Toxic Crisis Facing the Globe: Are Your Air and Water Safe? by Dr. Mercola
Toxic Crisis Facing the Globe: Are Your Air and Water Safe?
July 12, 2016|16,799views
Spread the Word to
By Dr. Mercola
We all depend on access to clean water and air to survive, so when
these very basic necessities are no longer pure, it represents one of
the gravest threats imaginable to the future of the planet and its
inhabitants.
Becoming aware of the problem is the first step to protecting yourself and your family. Unfortunately, having clean water and air is more the exception than the norm in the 21st century.
If you simply assume yours is fine, you could be risking exposure to
pollutants that harm your health in the immediacy and down the road.
It's going to take change on a global scale — to industry,
agriculture and public policy — to stop the water and air pollution
that's already taking a health and environmental toll, but you can also
act on an individual level to help the problem and protect yourself.
Lead Lurking in Water Systems Across the U.S.
The lead tragedy in Flint, Michigan,
brought this toxic metal to the forefront of Americans' minds.
Unfortunately, for many in Flint it's already too late. Today we know
that just a tiny amount of lead dust can cause IQ loss, behavioral
problems and hearing loss in children. Often, the damage is permanent.
Exposure to larger amounts (that are still small relatively speaking)
can cause coma, convulsions and death. Tragic as the Flint catastrophe
is, it is, sadly, not an isolated event.
Children in other states, from New York to Pennsylvania to Illinois,
are also at risk of lead poisoning, some even more so than the children
in Flint. Many are simply unaware there's a problem with their water.
A new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) even
revealed that more than 18 million Americans may be consuming water from
systems with lead violations in 2015.1
The report revealed more than 5,300 community water systems with
violations to the federal Lead and Copper Rule (LCR). Such violations
include failure to:2
Treat to reduce lead levels
Monitor for lead
Report rest results to citizens or the government
Millions of Americans May Be Drinking Water That Comes From Lead Service Lines
According to the NRDC, anywhere from 15 million to 22 million
Americans receive drinking water that comes through lead service lines
that may release the toxic metal into the water.
Only 3 percent of the communities with noted lead violations were
penalized by their respective states or the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).
Many cities are even known to try and "game" the system by monitoring
locations where lead is less likely to be a problem or use sampling
methods that minimize the chances of finding lead.
"After years of complaints about these questionable techniques, the
EPA finally issued a 'guidance' document at the end of February 2016
discouraging these methods, but untold numbers of cities have long used
them," according to NRDC. Erik Olson, health program director at NRDC,
continued:3
"Americans take it for granted that the water flowing from their
home taps is clean and safe, but all too often that assumption is wrong.
Shoddy data collection, lax enforcement of the law and cities
gaming the system have created a potent brew of lead violations and
unsafe drinking water from the water supplies used by millions of people
across the nation.
… And Flint doesn't even show up as having violations for lead in
the EPA's drinking water tracking data, suggesting that millions more
Americans could be at risk of drinking unsafe water but they aren't even
being tracked."
Residents Not Warned of Toxic Fluoride Levels in Texas Water
In Texas, meanwhile, state regulators failed to warn residents about
high levels of naturally occurring fluoride, which is a violation of the
Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
A five-month investigation by the Fluoride Action Network (FAN)
revealed the violations, which they said, "resulted from systematic
failures at the local, state and federal levels, placing Texas children
at risk for disfiguring dental fluorosis and other potential harms."4 High levels of fluoride
are so common in Texas that dental fluorosis, a condition referring to
changes in the appearance of tooth enamel caused by long-term ingestion
of fluoride, is known as "Texas teeth."
Fluorosis can lead to crumbling of tooth enamel in its advanced
stages and consuming excess fluoride is also linked to learning
problems, thyroid disease and bone problems.
The EPA requires water systems with more than 2 milligrams per liter
of fluoride to warn residents that children under age 9 should not drink
the water. However, according to FAN's investigation, officials with
Texas water systems failed to provide such warning even when fluoride
levels were in violation.
In response to FAN's investigation, local and state officials
reportedly have taken steps to remind water system officials of the
warning requirement. However, it's one more example of the toxins that
may be lurking in your water, perhaps known to your local water system,
but not known to you.
DuPont Poisons Water Supply, Sends News Releases Saying the Water's Fine
More than 3,500 lawsuits filed against DuPont
in relation to the company's dumping of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid,
also called C8), into the Ohio River. PFOA was an essential ingredient
in DuPont's non-stick cookware for decades.
A decade ago, the EPA fined DuPont $16.5 million for withholding
decades' worth of information about health hazards associated with PFOA.
In 2005, a scientific panel was ordered as part of a settlement to
determine the chemical's effects on people. After seven years of
research, the panel linked PFOA to ulcerative colitis, imbalanced
cholesterol,5 pregnancy-induced hypertension, thyroid disease, testicular cancer and kidney cancer.
In DuPont's case, they had animal evidence of harm — from liver
toxicity and kidney damage to death — for decades, but the company did
not alert regulators of a potential problem.
Then there were the company's workers, some of whom gave birth to
babies with birth defects after working in the company's PFOA division.
DuPont knew of the problems and was tracking its workers for such health
effects, but again failed to inform regulators of their findings.
Worse still, when 3M submitted a troublesome rat study to the EPA
suggesting harm, DuPont told the EPA they believed the study was flawed.
While continuing to study the chemical's effects on its workers,
DuPont was also tracking the chemical's spread into nearby waterways, as
well as its emissions into the air through smokestacks.
At first, DuPont disposed of PFOA by dumping it in the ocean and
later moved to disposing of it in unlined landfills and ponds. They knew
the chemical was spreading widely into the environment and convened a
meeting to discuss what to do about it but decided to keep using the
chemical anyway.
David Freeman, of Washington County, Ohio, is at the heart of one of
the 3,500 lawsuits against DuPont. He believes drinking
PFOA-contaminated well water caused his testicular cancer.
At a hearing, DuPont's former head of the Community Responsible Care
Team, testified that she sent press releases assuring residents that
their local drinking water was safe.6
Even she had not been party to the many red flags DuPont was aware of
showing, the chemical caused serious health and environmental harms.
15,000 Olympic Pools' Worth of Waste Every Year
This is the amount of waste that comes from North Carolina's concentrated animal feeding operations
(CAFOs) — the hog CAFOs alone, according to an analysis of maps and
data of the state's CAFOs by the Environmental Working Group (EWG).
According to EWG:7
"A new analysis by EWG and Waterkeeper Alliance shows
that wet waste, primarily from pigs, in North Carolina's industrial
agricultural operations produce almost 10 billion gallons of fecal waste
yearly, enough to fill more than 15,000 Olympic-size swimming pools …
Nestled near the Atlantic coast, these counties are beset with numerous air and water quality problems."
In addition, poultry operations in the state produce more than 2
million tons of dry animal waste, annually. The wet animal waste is
often applied to croplands as "fertilizer" or dumped into waste lagoons.
The open pits allow pathogenic microbes and chemicals to enter the air
and waterways. Of the state's more than 4,100 waste pits, EWG found
that:
37 were located within one-half mile of a school
288 within one-half mile of a church
136 within one-half mile of a public water well
170 within the state's 100-year floodplain
Air Pollution Causes 6.5 Million Deaths a Year Globally
An International Energy Agency (IEA) report revealed 6.5 million
people die prematurely from indoor and outdoor air pollution worldwide
each year.8
Deaths attributed to outdoor pollution, meanwhile, are expected to
increase from about 3 million to 4.5 million by 2040 if no action is
taken to curb it.
About 90 percent of the increase in outdoor-pollution-related deaths
will occur in Asia, according to the report. IEA Executive Director
Fatih Birol, Ph.D., stated, "Clean air is a basic human right that most
of the world's population lacks … No country — rich or poor — can claim
that the task of tackling air pollution is complete."9 Air pollution is so problematic that even snow is
contaminated. When Canadian researchers collected snow from a park in
Montreal and measured levels of toxic particles typically found in
automobile exhaust, they found that snow appears to act as a sponge,
soaking up multiple toxins from the air.10 Among them:
Benzene: a known human carcinogen that's also been linked to birth defects
Toluene: chronic exposure to toluene is linked
to anemia, lowered blood cell count, liver or kidney damage, and may
affect a developing fetus
Ethylbenzene: another known carcinogen
Xylenes: volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
that affect the central nervous system, with symptoms such as headache,
dizziness, nausea and vomiting
What Types of Health Problems Does Air Pollution Cause?
Outdoor air pollution is a serious environmental health risk linked
to both chronic and acute health conditions, including stroke, heart
disease, lung cancer, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and
respiratory infections.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the majority of
premature deaths due to outdoor air pollution are due to heart disease
and strokes.11
Particulate matter is air pollution made up of extremely small
particles or liquid droplets. Typically, it's composed of any number of
toxins, including organic chemicals, metals, soil or dust.
The smaller the diameter of the particle, the greater its risk of
health damage becomes, as these can easily pass into your lungs. "Fine"
particulate matter is generally defined as particles that are 2.5
micrometers or less. These particles may come from smoke (such as forest
fires) as well as gases emitted from power plants, industrial
activities and automobiles.
For comparison, the EPA considers any particles that are 10 micrometers or less as a potential health concern.12 If you happen to live in a heavily polluted area, the best
option is to move, but I realize that isn't always a practical option.
If you can't move, pay attention to the Air Quality Index (AQI),
released by the EPA to calculate five major air pollutants:
Ground-level ozone
Particulate matter
Carbon monoxide
Sulfur dioxide
Nitrogen dioxide
If the AQI in your area is high, it may be best to stay indoors as
much as possible. At the very least, avoid exercising outdoors when air
pollutants are high (such as during rush-hour traffic).
Houseplants to Ward Off Indoor Air Pollution
Levels of pollutants in your indoor air may be two to five times —
and up to 100 times — higher than levels outdoors, according to the EPA.
This is a serious concern, especially since most Americans spend up to
90 percent of their time indoors.13
The most effective way to improve your indoor air quality, for
instance, is to control or eliminate as many sources of pollution as you
can first, before using any type of air purifier. This includes
accounting for mold, tobacco smoke, volatile organic compounds from
paints, aerosol sprays and household cleaners, pesticides, phthalates from vinyl flooring and personal care products, pollutants from pressure-treated wood products, radon gas and more.
The next step to take is free — open some windows. Of course, this
can only take you so far, but it's an important and simple step. Next,
since it is impossible to eliminate all air contaminants, one of the
best things you can do is incorporate a high-quality air purifier.
There are so many varieties of contaminants generated by today's
toxic world that air purification manufacturers are in a constant race
to keep up with them, so it pays to do your homework in selecting an air
purifier that works best for your size home and needs.
Aside from using an air purification system, there are a number of
other steps you can take to take charge of your air quality and greatly
reduce the amount of air pollutants generated in your home, and this
includes adding houseplants. Rodale Wellness compiled 20 houseplants
that remove indoor toxins from your air.14 Add one or add them all — the more you add, the more air-purification benefits you can expect.
Considering the widespread contamination found in air and water
around the globe, it's best to assume yours is less than pure and take
steps to remedy it. In addition to an air purification system, as
discussed above, I recommend using a high-quality water filtration
system (unless you can verify the purity of your water).
If you have well water, it would be prudent to have your water tested
for arsenic and other contaminants. If you have public water, you can
get local drinking water quality reports from the EPA. To be certain
you're getting the purest water you can, filter the water both at the
point of entry and at the point of use. This means filtering all the
water that comes into the house, and then filtering again at the kitchen
sink and shower.
Unfiltered water can also expose you to dangerous chlorine vapors and
chloroform gas. The FDA and other U.S. government agencies report that
most homes in the U.S. have measurable levels of chloroform gas,
courtesy of chlorinated tap water.
Unless you have a whole house water filter, chlorine will vaporize
from every toilet bowl in your home and every time you wash your
clothes, dishes or take a shower or bath. Chloroform gas, chlorine
vapors and the associated DBPs may increase your risk of asthma, airway
inflammation and respiratory allergies. Chloroform gas alone can cause
dizziness, nausea and general fatigue.
If you get your water from a municipal water supply and don't have a
whole house filter, it really is important to open up windows on
opposing sides of your home so you get cross ventilation. Keep the
windows open for five to 10 minutes a day to remove these gases.
Ideally, use a whole house filtration system.
One of the best I've found so far is the Pure & Clear Whole House
Water Filtration System, which uses a three-stage filtration process — a
micron sediment pre-filter, a Kinetic Degradation Fluxion (KDF) water
filter and a high-grade carbon water filter — to filter out chlorine,
disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and other contaminants. You can find more
information about water filters in my video below.
Spread the Word to
Friends And Family
By Sharing this Article.
Email
No comments:
Post a Comment