Kristen Villebrun and Wendy Bush hoped they wouldn't have to pray for Chedoke Creek, but four years after they first raised alarm about the water's condition, they were part of an Indigenous full moon ceremony to do just that. About 50 people showed up near Princess Point on the dark and frigid Monday evening for the monthly ceremony, which was particularly special as it focused on Chedoke Creek. The body of water that runs into Cootes Paradise had about 24 billion litres of sewage and storm water runoff leak into it due to a gate being left open.
If you have ever been curious as to what happens to the rubber tread that wears off of a vehicle's tires, then you are in luck. Modelling by a team of researchers at the UBC Okanagan has discovered that an increasing amount of microplastics from tires and roadways are ending up in lakes and streams. From the university's School of Engineering, researchers have developed a framework for examining potential contamination that originates from the use of vehicles on roads and highways.
Microplastics contained in drinking water pose a “low” risk to human health at current levels, but more research is needed to reassure consumers, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
Studies over the past year on plastic particles detected in tap and bottled water have sparked public concerns but the limited data appears reassuring, the U.N. agency said its first report on potential health risks associated with ingestion.
