Category: Public health
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Swimming Microbots Kill Waterborne Pathogens
Swimming microbots purify water by capturing and killing bacteria, before being removed with magnets. Image: American Chemical Society One of the most serious health risks for people around the world is inadequate access to clean water. Waterborne diseases have devastating impacts on public health—for example, E. coli bacteria cause an estimated 265,000 infections each year…
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Dry cleaners’ solvents taint Martinsville’s water
The dry cleaning industry’s use of environmentally hazardous solvents is declining, but the legacy of “perc” is an expensive one that will haunt cities such as Martinsville for decades. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently proposed placing the Morgan County seat on its Superfund priority list, citing groundwater contamination traced to several former dry cleaning…
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Factory Farms and Superstorms Don’t Mix
Hurricane impacts in coastal areas are generally from high winds and dangerous storm surge. In inland areas, flooding from heavy rain poses a bigger threat, and the devastating flooding that hit the Houston area from Hurricane Harvey’s 51 inches of rain is proof. It’s been reported that floodwater in some parts of the Houston area…
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How is tap water treated? What causes a boil-water advisory?
We take our tap water for granted until we’re told we can’t drink it. (Photo: Latte Art/Shutterstock) In the wake of hurricanes and resulting power outages, many times people are told their tap water is non-drinkable. Water providers often issue a “boil-water advisory” because a treatment facility was affected during a storm. Residents are typically…
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Escaping one of the nation’s worst environmental disaster zones
EAST CHICAGO, Ind. — In May, Demetra Turner holds a letter telling her to vacate her home in the West Calumet Housing Complex in East Chicago, Ind. With her is her son, Jeremiah Kinley. (Joshua Lott/for The Washington Post) The smell of burning bacon stirred Demetra Turner from her makeshift bed on the floor, a…
