Archive for November, 2008

Adverse Findings on recycled water risks ‘obsolete’

No Comment  News, Water

Article from: The Australian

AUTHORITIES in Queensland have dismissed as obsolete a state government study that concluded there was likely to be a high risk of viruses, bacteria and other contaminants entering the drinking water supply through a recycled waste-water scheme.

The scoping study was commissioned in 2000 by the Queensland Natural Resources Department, when the Beattie government first began considering the recycling option as a solution to the future water needs of the state’s heavily populated southeast.

The Bligh Government has been on the defensive this week over plans to begin pumping recycled industrial effluent and sewage from the Western Corridor Recycled Water Project to Brisbane’s Wivenhoe Dam from early next year.

The Government has said advanced water treatment plants similar to those built in southeast Queensland have been in use overseas for up to 40 years.

The 2000 scoping study, prepared by Queensland Health Scientific Services and the National Centre for Environment Toxicology, was able to draw on the experience overseas.

The study said there would probably be a high risk of people contracting viruses from drinking recycled water. It said 15 genera of bacteria and two genera of fungi were most commonly associated with waste water.

There were also risks in drinking recycled water from parasitic invertebrates, and from hepatotoxins and neurotoxins, which could produce symptoms ranging from mild gastroenteritis to death.

Other potential contaminants included radioactive elements and organic chemicals. Pesticides, including organochlorines that had been banned for health reasons but were environmentally persistent, were another hazard. The study cautioned that little was known about the health implications of drinking recycled water.

“The lack of information in some areas reflects that little is understood of the health impacts without further extensive literature review and scientific study,” it said.

But Queensland Health population health director Linda Selvey said the report was obsolete.

“It should be emphasised that this was a scoping report done eight years ago and referred to potential issues and not to any particular recycling technology,” Dr Selvey said.

“It was not based on technology that became available subsequently that will be used in the western corridor project.”

Dr Selvey said the direct recycling referred to in the report did not have the benefits of the sixth and seventh barriers in the seven-stage treatment process being used in Queensland.

“Bacteria and viruses are effectively eliminated by this process,” she said.

Queensland Water Commission chief executive John Bradley said chemicals and other industrial contaminants would be removed during treatment.

“This technology is used in a number of other places around the world and has been the subject of extensive testing, which confirms its effectiveness in the removal of both biological and chemical contaminants,” Mr Bradley said.

Study finds contaminants in bottled water

No Comment  News

Tests on bottled water turned up a variety of contaminants often found in tap water, according to a study released Wednesday by an environmental advocacy group.

The findings challenge the idea that bottled water is purer than tap water, the researchers said. All the brands in the study met federal health standards, but two violated a California standard, said the Washington-based Environmental Working Group.

The study’s lab tests on the 10 brands detected bacteria and 38 chemicals including caffeine, the pain reliever acetaminophen, fertilizer, solvents, plastic ingredients and the radioactive element strontium.

The International Bottled Water Assn. called the findings “alarmist.”

From the Associated Press

EPA targets 4 key contaminants in cleanup efforts

No Comment  News

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

VANCOUVER, Wash. — The Environmental Protection Agency is targeting four key pollutants in its effort to clean up toxics in the Columbia River.

The agency has released a draft report focusing attention on four toxic contaminants which are found in the river basin at levels that could harm people, fish and wildlife.

The contaminants include PCBs and the pesticide DDT, which persist in the environment despite being banned since the 1970s. The two others are mercury and a flame retardant commonly found in mattresses, furniture and electronics.

Mary Lou Soscia, the EPA’s cleanup coordinator in Portland, Ore., told The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash., that the four are among the most toxic to humans and representative of other substances entering the river.

—

Information from: The Columbian, http://www.columbian.com

Environmental Pollutants In Human Milk

No Comment  Nutrition

An overview of studies on environmental pollutants in human milk has found that not breastfeeding an infant typically poses more of a threat than does exposure to any of the chemical agents measured in human milk, as reported in the 11th Annual Children’s Health Issue of Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP).

Given the tendency for persistent organic pollutants (POPs), pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants to accumulate in human milk, researchers and parents alike are asking whether the nursling’s exposure to these pollutants might reduce or even override the health benefits.

Yet, even in highly polluted areas, author M. Nathaniel Mead indicates a better outcome for breastfed infants. Numerous studies strongly indicate significantly decreased risks of infection, allergy, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and various cancers in both childhood and adulthood among those people breastfed as infants.

Because of human milk’s nutritional, immunologic, anticancer, and detoxifying effects, scientists encourage women to continue the practice of breastfeeding even in the context of widespread pollution. Breastfeeding mothers should also be educated on the negative effects of alcohol and drugs, and be advised on how to create a healthier, safer, and cleaner environment for themselves and their children.

EHP editor-in-chief Hugh A. Tilson, PhD said, “The collaborative message from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Surgeon General, and the American Academy of Pediatrics is clear: breastfeeding remains the recommended best practice for infants, even in the presence of today’s potential levels of environmental contaminants.”

Today, the prevalence of initial breastfeeding among U.S. mothers is about 71%, according to a report in the 3 August 2007 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, but only 11-14% of infants are exclusively breastfed (i.e., consume nothing else, including water) in the first six months, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and the WHO. Only 16% of U.S. infants are still breastfeeding at one year of age; probably far fewer go on to breastfeed for the two years recommended by the WHO.

The article is available free of charge at http://www.ehponline.org/members/2008/116-10/focus.html.

EHP is published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. EHP is an Open Access journal. More information is available online at http://www.ehponline.org/. Brogan & Partners Convergence Marketing handles marketing and public relations for the publication, and is responsible for creation and distribution of this press release.

Protecting Yourself From Contaminants in Your Water

No Comment  News

Benefits of ‘point-of-use’ systems increasingly touted

LISLE, Ill., Oct 22, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — As consumers become more aware of contaminants in their drinking water, independent organizations are recommending home-based treatment systems as a solution.
Recently, ABC News with Charles Gibson reported on the issue of pharmaceuticals in water supplies. According to the outlet’s Web site, “ABC News asked researchers to test a widely available water filter for the home. They found it greatly reduced the traces of drugs in the water.”
The National Resources Defense Council now provides a guide on choosing home treatment, available at http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/gfilters.asp.
According to the NRDC, “As a general rule, look for filters labeled as meeting NSF/ANSI Standard 53 and that are certified to remove the contaminant(s) of concern in your water.” Under its Gold Seal program, WQA certifies products to NSF/ANSI standards.
NRDC is one of the nation’s most effective environmental action organizations, boasting 1.2 million members and online activists.
The issue of pharmaceuticals in water emerged last spring, following the first of several Associated Press studies. Just last month, AP reported that almost one in six Americans may be affected by pharmaceuticals in their household water.
Filtering systems in the home provide the highest technology available for treatment of drinking water, according to Joseph Harrison, PE, CWS-VI, technical director of WQA. Less than two percent of all water consumed is ingested by humans, making these “point-of-use” systems the most cost-effective and environmentally-friendly treatments.
“While utilities are required to meet safety standards set by the US EPA, home filtering systems act as a final contaminant barrier and can further purify water for drinking,” Harrison said. Specific product performance standards have not yet been developed for pharmaceuticals, but many point-of- use technologies have proven effective for some of these emerging contaminants.
With more than 2,500 members, WQA is a not-for-profit alliance of water treatment companies and has become a resource for consumers and public policy makers seeking information about the issue.
WQA offers an online fact sheet with answers to the issue of pharmaceuticals in water, available at wqa.org. WQA has also joined a task force to develop independent testing standards that will be able to tell consumers what devices are successful at removing many of these newly discovered contaminants.
WQA provides WQA Gold Seal certification for products that remove a variety of contaminants. Consumers can learn about different treatment systems and find locally certified dealers by visiting the WQA Web site’s Gold Seal and “Find A Water Professional” features. Among contaminants that products are certified to remove are arsenic, radium, lead, and other elements.
David Loveday
630-505-0160
dloveday@wqa.org
SOURCE Water Quality Association
http://www.wqa.org

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