...Abstract The experiment was based on the identifying the effect of different contaminants on ground water. The yielded result indicated that, when vinegar is filtered through dirt the vinegar filtrate was relatively clean. The results noted were indicative that vinegar is not affected by contaminants that affect. Introduction In the lab report, we will have a look at how various contaminates influence the water supply. In the world, there are various contaminates that contaminate ground water. These contaminants range from the simple items we use in the house such as cooking oil and laundry detergents to the well-known contaminants that come from agricultural and industrial processes. The experiments sought to answer the question how and why these particular contaminants affect what we drink from the faucet. One of the most common contaminants in water is lead. Studies have indicated that had a detrimental effect on children especially those in the development stages of their life and cancer in adults. According to Bruce Lanphear, a renowned pediatric epidemiologist, lead found in water is usually underappreciated service in terms of intake of lead. Statistics has shown that approximately 10-20% of children are exposed to lead through intake of drinking water. Pharmaceutical chemicals are another common contaminant of water. Many individuals usually do not know that they are exposed to this form of contaminant. Some of the chemicals found to be contaminating water are...
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...Impact of Indoor Air Quality Towards Workers’ Health Performance on Safety Engineering Perspective Ahmad Shah Hizam bin Md Yasir (GS40361) andMohd Ruzaimi bin Mohd Ariffin (GS38824) | | | Abstract Deterioration of air quality in working environments has now become an increasing and critical in both developed and developing countries. The potential risks and problems related to indoor air pollution has been recognized, and there is a need to measure and establish air quality standards for those working in any confined environments. For health and safety reasons, the indoor air quality (IAQ) in an enclosed building, where a few people are working in it, was investigated. This study aimed to determine the association between indoor air quality and the workers’ health performance in XYZ Company. A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted among 117 respondents. Assessments on IAQ perception level from staff were conducted through questionnaires, which consist of Indoor Air Quality and Health Performance Survey. The three IAQ variables tested in this study are ventilation, particles contaminant and thermal comfort. DOSH and STRIDE has also measured the IAQ level, which are the concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), temperature as well as humidity. All data collected were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics through SPSS Software. Based on the data analyzed, building occupants’ satisfaction level is identified. Findings show...
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...In 1974, federal law enacted the Safe Drinking Water Act intending to provide the public with safe drinking water supplied by public water systems. Under this law, the EPA sets standards, regulates and determines which contaminants pose a threat to public health. “But Congress, environmental groups, and water suppliers are concerned that the EPA has set fewer than 25 standards for drinking water contaminants while evidence grows that hundreds of chemicals have already contaminated drinking water supplies and groundwater” (Environment). Often setting standards based on the best available technology and taking cost into account before the public health. With increasing concern over the safety of our drinking water and recent studies indicating...
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...Contamination Final Lab Abstract Testing of how ground water is affected by different contaminants was the bases of the experiment. The results were interesting in that when vinegar is filtered through dirt it came out fairly clean. This is surprising because I did not think that any of the contaminants used would affect the water the way it did with vinegar. I figured all the water would have dirt mixed in with the water that was filtered. This shows that maybe we can find a way to find a safer choice on how we filter and purify water. Introduction In this Lab we will explore how contaminants affect the water supply. Contaminants can be anything from human waste, chemicals used in farming and industrial factories to the laundry detergent and cooking oil that you use at home. We are going to asking how and why this affects us when we drink water from the faucet. One contaminant that is found in water is lead. Studies have shown that lead can led to developmental delays in kids and can cause cancer in adults. According to Bruce Lanphear a pediatric epidemiologist, “Lead in water is an underappreciated service of lead intake" (Renner, 2009. A544) It is estimated that 10-20% of children are exposed to lead through the drinking water according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Another contaminant that is in our water supply is pharmaceutical chemicals. This is one contaminant that people do not think is in their drinking water. Some of the drugs that have...
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...Water Contamination and Purification Brittney Dorty SCI 207 Valencia Coty-Barker May 5, 2014 Abstract The basis of this experiment was to test how different contaminates effect ground water when absorbed. The results were surprising as that I felt any additives would immediately change the entire break up and color of the water. What was most surprising to me was that filtering vinegar through ground water it came out relatively clean. I also believed that when filtered all of the water would have large traces of dirt, but that was not the case with the vinegar. This means that there are still viable ways to filter and purify water. Introduction This experiment was to test the different ways that different contaminants affect our water supply. There were only a few contaminants tested, contaminants can be anything from liquids, solids, chemical or just plain articles that are left behind on land that can dissolve back into the earth. Human waste is a contaminant that can be introduced back into our water source and we need to understand how all contaminant affect the source. In this lab we used plain water then added vinegar, laundry soap. Oil and soil. We are trying to determine how and why these contaminants affect water from the faucet. A contaminant that exists in water is lead. Lead can lead to illness such as cancer and developmental issues in children. “Lead in water is an underappreciated service of lead intake" (Renner, R. 2008) Lead poisoning was...
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...behind when pulverized coal is burned to produce electricity. Coal ash is one of the largest types of industrial waste generated in the United States and in 2012 the nation’s coal plants generated nearly 10 1milloin tons of it. A little less than half of coal ash produced in the United States is recycled into products like concrete, pavement or wallboard. However, the rest is stored, in over 2,000 storage sites across the country, in landfills, quarries or ponds that, over time, accumulates to potentially millions of tons of coal ash that contains some of the world’s deadliest toxic metals: arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury and selenium. These contaminants can pollute, groundwater, drinking water and the air. All of these contaminants can be toxic and have the potential to injure all major organ systems, damage physical health and development, and endanger wildlife. As a result of the Dan River spill, about 300,000 people were unable to use their water supply for days as arsenic levels exceeded state standards. In...
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...Environmental problem: Water pollution Nowadays in our world there have many environmental problems happening and almost of them haven’t been solved yet and still have an effect until nowadays. The one of interesting environmental problem is water pollution. Water covers over 70% of the Earth’s surface. Water is usually important and necessary for humans and animals life. We can’t deny that everyone needs water in order to be alive but nowadays many countries in our world have problems of water pollution. Water pollution occurs when the pollutants contaminate to water bodies. The pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly to water bodies and it is often that the pollutants get into water mainly by human causes. The contaminated drinking water can be as a contributor to wide range of health problems in humans and have negative impacts on wild animals and the environment as a whole. According to a report released by the advocacy group environmental Missouri, there were more than 12.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals, such as nitrates, arsenic, benzene and mercury were dumped into the Mississippi River in 2010. And another data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, only the Ohio River, with 32 million pounds, received more toxic discharge in 2010 (Bernhard, 2012). "Missouri's waterways are a polluter's paradise right now," said Sarah MacFarland, state field associate for Environment Missouri. "These toxic chemicals end up contaminating our drinking water...
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...economy and defined its traditions and culture (Chesapeake Bay Program Preamble, 2000). As the most biologically diverse estuary in the U.S., over 3600 species of fish, plants and animals make the Bay their home. Land uses in 1990 in the 166,000 square kilometer watershed are estimated to be 57% forest, 16% cropland, 8% pasture, 18% urban or developed land, and 1% of land in rivers and lakes (Chesapeake Bay Program, Linker, L.C., Shenk, G.W., Dennis, R.L., and Sweeney, J.S. (1999). Water pollution makes most people think of factories and industries dumping toxic chemicals and other contaminants into the Chesapeake Bay. In reality, the main pollutants are excess amounts of nitrogen, and phosphorous. These nutrients enter the Bay from a variety of sources and cause an explosion of algae growth and sediment. Airborne nitrogen reaches the land through air deposition and chemical contaminants. An overabundance of suspended sediment from erosion is the main factor for water stress and poor aquatic life in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. Protection of its natural and man-made infrastructures is essential over the long-term as indicated in the illustration below. [pic] Chesapeake Bay Bridge and watershed. Image courtesy of Ben Longstaff (IAN, UMCES) Nonliving and living factors that contribute to or are affected by the problem Nutrients Nutrients are chemicals (nitrogen and phosphorous) that plants and animals need to ...
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...Indoor Pollution And Employee Health Tushama Cheris Okraku PRST 5040 – Human Resources Management Dr. Sharon D. Peters Middle Tennessee State University 12/2/12 Abstract Indoor Pollution and Employee Health The paper explores the effects that indoor pollution has on the health of employee from both an employee and employer perspective. It lists some of the issues that are experienced as a result of poor air quality. Environments in which air quality issues are commonly found are also discussed in studies that have been conducted. What causes poor air quality and how they affect employees are communicated to provide a blueprint for organizations to use to prevent such concerns from becoming issues to their employees. Also outlined are ways for organizations to recognize and reduce air quality issues to minimize organizational productivity loss and workers compensation claims that sometimes come as a result of poor air quality. Introduction Employee safety and health concerns have changed drastically over the past couple of decades. They have moved from the bodily injuries of industrial workers to the ergonomic challenges of office workers. These concerns can range from carpal tunnel syndrome to air quality issues. “One of the downsides of opting for environmentally “green” office buildings can produce illnesses such as itchy eyes and trouble breathing, a phenomenon some called “sick building syndrome” (Dessler, 2013; 553). This has caused issues such...
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...The Effect of Fracking on Water and Public Health Jennifer Casey Concordia University Wisconsin I chose to study water quality for my research article. During my research, I found some articles on hydraulic fracturing “fracking” of shale deposits to obtain natural gas. Fracking has been found to affect the environment through air and water pollution, among other ways. Air and water quality are crucial to the health of the public and I will explore the research on fracking’s effect on water and potential human health consequences of ingestion of contaminated water. The main research article I found, “Environmental Public Health Dimensions of Shale and Tight Gas Development”, is a meta-analysis of several studies on fracking and...
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...serious environmental issue today. We as an industrial society have become far too familiar with terms like smog, radon, lead, asbestos, ozone, and carbon monoxide. We have also seen on the news, read in the newspaper, or experienced in our own lives some of the harmful consequences that result from these pollutants. Air pollution has long been recognized as a threat to human health as well as to the Earth's ecosystems. Worldwide air pollution is responsible for large numbers of deaths and cases of respiratory disease. While major stationary sources are often identified with air pollution, the greatest source of emissions is actually mobile sources, mainly automobiles. Gases such as carbon dioxide, which contribute to global warming, have recently gained recognition as pollutants by climate scientists, while they also recognize that carbon dioxide is essential for plant life through photosynthesis. Federal involvement began in 1970 with the introduction of the Clean Air Act. In the nearly 30 years it has been in effect it has undergone some changes, but the purpose has remained the same: " to establish and enforce air quality standards that protect public health with an adequate margin of safety" (Huebner and Chilton). The standards outlined in the Clean Air Act state that the "Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must promulgate secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) necessary to protect the public welfare. "Public Welfare" includes effects on soils...
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...And of the little research that does exist on atrazine, it essentially contradicts itself. It is bothersome how in a contaminant can be considered relatively harmless and safe to consume in the United States, and the same contaminant can be considered dangerous to our Northern neighbors and banned in our nation’s motherland (Lazorko et al., 2009). The abundant use of an herbicide, whose long-term effects remain relatively unknown, added with atrazine’s extreme longevity, has the potential to be devastating. Minimal scientific research has been completed regarding human ingestion of ATR, but there are even fewer studies analyzing atrazine toxicity in children and adolescents (United States, 2007). What is known and is commonly accepted is that atrazine can disrupt natural endocrine function. Further research into the herbicide’s ability to hijack bodily hormones is undoubtedly needed. If atrazine can decrease hormone levels that stem from the surge center of the brain, it is not farfetched to assume...
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...Mark Hancock Environmental Economics Bottled Water Environmental and Economical Effects Introduction Since the early 1990’s American’s have been consuming large amounts of bottled water. Most American’s don’t realize the effects of the bottled water industry on the environment or on their wallet. Individuals believe that bottled water is more pure and of a higher quality than that of their conventional tap water. In reality this is false. We as a country are wasting money on bottled water and harming the environment in the process. Without a change of consumption habits our environment will see some dramatic changes. This is an important environmental and economical issue that will effect future generations as well as the current. Brief History Bottled water has become a part of many Americans life. Perrier started this trend with their introduction of bottled water in the early 1980’s. Ever since the early 1990’s when Coke and Pepsi got into the bottle water market because they saw their market share for soda declining Americans have been consuming bottled water at an alarming rate. These companies tried to glamorize their product saying it will make you skinny and healthy and associating it with big name celebrities and athletes. They stated that they were not in competition tap water because they provided a product that was portable, convenient and pure. In 2007 it was an 11.35 billion dollar business. The American people certainly bought into this...
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...needs for education, health, housing and social security. For example, The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is considered a social policy. The NEPA is a national environmental law that the U.S. established promoting the enhancement of the environment and to regulate activities that have an environmental impact in the United States. January 1st 1970, President Richard Nixon signed the NEPA which then proceeded to create the Council on Environmental Quality which would analyze the environmental impact of federal actions. The legislation during this period concerned primarily first-generation pollutants in the air, surface water, groundwater, and solid waste disposal. Air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ozone were put under regulation, and issues such as acid rain and global warming were also concerns. In surface water, the contaminants of concern were bacteria, suspended and dissolved solids, nutrients, and toxic substances such as metals. Finally, solid waste contaminants from agriculture, industry, mining, municipalities, and others were put under control. The NEPA goes through a series of actions before making a decision in order to document everything properly not in any particular order but in a common one. An Environmental Assessment (EA) is a...
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...ENVIRONMENTAL LAW PRIVATE REMEDIES Civil Law * written codes which rely on statutory material, traditions * Judges has small role Common Law * Based on customs of the areas, precedents * Judge made law – cases decided by judge US * Mostly statutory, but judges are important * Interpret statues * Judge decides if not codified * Criminal – against State * Civil – all other Environmental Law not very effective if using private remedies PRIVATE REMEDIES | GOOD | BAD | Develop theory and needs | After the fact | Push legislation | Disorganized | Day in court | Costly | Money damages | Only personal damages | Tort Law - wrongful acts vs. contract law 1. Negligence a. Duty owned b. Unreasonable act c. Personal Injury d. Ex: pesticides 2. Trespass e. Tied to property rights f. Property invasion g. Ex: dam building (H2O invasion) 3. Nuisance h. Tied to unreasonable use interfering with another’s use i. Property use damaged j. Loss of livability k. Can’t move TO a nuisance l. Standing question i. cannot sue unless suffer special damage ii. different in kind, not just degree m. Ex: smoke, sewage treatment, hog farm, airport CIVIL REMEDIES 1. Monetary damages – personal things $ can fix 2. Injunctive relief – environmental, $ can’t replace, make do something a. Negative – DON’T...
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