Potomac Water Watch a Potomac headwaters RC

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Potomac Water Watcha Potomac headwaters RCD
project.

• Presents
• Know what is in Your Rivers, Your Drinking Water
  and Your Body
• Abby Chapple

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BACKGROUND

• This Potomac Headwaters RCD project began as
• 1. an answer to the discovery of a new category
  of water pollution by USGS, emerging contaminants
  and EDCs
• 2. a reaction to dead fish in the local rivers
• This led to the creation of Potomac Water Watch
  (PWW) by four environmental groups .
• PWW hold the first prescription-return program
  in West Virginia in the next few months.
• Education is a major component -- see our current
  brochure.

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INTRODUCTIONSome Good Products with Dark Sides

• DDT Restricted in 1972 for human ecosystem
  dangers
• Asbestos Caused fatal diseases
• Formaldehyde UFFI banned believed cancer
  causing
• TRIS Banned from childrens sleepwear
• Mercury

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HISTORY

• 1962 Silent Spring
• 1972 Consumer Product Safety Commission
• 1974 -- Safe Drinking Water Act
• 1977 Clean Water Act (Begun in 1972)
• 1996 Our Stolen Future
• 2001 POP Treaty
• 2002 1st USGS Nationwide look at
  pharmaceuticals, hormones, organic contaminants
  in US streams

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What is Happening Now?

• In the Potomac, South Branch, Cacapon and Sleepy
  Creek, Shenandoahamong many other waterbodies
• across the United States
• Amphibians are deformed
• Our fish are dying

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Many have Intersex. Many have sores. Our
rivers, our drinking water, and our bodies are
polluted with man-made chemicals (EDCs) and
prescription drugs
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FOCUSA Reconnaissance for Emerging Contaminants
in the South Branch Potomac River, Cacapon River
Williams River Basins WV April-October
2004by USGSThis study found that some EDCs
are nearly ubiquitous in the environment
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WHAT IS AN EDC?

• EDCs are man-made chemicals that can mimic
  natural hormones fooling the body into
• a. over responding to the stimulus
• b. responding at inappropriate times
• c. blocking the effects of a hormone
• d. causing over- or under-production of
  hormones.
• According to the EPA
• So Let me give you a few examples..

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THE BUG-ICIDES
LINDANE an anti-scabes and headlice product
when used on people.
NAPHTHALENE used in synhetic dyes, as a
fumigant and a solvent.
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FLAME RETARDANTS Polybromated Dipenyl
Ethers(BDE 47,BDE 99,BDE 100)Used in TVs,
computers, cell phones. In the home it will
migrate into dust and be inhalesTRIS
-Tetrabromobisphenol AIn 1977 the
flame-retarding additive TRIS used in childrens
Sleepwear was discovered to be carcinogenic,
prompting a recall, and leading to the
abandonment of such additives
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PHENOLS 4-TERT-OCTL-PHENOL

• GOOD - Carbolic Acid is an antiseptic
• DARK Used for execution, causes anorexia
• Production of aspirin, weed killers, Bakelite
  (phenol w. formaldehyde) exfoliant in cosmetic
  surgery, ingrown nails.
• Used to make bisphenol A which is intermediates
  in manufacture of nylon and epoxy resins
• Slimicides, disinfectants, detergents, ear
  nose drops mouthwashes
• Product Examples
• Chloraseptic
• Sunglasses and CDs
• Polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resin

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Bisphenol A

• One particular phenol that is getting a lot of
  attention bisphenol A. There are two ways it is
  used that you need to be aware of.
• Plastic Lining of cans vegetables, fruit, soda
  and beer. Has been shown to cause obesity.
• It is also in many plastic bottles and the main
  concern is that bisphenol A leaches into the milk
  and water. It mimics estrogen affecting body
  hormones and has been shown to cause obesity
• AVOID ALL BOTTLES WITH A 7 IN THE RECYCLING
  LOGO!

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ANTIBIOTIC CLEANERS 5-cloro-2-(2,4-dchlorophenoxy
) phenol

• GOOD Was thought to control bacteria
  contamination
• DARK doesnt do any more that good ole soap
  an water.
• Use builds up resistant microbes
• Somewhat toxic
• Can bio-accumulate
• Affects thyroid is an ED
• TRICLOSAN
• Clearasil Daily Face Wash
• Colgate Total Range
• Softsoap (original)
• Right Guard Deodorant
• Sensodyne Total Care
• Old Spice
• Mentadent

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PHTHYLATES diethyl-hexyl phthalate (DEHP)

• GOOD
• Used as a plasticizer to increase flexibility
• DARK
• It is an EDC
• It is Toxic
• May mimic estrogen
• TOYS
• COSMETICS
• PERFUMES
• Calvin Klein Eternity
• Gucci Envy Me
• Joop Nightflight
• Paco Rabanne Excess
• Chanel No 5
• Christian Dior Poison (Aptly named)

Vinyl is in the Poison Plastic. NEW CAR
SMELL NEW SHOWER CURTAIN SMELL AVOID ALL PLASTIC
THAT ARE MARKED WITH A 3
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Fish Human Connection

• The Pollution Within.
• National Geographic paid a journalist to have his
  body burden of chemicals tested.
• 165 chemicals were found in his body
• Flame retardants PBDE (same as in USGS study)
• PCBs
• Phenols
• Phthalates
• Per fluorinated acids PFAs (Scotchgard)
• Mercury
• The testing that was done is known as
  biomonitoring.

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BIOMONITORING

• The CDC has found that most humans are filled
  with EDCs.
• One study of 2500 people showed that 92 were
  found to contain Bispehenol A

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QUESTIONS

• What are the abnormal fish trying to tell us?
• That there are pollutants in out water.
• How do these pollutants get into our water and
  our bodies?

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• The Crux of the Matter
• Some are Airborne
• Some come from the agricultura and residential
  lands runoff
• Humans are recycling them
• We are recycling pollutants because of our habits
  and the products we use. There is no attempt to
  treat or remove any additional wastewater
  pollutants since EPA has not established a
  requirement to do so, this includes endocrine
  disruptors. These pollutants come from products
  that flow down a drain or excreted by the body.

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CONCLUSIONS

• GENERALLY-
• More testing is needed- of water humans
• Present water pollution laws need to be strictly
  enforced they are minimums.
• More and stronger ordinances laws need to be
  created for example, Evidence for the migration
  of steroidal estrogens through riverbed sediments

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• WHAT YOU CAN DO
• Don't flush away old or unused medications.
• Maintain a significant buffer strip along
  waterways.
• Don't use antibacterial hand cleaners 
• Work to improve home and community septic systems
• Find alternative products to those with harmful
  contents

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• Potomac Water Watch
• Supported by Potomac Headwaters RCD
• Formed just this by four environment groups
• Appalachian Center for the Economy and
  Environment
• West Virginia Rivers Coalition
• Cacapon River Institute
• Friends of the Cacapon River
• We are citizen volunteers concerned about these
  issues and are communicating via our website.
• www.potomacwaterwatch.org