Effects of Contamination

		Effects of Contamination		Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum Groundwater Contamination
	You are probably saying to yourself, "Why do I care if there was only 1ppm (1/1,000,000) of a particular contaminant? It seems like too small of a number to matter." With groundwater contaminants, both chemical and biological, a very small concentration of contaminant could still lead to serious health effects. Different kinds of contaminants have different concentration limits at which they start to effect us or the environment. In dealing with groundwater contamination problems, it is necessary to find out both the specific type of contaminant and the concentration of the contaminant. Below you can use the sliders to vary the concentration of different contaminants in the groundwater. Check out Mr. Blue's reactions to the contaminants. Mr. Blue reacts in the same way a healthy person would to these chemicals. A person who is not as healthy, such as an older person or a small child, might suffer the effects even more. As you use the animation try to answer this question: Which chemical needs to exist in the least concentration in the groundwater in order to avoid hurting someone? Alt | Win Glossary Terms TCE Toluene PCB

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Save Paramus Now, Paramus Wetlands

Letter sent o Mayor and Council

Dear Mayor and Councilmen,

As a concerned resident of Paramus, I would like to take steps to make members of our community aware of the great health/environmental hazard that is present in many of our backyards. The specific site that I am speaking of is located on Soldier Hill Rd adjacent to the Reid Park nature preserve.”

Initially, I was made aware of the site by the “Save Paramus Wetlands” signs that are prominent around town. Upon further evaluation and a walk through of the nature path I discovered that this site was not only wetlands, but also contaminated, and a hazard to all humans and wildlife. This site was obviously utilized as a landfill and had endured years of dumping, which is evident today. There are piles of concrete, glass and metals through out the site, readily visible to anyone walking through. Trails have been created from Reid Park into the contaminated area located immediately to the south, with a nature walk to the east. Dirt trails created by ATVs and motor bikes have been created over the years. Tree houses and makeshift tents have also been formed on the property.

Although there is much publicity regarding the wetland issue, no one has formally requested the contamination be cleaned. There does not appear to be any timeline to clean the site. The DEP has addressed the need to clean the site, based on presence of toxins. However, clean up issue has been moved to the back burner. It appears as though no one is truly concerned with the true issue at hand…our well being. “Save Paramus Wetlands” has become an agenda that has yet to resolve any environmental issues.

There is clear documentation pointing to the contamination provided by DEP, and a clear need to have the site cleaned. This issue should be as important as “Save Paramus Wetlands”. Finding from the DEP, indicate that the Musquapsink Brook flows through the site and through many of our backyards and into our drinking water via the Passaic Brook, eventually flowing into the Oradell Reservoir (all Category One Water ways).

I would respectfully request your assistance and the community’s assistance to join forces to clean the landfill immediately, to prevent further contamination. The same diligence and prompt response taken to clean the contamination at the East Brook School will be required to clean this site once and for all.

I will be seeking a prompt response to this letter on a blog posted to address this matter.

Saveparamusnow.com. Please advise if there is any thing that we may do as a community to reconcile this health hazard once and for all.

Respectfully yours,

Save Paramus Now, Paramus Wetlands

Get Informed Ground Water Contamination

Save Paramus Now, Paramus Wetlands

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Sources of Groundwater Contamination Groundwater contamination occurs when man-made products such as gasoline, oil, road salts and chemicals get into the groundwater and cause it to become unsafe and unfit for human use. Some of the major sources of these products, called contaminants, are storage tanks, septic systems, hazardous waste sites, landfills, and the widespread use of road salts and chemicals. Storage tanks may contain gasoline, oil, chemicals, or other types of liquids and they can either be above or below ground. There are estimated to be over 10 million storage tanks buried in the United States and over time the tanks can corrode, crack and develop leaks. If the contaminants leak out and get into the groundwater, serious contamination can occur. Septic systems can be another serious contamination source. Septic systems are for homes, offices or other buildings that are not connected to a city sewer system. Septic systems are designed to slowly drain away human waste underground at a slow, harmless rate. An improperly designed, located, constructed, or maintained septic system can leak bacteria, viruses, household chemicals, and other contaminants into the groundwater causing serious problems. In the United States today, there are thought to be over 20,000 known abandoned and uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and the numbers grow every year. Hazardous waste sites can lead to groundwater contamination if there are barrels or other containers laying around that are full of hazardous materials. If there is a leak, these contaminants can eventually make their way down through the soil and into the groundwater. Landfills are another major source of contamination. Landfills are the places that our garbage is taken to be buried. Landfills are supposed to have a protective bottom layer to prevent contaminants from getting into the water. However, if there is no layer or it is cracked, contaminants from the landfill (car battery acid, paint, household cleaners, etc.) can make their way down into the groundwater. The widespread use of road salts and chemicals is another source of potential groundwater contamination. Road salts are used in the wintertime to put melt ice on roads to keep cars from sliding around. When the ice melts, the salt gets washed off the roads and eventually ends up in the water. Chemicals include products used on lawns and farm fields to kill weeds and insects and to fertilize the plants. When the rain comes, these chemicals get washed into the ground and eventually into the water. We have to remember that since groundwater is part of the hydrologic cycle, contaminants in other parts of the cycle, such as the atmosphere or bodies of surface water, can eventually be transferred into our groundwater supplies. So now that you know the risks to groundwater, what can we do about it? Click here to meet and join a network of communities full of people who can help you and your community protect its groundwater.

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Contamination Concerns Fifty percent of the United States population depends on groundwater for daily drinking water. Groundwater is also one of our most important sources of irrigation water. Unfortunately, groundwater is susceptible to pollutants. Groundwater is generally a safe source of drinking water, however, there are concerns that contamination may increase as toxins dumped on the ground in the past make their way into groundwater supplies. Pollutants Can Seep into Groundwater Supplies Pollutants that contaminate groundwater may be some of the same pollutants that contaminate surface water. Compounds from the surface can move through the soil and end up in the groundwater. For example, pesticides and fertilizers can find their way into groundwater supplies over time. Road salt, toxic substances from mining sites, and used motor oil also may seep into groundwater. In addition, it is possible for untreated waste from septic tanks and toxic chemicals from underground storage tanks to contaminate groundwater. To read about other ways groundwater can become contaminated, click here. Dangers of Contaminated Groundwater Drinking contaminated groundwater can have serious health effects. Diseases such as hepatitis and dysentery may be caused by contamination from septic tank waste. Poisoning may be caused by toxins that have leached into well water supplies. Wildlife can also be harmed by contaminated groundwater. Other long term effects such as certain types of cancer may also result from exposure to polluted water. How Can You Help? To find out what you and your community can do to protect groundwater, join The Groundwater Foundation, become a Groundwater Guardian, participate in a Source Water Assessment and Protection Workshop, or complete a groundwater protection service project in your community.