Category: Public health
-
Oil and gas wastewater radioactivity persists in Pennsylvania stream sediments
Photo: Treated oil and gas wastewater flows into a stream in western Pennsylvania. A new Duke study finds stream sediments at disposal sites such as this one have levels of radioactivity that are 650 times higher than at unaffected upstream sites. Credit: Avner Vengosh, Duke University The contamination is coming from the disposal of conventional,…
-
Radium contamination in water most widespread in Texas, environmental group says
More than half of Americans could be drinking tap water tainted with a radioactive element. A new report from the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG) finds more than 170 million people are exposed to radium in their drinking water. That could increase the risk of cancer. When Dennis Taylor moved with his wife and two…
-
Michigan sets limit for chemical contaminants in water
Photo: Katy Batdorff / Special to Detroit News Lansing — Amid growing concern over chemical contaminants in the state’s drinking water, Gov. Rick Snyder’s office on Tuesday adopted a threshold for when regulators can act against polluters. The new rule will require state remediation if residential or commercial drinking water is found to have per-…
-
170 Million Americans Drink Radioactive Tap Water
Drinking water for more than 170 million Americans in all 50 states contains radioactive elements that may increase the risk of cancer, according to an Environmental Working Group (EWG) investigation released Thursday. Radiation in tap water is a serious health threat, especially during pregnancy, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s legal limits for the most…
-
San Joaquin Valley’s contaminated water is like “third world country”
If we truly want California to shine as an example of progressive leadership, then we cannot allow people living in the Valley to be treated like second-class citizens, without access to clean drinking water. These families deserve clean water that is safe to use and safe to drink. I recently went to the San Joaquin…
