Pobs Environmental Effects

From 1947 to 1977, these two plants legally discharged from 500,000 to 1.5 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson, and unknowingly saturated the bedrock beneath both sites with at least that much again. There are PCBs in Hudson River water, biota, and sediment from Hudson Falls to New York City - 200 miles that comprise the nations largest Superfund site. Pure PCBs are oozing out of the bedrock to this day, constantly recontaminating the river and over 300,000 pounds remain concentrated in bottom sediments of the river today. The spread of PCBs throughout the Hudson River and the food chain, which it supports, has created one of the most extensive hazardous waste problems in the nation. Polychlorinated biphenyl’s (PCBs) are a group of synthetic oil-like chemicals (therefore insoluble in water) of the organochlorine family. Until their toxic nature was recognized and their use was banned in the 1970s, they were widely used as insulation in electrical equipment, particularly transformers. Reputable chemists have since concluded, “it was probably a mistake ever to make or use PCBs.” These are serious poisons, which have been shown to cause damage to the reproductive, neurological and immune systems of wildlife and humans and are known to cause cancer. Exposure has also been linked to behavioral damage. Specifically, because PCBs in the body mimic estrogen, women of childbearing age and their infants are particularly susceptible

The first part of Toms River by Dan Fagin goes into detail about the history of the chemical industry in New Jersey with the Ciba plant producing dyes and epoxy and their methods of disposing of waste and what effect that had on surrounding individual’s health. There were many groups of people who were exposed to the toxic chemicals produced in the waste products of dyes and epoxy from the Ciba plant. People who were working the factory typically had peak exposure because they were required to scrape and dispose of the waste chemicals daily. Residents of a neighborhood downstream the factory who typically had personal wells and were not customers of Toms River Water avoided the chemically traced water directly from the river for some time,

While there are studies that indicate that DDT can cause health problems such as reduced male fertility, genital birth defects, breast cancer, diabetes, and endocrine disorders (World Wildlife Fund, 1999), many of these studies are weakened by factors such as their age or their biases, due to funding from pro-ban organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency or the World Wildlife Fund, combined with the lack of conclusive support from more neutral research. Furthermore, one particular paper mentions that methodological errors undermine many studies on the health impacts of DDT (Beard, 2006), and asserts that “it is still too early” to assess DDT’s role in a number of diseases. Chris Curtis, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, also stated that there is “no convincing evidence that DDT … has caused any harm to humans” (Cone, 2009).

Between 1947-1977 General Electric (GE) dumped 1.3 million pounds of PCBs in the river polluting it and making it hazardous. Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, are used as an insulator and a fire preventer. They also can cause illnesses, such as cancer. If the fish take in the PCBs and then we eat the fish, we can get sick.

Pesticides and preservatives are not only harmful to human beings, but they are also harmful to our environment and ecosystems. Pesticides used in organic farming may run-off and contaminate nearby bodies of water. If enough contaminated run-off from pesticides and artificial fertilizers get into water, it is able to poison animals and fish that live there. According to Raloff, recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to hormones has a substantial effect on the gender and reproductive capacity of fish, throwing off the natural cycle, (1). This is not only harmful to the animals that live there, but if enough fish are dying because of poisoned run-off, the fish industry could suffer and it will affect humans as well. The same chemicals that poison bodies of water could seep into our groundwater and affect the well water we drink and use daily. This does not happen with organic farming, because no chemicals are ever sprayed on the fields and there is much more run off because of tilling practices.

River water near the spill showed elevated levels of lead and thallium, Mercury and arsenic cadmium and lead exceeding Clean Water Act standards designed to protect aquatic life as well as humans who come in contact with the water. Which can cause birth defects and nervous and reproductive system disorders?

Often, toxic substances are being drained into the air, waterways, and undergrounds wells. According to the report by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), over 60 million pounds of deadly chemicals are produced by industries in Florida. Notably, Florida’s water has been suffering mercury contamination until the state’s department of migration issues a circular regularly for regulations of eating freshwater fish in the region (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). In fact, such metals emanate from coal combustion’s emissions which run into water bodies. Not to mention, pesticides and herbicides utilized by government and homeowners pollute the environment (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission). Indeed, all chemicals released into the atmosphere find themselves in rivers.

However, despite his remarkable leadership, Welch failed to fulfill GE’s duty of social responsibility. In his tenure, he failed to protect societal assets or avoid harm to the environment. GE contributed to environmental degradation in areas where the company manufactured its products. Under Welch’s reign, the company polluted the Hudson River with one of the most toxic and persistent substance known as the Polychlorinated biphenyl’s (PCBs). This substance is very harmful to the environment and known to cause cancer in humans. GE is accused of dumping approximately 1.3 million pounds of PCBs into the Hudson River in the period 1947-1977. This led to an entire 197-mile stretch of Hudson River turning into a superfund site in the nation. GE

“Any measure of a successful society — low mortality, economic diversity, productivity, and public safety — is in some way related to access to safe water. Every day, safe water is available for eating and cooking, bathing, clothes washing, and a myriad of other purposes”(MMW, 2017). In America where water is at just about every turn of a facet, we don’t always think about how fortunate we are to have amazing access to water. Subsequently, we are much less likely to think about what’s in our water. The Milwaukee area has a few different concerns pertaining to the water quality which effects Milwaukee area residents, lakes and rivers. Milwaukee water quality influences a large population of people since the City of Milwaukee-owned public utility

Page 2, Section 1.2; Page 4, Section 2 and elsewhere. In the sixth paragraph the text states “Cancer risks predicted for total PCBs and TEQs under USEPA RME assumptions fall within the 10-6 to 10-4 range (i.e., 9 x 10-5 and 1 x 10-4, respectively).” This cancer risk evaluation is inconsistent with United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) guidance (USEPA. 1996. PCBs: Cancer Dose-Response Assessment and Application to Environmental Mixtures. EPA/600/P-96/001F. September) which specifies that high risk total PCB cancer risk must be added to the PCB congener 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin toxic equivalency cancer risk. Consequently the total cancer risk is 0.9 x 10-4 + 1 x 10-4 or 2 x 10-4, which exceeds the USEPA acceptable risk range. In addition, the second remedial action objective (RAO) on page 4 regarding cancer risks must be addressed because total cancer risks exceed the acceptable USEPA risk range. It is possible that the documented proposed remedial action will reduce cancer risks to acceptable levels, but this must be demonstrated, and cancer risks considered for derivation of the

If the pollutants are altering body cells certain parts of the body may not grow properly and more fat would be produced where it doesn’t belong. When these “…chemicals [are present] in the mom’s blood, such as DDE (a by product of the now widely banned pesticide DDT, which lingers in the environment decades later, and is still found in small amounts in many foods such as meat, dairy, and fish)” can alter the development of the fetus and cause problems later in life (1). The children of whom mothers’ had this chemical in their blood while pregnant are even more at risk for obesity without even having bad eating habits. Equally important are the affects it has on children's health and learning.

The study was done to women that lived in suburban areas and encountered vehicle fumes every day. While being exposed to moderate, steady amounts of CO during pregnancy, a positive correlation was made between exposure and children with cancer at an odds ratio of 5.6 while 83% of the births occurred in urban areas (Heck, 2013). A test was done in South Korea to determine how exposure to PM and NO2 affected the development skills of the children at 6, 12, and 24 months of age. More specifically it measured effects on the central nervous system, cardiovascular, and pulmonary system. Air quality monitor stations measured the air pollution daily at where they lived and a neurodevelopment test was done to see how they were maturing. PM and NO2 had significant adverse effects on the children’s psychomotor developmental index and mental development index at 6 months of age (Kim, 2014). The cause of low birth weight, small for gestational age, and preterm birth are from the pollutants acting on the placenta functions and hormones. During the last trimester of pregnancy is when PM starts damaging the mitochondrial DNA. There was less measured mtDNA when the mother was exposed to PM late in pregnancy. Exposure during the first trimester leads to less DNA methylation. Another reason for these birth defects is the effect is has on blood transfer to the fetus. Preterm birth happens because particulate matter

During recent years, numerous newspaper and magazine articles have suggested that humans may be at risk because small amounts of well known environmental contaminants, such as dioxin, PCBs and DDT, can affect hormone levels. Hormones are produced by the endocrine system as regulators of biological function in target organs. Because hormones play a critical role in early development, toxicological effects on the endocrine system often have an impact on the reproductive system. The term endocrine disruptor is used to describe chemicals that can mimic hormones and may either enhance or counteract their effects. It has been suggested that these hormone changes can, in turn, lead to a variety of health problems

In addition to exposure from food products, occupational and environmental exposures pose additional and potentially concerning public health threats. Occupational exposure occurs primarily in industrial workers involved in the production and processing of BPA and other epoxy resins via inhalation and dermal contact. Its widespread use in thermal paper (as found in cash register receipts, books, labels, brochures, newspapers, food cartons) also implicates potential dermal exposure in cashiers and industrial paper workers (Michalowicz, 2014). It is such human industrial activity that is associated with the migration of BPA into the environment. Several research studies have demonstrated the leaching of BPA from polycarbonates, especially in the setting of prolonged use and repeated heating as can be seen in the use of infant bottles (Nam, Seo, & Kim, 2010). Similarly, BPA’s use in tin lacquer coatings (to prevent corrosion) has been shown to release up to 23 mcg per tin can, in a temperature-dependent fashion (Vandenberg et al., 2007). Such BPA exposures with their potential health risks have led some government and industrial organizations to cease, limit, or ban the use of BPA (Michalowicz, 2014). As this report will explore, more recent research suggests a poorer relationship between BPA and adverse human health outcomes, while also highlighting the need for additional studies on the broader

PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls) and dioxins have been in focus recently as there are concerns that the different structures are appearing to mimic the effects of female oestrogenic hormones. (Gray 1996) These chemicals can cause genetic chromosomal problems and major concerns to the reproductive effectiveness of marine animals. Oil spills and the burning of wood and coal can cause poly-aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which has a negative effect on all wildlife causing genetic abnormalities. (EMCBTAP-ENVIS Newsletter 2002).