A recent study in Alberta discovered that many pesticides are common and widespread in the province’s surface water. 44 different types of pesticides were found in 65% of the samples located mostly in agricultural areas of the province (Water Matters, 2009). The large amount of pesticides found are believed to be responsible for sex changes in fish as many of these pollutants act as endocrine disruptors interfering with hormones. Since these endocrine disruptors are known to be harmful to fish, people have begun to wonder how they will be affected by these potential toxins.
The Participation Principle states that, “Environmental Issues are best handled with participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level. At the national level, each individual shall have appropriate access to information concerning the environment that is held by public authorities, including information on hazardous materials and activities in their communities, and the opportunity to participate in decision making processes.” (Rio Declaration 1992, as cited by Beder, 2006). Essentially, people have the right to know about potential dangers in their community and should be involved in processes to eliminate these threats. This information must be made accessible to them at all times, and if it is not the government should be held accountable.
There are many risks associated with Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDC) as the University of Calgary discovered. While the impacts that EDC’s have on humans are not well known, they are believed to be quite harmful. They include an increased risk of cancer, neurological impairment, developmental effects, reproductive effects, organ damage and hormone interference (Water Matters 2009). At this point in time, a maximum allowable concentration (MAC) is not known, so precautions must be taken. It is important for governments to act in a proactive manner providing maximum disclosure to their citizens through publications, promotion of open government, making sure that disclosure does not take precedence over other laws (Beder, 2006).
Most EDC’s are released through municipal wastewater in the form of laundry detergent or even prescription drug residue. If the wastewater is not properly treated, it emerges in many freshwater ecosystems harming the organisms who inhabit it. Since this is not from a single point, it makes it very difficult to pinpoint who the actual polluters are. The wastewater treatment plant obviously requires new infrastructure to reduce pollution, and this could be obtained by implementing an overall pollution tax. This idea would support the Polluter Pays Principle which believes that the person or company responsible for the pollution be the one to pay to rectify the damage. Unfortunately it would be difficult to support this principle in this situation as the pollution is not caused by a single point source but by entire cities.
Water pollution has become a very serious issue affecting large amounts of the world’s already scarce freshwater supplies. In todays large industrialized cities, people are able to literally dump large amounts of pollutants down their drains and are given safety in numbers as it would be quite impossible to track down who discarded what and where. Controlling how and where harmful substances are disposed is necessary in order to preserve water.
-Elisabeth Shapiro
Sources:
Beder, Sharon. Environmental Principles and Policies; An Interdisciplinary Introduction. Earthscan: London, 2006
Water Matters. What's in your water? Understanding Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. www.water-matters.org, 2009.
That was a very good overview of the many aspects of EDCs. I found it helpful that you included statistics, potential risks, and details on how EDCs are set free. I agree with the ideas presented in the Participation Principle. Since we are all affected by our surroundings, it is important to understand as much about them as possible and to participate in making our environments safe. I believe that to establish full participation by everyone would be impossible however, since people's priorities vary and some may not view such things as important. Providing information for all those who are concerned is crucial to making changes in water pollution. Because not everybody will necessarily willingly stop discarding pollutants in drains, it is up to those who find water preservation important to find ways to control what enters this important resource.
ReplyDeleteVery well written blog! The introduction caught my attention due to the statistics used which helped visualize the problem at hand. Your use of the Participation Principle ties in nicely with the problem occurring with Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. Toxins such as these found in Alberta need to be reported to the public in order to keep everyone safe. Good work!
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