sand formations by injecting fluid (such as water, oil, or propane) into cracks to force them further open. This enlarges fissures which allow more oil and gas (methane) to flow out of the rock and into the wellbore. From there, the oil and gas can be extracted.

Fungi

Fungi

Fungi are eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms. Fungi include both single-celled yeasts and multi-cellular filamentous fungi. Many fungal species are able to survive in oligotrophic environments (which are areas relatively low in plant nutrients and containing abundant oxygen in the deeper parts). Fungi scavenge nutrients from the substrate that they colonize, or from the air or water in which they live. Fungi can produce secondary metabolites, some of which are toxins. Some fungal species and the metabolites they produce are human pathogens or allergens.

The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a set of five lakes in Canada and the United States, connected by approximately 5,000 tributaries. The five lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The Great Lakes basin includes two countries, eight states, one province, dozens of tribes and First Nations communities and hundreds of local municipal and regional governments. 

Groundwater

Groundwater

Groundwater is water that accumulates underground. It can exist in spaces between loose particles of dirt and rock, or in cracks and crevices in rocks. Different types of rocks and dirt can contain different amounts of water. The saturation zone is the portion of the soil and rock that is saturated with water, while the unsaturated zone is the portion of the soil and rock that is not saturated. The top of the saturated zone is called the water table. 

Health Effects of Swallowing Water When Swimming in Natural Bodies of Water

Health Effects of Swallowing Water When Swimming in Natural Bodies of Water

If you plan to swim in a natural body of water like a river, lake, pond, or the ocean, it is important to keep in mind the potential health effects of swallowing the water. Awareness of what else might be floating in the water with you is the first step in knowing how to protect your health. Please do not assume that water from lakes, streams, rivers, or springs is safe to drink. Water in a stream, river, or lake may look clean, but it can still be filled with bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can result in recreational water-related illnesses. If you swallow the water while you are swimming, you can get illnesses like giardiasis (caused by the tiny parasite Giardia) or cryptosporidiosis (caused by the microscopic parasite Cryptosporidium).

Helicobacter Pylori

Helicobacter Pylori

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) are a type of intestinal bacteria that cause the majority of ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. They thrive in highly acidic environments and have a unique way of adapting to the harsh environment of the stomach. H. pylori have been classified as low-potential carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) by the World Health Organization.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis is the name for several different illnesses all caused by an inflammation of the liver. Drinking alcohol and taking drugs can cause hepatitis, but it can also be caused by a viral infection. Hepatitis A is a disease caused by the Hepatitis A Virus (HAV). It is the most common type of hepatitis, with at least 1.4 million reported cases world wide every year.

Human Rights

Human Rights

Under international human rights laws, water is protected as a human right. In the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, water is not explicitly mentioned as a human right. It was, however, implied through other human rights, such as the right to life, right to an adequate standard of living, and the right to health.

Industrial Waste

Industrial Waste

Industrial waste is defined as waste generated by manufacturing or industrial processes. The types of industrial waste generated include cafeteria garbage, dirt and gravel, masonry and concrete, scrap metals, trash, oil, solvents, chemicals, weed grass and trees, wood and scrap lumber, and similar wastes. Industrial solid waste - which may be solid, liquid or gases held in containers - is divided into hazardous and non-hazardous waste.

Lead in Drinking Water

Lead in Drinking Water

Lead is a toxic metal found in natural deposits. It can be found in air, soil, dust, food, and water. Lead was commonly used in household plumbing materials and water service lines until 1986. The National Plumbing Code allowed lead as an acceptable material for pipes until 1975 and in solder until 1986. All provinces and territories use the National Plumbing Code as a basis for their own regulations. Regulations regarding lead used in plumbing materials were phased in across the country. Therefore, the timing of when lead service lines and other lead-based plumbing materials stopped being used may differ depending on where you live.

Legionella

Legionella

Legionellosis is a lung infection – an uncommon form of pneumonia – caused by a bacterium named Legionella pneumophila. There are two forms of legionellosis: Pontiac Fever, the less severe form, and Legionnaires’ disease, the more severe illness that is potentially fatal. 

Liquid Candy and Its Health Effects

Liquid Candy and Its Health Effects

An interesting fact to think about is that a pound of body fat equates to approximately 3500 calories. Therefore, if a person was to choose water instead of cola 24 times then they would have approximately one less pound of body fat than they would have if they had chosen cola.

Marine Dumping

Marine Dumping

Marine Dumping has been defined as the deliberate disposal at sea of wastes or other matter from vessels, aircraft, platforms or other man-made structures, as well as the deliberate disposal of these vessels or platforms themselves. Marine dumping can destroy or degrade important habitats for aquatic species and cause coastal erosion and salutation, which affect the health and productivity of the marine environment.

Microplastics

Microplastics

Plastics are all around us, from the clothes we wear and the packaging that contains our food to construction materials in our homes and much more. Microplastics are small pieces of plastic that are less than 5 millimetres long. Microplastics can come from a variety of sources. They can come from plastic that has broken apart or resin pellets used for plastic manufacturing or in the form of microbeads. They can also be found in the fabric of synthetic clothing.

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