Wading in Waste
By: Michael A. Mallin
http://ogoapes.weebly.com/uploads/3/2/3/9/3239894/wading_in_waste.pdf
http://ogoapes.weebly.com/uploads/3/2/3/9/3239894/wading_in_waste.pdf
- In recent years, millions of Americans have moved to coastal areas, particularly in the Southeast, to take advantage of their balmy climate, recreational opportunities and natural beauty
- Unfortunately, rapid and poorly planned development is spoiling this beauty in a shocking way: a growing number of beaches and shellfish beds along the coast have been contaminated by disease-causing microorganisms coming from animal and human wastes
- According to a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, in 2004 coastal states ordered 19,950 days of closures and pollution advisories affecting 1,234 ocean and freshwater beaches, or about one third of all the beaches regularly monitored by health officials
- Moving downstream with animal feces in storm water runoff or with human waste in sewage overflows and septic-tank leaks, the waterborne microbes can cause liver disease, respiratory infections and potentially fatal gastrointestinal disorders
- Such illnesses are common in Third World countries with poor sanitation, but in the U.S. the problem stems from unwise growth, not poverty
- “Smart growth” strategies can restore polluted coastlines and provide economic benefits as well
- In its 2004 Coastal Trends Report, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration noted that 153 million Americans—or 53 percent of the country’s population
-lived in the counties bordering the seacoasts and the Great Lakes, which make up only 17 percent of the continental U.S. land area - The reason for 85 percent of beach closures and advisories is the detection of excessive fecal bacteria
- Large areas that used to be forests or farmland are being turned into resorts, residential subdivisions, strip malls, restaurants, office complexes and industrial parks
- Construction companies are draining wetlands and covering formerly vegetated soils with asphalt, concrete and housing materials
- When it rains, the water flows over these surfaces, picking up animal feces and other pollutants and washing them into drainage ditches or storm drains, many of which lead directly to urban lakes, coastal creeks or beach areas
- Whereas sewage treatment plants remove harmful bacteria and other contaminants from their effluent, storm water runoff is usually untreated
- The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that this type of pollution is the leading remaining cause of water-quality problems in the U.S
- Storm water runoff carries fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metals and petrochemicals, but it is the disease-causing microbes the bacteria, viruses and protozoa derived from feces that pose
the principal threat to human health - In vegetated areas, rainwater and runoff trickle through the soil, which cleanses the water of fecal bacteria and viruses, as well as many other pollutants
- Impervious surfaces accumulate pollutants during dry periods and funnel high concentrations of the contaminants downstream when it rains
- The problem is particularly worrisome along the coast because the microbes pollute shellfish beds and areas used for recreation
- To protect shellfish consumers, state agencies are required to post signs in polluted shellfish beds notifying the public that harvesting clams, mussels or oysters there is illegal
- Microbial pollution also poses a serious danger to people involved in common recreational activities such as swimming, surfing, wading, diving, snorkeling, waterskiing and boating
- Some of the illnesses caused by water contact include gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis (eye infections), cellulitis (skin irritations such as swimmer’s itch), ear infections, respiratory infections and more serious diseases such as hepatitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves that can induce paralysis
- In recent years, several of these microbes have triggered severe disease outbreaks in the U.S. and Canada
- Health officials measure the concentrations of various indicator bacteria to assess the danger from waterborne pathogens, especially along beaches
- The microbes survive for extended periods in the sediments because they are protected from
ultraviolet radiation and have ready access to nutrients - Poorly designed sanitation systems in coastal regions can also contribute to microbial pollution
- Preserving wetlands is an effective way to guard downstream waters from microbial pollution
- To protect America’s coastal waters, developers and builders clearly need to move away from their current destructive practices including clear-cutting, wetlands drainage and extensive use of pavement and switch to smart-growth strategies
- Developers should take advantage of new technologies that can reduce the amount of storm water runoff and even treat it on-site
- America’s coasts can be a wonderful destination, both for vacation travel and for relocating homes and businesses
- We must ensure that unchecked development does not ruin the very qualities that brought people to the coast in the first place
Although many Americans are traveling to coastal areas to enjoy the balmy climate and take a chance on recreational opportunities and the natural beauty, a growing number of beaches and shellfish beds along the coast have been contaminated by disease-causing microorganisms coming from animal and human wastes. In the report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, in 2004 coastal states ordered 19,950 days of closures and pollution advisories affecting 1,234 ocean and freshwater beaches, or about one third of all the beaches regularly monitored by health officials. This explains the reason why 85 percent of beach closures and advisories is the detection of excessive fecal bacteria. Another problem is that large areas that used to be forests or farmland are being turned into resorts, residential subdivisions, strip malls, restaurants, office complexes and industrial parks. All of this is due to the construction companies and they are stripping away many beneficial wetlands which would've cleanse the water of fecal bacteria or viruses and other pollutants. Instead, with all these creations of impervious surfaces, they funnel high concentrations of contamination. When it rains, the water flows over these surfaces, picking up animal feces and other pollutants and washing them into drainage ditches or storm drains, many of which lead directly to urban lakes, coastal creeks or beach areas. The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that this type of pollution is the leading remaining cause of water-quality problems in the U.S. Storm water runoff carries fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metals and petrochemicals, but it is the disease-causing microbes the bacteria, viruses and protozoa derived from feces that pose the principal threat to human health. Microbial pollution also poses a serious danger to people involved in common recreational activities such as swimming, surfing, wading, diving, snorkeling, waterskiing and boating. Some of the illnesses caused by water contact include gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis (eye infections), cellulitis (skin irritations such as swimmer’s itch), ear infections, respiratory infections and more serious diseases such as hepatitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves that can induce paralysis. Some solutions to avoid this is preserving wetlands to guard against downstream waters that have microbial pollution and construction activities such as clear-cutting and pavement should be switched over to smart-growth strategies. By taking advantage of new technologies that can reduce the amount of storm water runoff and even treat it on-site can still bring the best experiences in America's coasts.
The oceans are such a beautiful and mind-relaxing place to be. Its like a treasure that is valuable and too easily destroyed. Why? It is because of our unwise actions that led to the demise of our very own environment that once flourished with endless beauty. Removing wetlands was totally a stupid mistake and a costly one as well. Wetlands are useful because they act like a sponge to reduce the amount of storm water and runoffs. Not only that, they cleanse the nasty pollutants such the one we don't want, fecal bacteria and microbes. The deaths that have been as a result of this was too great which could've been avoided and I can see how humans are guilty and should be ashamed for what they did. Other places have this problem because of poverty and here we have this right under our noses because were not careful and wise enough. Yet, we are people who have the power to implement better alternatives and use methods that don't even make any sense. Its so disappointing.