New Report: Wasting Our Waterways 2012

A new report called "Wasting Our Waterways 2012: Toxic Industrial Pollution and the Unfulfilled Promise of the Clean Water Act" was released in March by the Environment America Research and Policy Center. This report outlines the effect of pollution from industrial facilities nationwide, and estimates that over 14,000 miles of river, and 220,000 acres of lakes, ponds, and estuaries have been negatively affected by this kind of pollution.

This map, accessed via Environment America, shows the pounds of toxins discharged, by state, in 2010. According to the report, millions of pounds of chemicals released by industrial facilities are dangerous to human health, linked to cancer and other disorders, as well as harmful to the environment. The report asks for the United States to "restore Clean Water Act protection to all of America's waterways and improve enforcement of the Clean Water Act," as well as reevaluating regulations for toxic chemical release by industrial facilities.

Click here to access the report and a summary by Environment America.

The Water Canary

Nope, it's not a bird; the Water Canary is a recently developed device which can instantly determine whether or not a water supply is contaminated. Developers of the device, which is named for the "canary in a coal mine" warning system, hope that it can be used to detect water supply contamination after a disaster.

Since the device is able to transmit GPS-tagged data, results shared in real time could help contain contamination and prevent the spread of water-borne illnesses. Users merely insert a water sample, and if the water is contaminated, a red light is displayed. Safe water is indicated with a green light. The Water Canary company hopes that its product will be ready for release in the next year, and will plan to open source their hardware so anyone can contribute to development.

For more information, visit Water Canary's website, or watch a recent TED Talk by designer Sonaar Luthra.

Photo via Water Canary Technology

Hydrofracking leaves water radioactive?

There is concern in Pennsylvania that some wastewater is not being properly treated and, as a result, this toxic water may be mixing with drinking water sources. This is the result of a process commonly refered to as hydrofracking. More formally known as high-volume horizontal hydraulic fracturing, this relatively new type of drilling is being used to access natural gas which exists as bubbles in deep layers of rock beneath the earth's surface. This process involves blasting the rock with high pressure water which contains a combination of sand and chemicals. While some of these chemicals do occur naturally, they do not normally mix with drinking water. This is where there is a foreseen problem.

After blasting, the wastewater is treated by sewage or other wastewater treatment plants, but data has been gathered showing that the process of cleaning the water there leaves the water with levels of toxins higher than what was previously known. After being treated the water then mixes with other waters and may eventually be getting into the drinking water supply. The issue is under review while arguments are being raised about the level of testing to which the waters are subjected. The New York Times article has more on the story.

Photo credit: Kevin Moloney for The New York Times

Road Sealant Responsible for Water Contamination

Water samples have been taken from Alaska to Florida by the USGS and results are in. Contaminated lakes and rivers show a higher concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), on the rise since the 1960s. These contaminants are toxic for fish and other aquatic life.

Researchers have found the main source of the PAHs to be coal-tar-based pavement sealant. One of the most common uses for this material is the squiggly, shiny black lines that seal the cracks in roadways. While effective, this material has a life span of only three to five years and is easily being transmitted into lakes and stream ecosystems. Storm runoff is a common mode of travel for PAHs from the sealant into the lakes.

The USGS news release gives further details, and the full journal article is available in Science of the Total Environment. For further reading suggestions, see our recommended reading list on Understanding and Protecting Groundwater.

Photo from concierge.com.

USGS Finds Elevated Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Groundwater

While nitrogen and phosphorus levels were previously an issue in groundwater systems, and many steps have been taken, and money spent to attempt to address this issue, a recently released study by the USGS shows that these levels have stayed the same or even risen since the 1990's. Some streams contain levels two to ten times higher than what is recommended by the EPA's Water Quality Standards. Areas affected most nationally include the Northeast, Midwest, and Northwest due to high use of fertilizer and manure for agricultural purposes.

Beside threatening aquaculture in these streams, drinking water with high nitrate levels is also a concern for humans. Aquifers and shallow wells are at risk and the potential for these nitrate levels to rise in the next few years as groundwater high in nutrient concentration penetrates the soil. Since private wells are not under the jurisdiction of the Federal Safe Drinking Water Act, homeowners should test their water annually to make sure that it is safe.

The USGS's fact sheet for Nutrients in the Nation’s Streams and Groundwater gives a detailed analysis of the study's findings. For further reading suggestions, see our recommended reading list on drinking water quality.

Photo courtesy of Roger Wendell.

Where Does the Salt from Winter Roads Go?

A recently released study conducted by the USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center has shown that streams are being adversely affected by the use of salt for deicing roads, sidewalks and parking lots. The study focused especially on eastern Wisconsin and Milwaukee, but also included other northern U.S. cities.

In eastern and south-central Wisconsin, chloride levels exceeding US EPA chronic water quality criteria were found in 100 percent of urban streams during winter. These chloride levels are the determinant of toxicity in the water. Further, the chloride levels of the water were not declining enough even by the time summer came in order for those streams to be suitable for many aquatic inhabitants. Nationally, 55 percent of northern streams samples chloride levels exceeded US EPA chronic water-quality criteria.

Matthew C. Larsen, the Associate Director for Water at the USGS says: "This study suggests the need for advancements that will reduce salt loads to surface waters." Read the full release: "Many Urban Streams Harmful to Aquatic Life Following Winter Pavement Deicing" on the USGS website. For further reading suggestions, see our recommended reading list on Understanding and Protecting Groundwater.

Photo by Michael Pereckas

Airport runway deicers impact on the environment greater than previously thought

The most widely used compound to remove dangerous ice from runways at many of the nation's airports may impact the environment more than previously realized. New research shows that potassium acetate may be harmful to aquatic life. This is the first published study of potassium acetate in airport runoff.

These findings follow a major shift in formulations used to deice airports across the country. During the 1990s, U.S. airports began using potassium acetate as a replacement for urea, a compound known to contribute toxic ammonia to nearby streams. Today, 67 percent of U.S. airports that apply deicers to runways use potassium acetate instead of urea.

Between 1996 and 2006, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) worked with Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) and collected water samples from streams at four sites near the airport. During this study, GMIA, like many other airports, began using potassium acetate to replace urea.

Forty percent of the samples collected following the change had concentrations of potassium acetate at levels high enough to be detrimental to aquatic life. (EPA standards have not been established for potassium acetate.) Concentrations of ammonia in forty-one percent of water samples collected from airport outfalls when urea-based deicers were in use had exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) water quality standards.

To read more, please see complete article at USGS Newsroom.

Pavement sealcoat linked to urban lake contamination

From the USGS: Dust collected from coal-tar sealcoated parking lots in Central and Eastern U.S. cities contains concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are about 1,000 times greater than levels found in Western cities where coal-tar sealcoat is less commonly used, according to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) study published this week in the journal Environmental Science and Technology.

The new study also shows that coal-tar sealcoat - the shiny black material applied to many parking lots and driveways - is contributing to PAH contamination in many of the nation's urban lakes. PAHs are an environmental concern because they are toxic to aquatic life and several are suspected carcinogens.

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