An Associated Press independent investigation found something unsettling in schools all throughout the US. In addition to the emerging problem of pharmaceutical pollutants, water tainted by lead, heavy metals, and various other toxins has been found at schools in all 50 states. The same contaminants are in homes, businesses, and offices, but the children are especially vulnerable to these hazards from environmental toxins.
Thus we have another glaring example of a much larger problem in rural and urban areas throughout America that has been unmonitored and unregulated despite failing to meet the minimum standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act.
While this may be the "tip of the iceberg" so to speak, the substances which pollute our drinking water are numerous and potentially toxic.
While this may be the "tip of the iceberg" so to speak, the substances which pollute our drinking water are numerous and potentially toxic.
Burke, Garrance. AP Impact: School Drinking Water Contains Toxins., September 25, 2009. http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=8668820
5 comments:
Why can't the federal government take note of this occurance and do something about it? It is a health hazzard for every human being drinking the water. It is an awful thing to know that what you thought you were drinking was healthful and clean water, is pollutant water that is harmful to our health.
I am really amazed that people belive that they can excrete or flush whatever they want, and it will just go away. Anything your put into your body, will end up in the water. Most likely in u-measureable trace amounts, but many drugs, like Digoxin, do not get metabolized, and will be excreted the same way they came in. It should be concerned to pregnant women who may be consuming hormones, antibiotics, CNS effectors, and other toxins. At the same time, is it financially feasible to completly clear our water of everything? Is it even possible?
It is very scary to think of what is lurking in our drinking water. I have always made it a point to filter my water. Our refrigerator currently has a filter on it, but before that we used a brita filter. Trace amounts that may seem insignificant at the time can build up in your system, and could potentially cause major health problems down the road.
I realize that some people are far more environmentally conscious and concerned than others over things that negatively affect our health and environment, and it is foolish to make generalizations. Who even thinks about where the contents of their toilet goes once it is flushed? Out of sight and out of mind, certainly. While more people have made an effort to "go green" and make less of a negative impact, there are still quite a few to whom complacence over such matters is common. The financial feasibility of a massive cleanup is a very complicated and questionable matter altogether. With budget cuts and unemployment soaring, there is a definite problem. On the other hand, we must question our priorities as a society. For example, the city of Arlington has used tens of millions of dollars in public funds to finance $40 million dollar TV's and ornately decorated highway overpasses. I don't know, but it makes me wonder about priorities.
The unfortunate thing about budgets and where the money goes is that we "the People" are innately to blame. We elected the officials that run our government, or didnt elect them, and voted for these provisions not know what all these bills and acts really gave or took away from our rights and freedoms. When will we wake up and take responsibility as a society?
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