How often do you get sick? Get a cold, feel nausea or headaches? Do you know these are some of the symptoms that signals you have exposed to an unwanted chemical? Do you notice that your child or the younger generation is overly active when they are not supposed to be? Or aggressive towards very small issues?
The simple answer is, all products in the market are not safe in terms of health impacts.
Back in time, while I was lecturing around on lead-contaminated paint and hazardous pesticides in Sri Lanka, people often asked me “why should we select products, why can’t they make available only good products??” true… But, will it ever be a reality? KEEP READING “Selecting safer products”
It was a fine Saturday morning. I wanted to go for a ride in my new car which I got as a present for my good work, at the college. I had asked a few of my friends to come with me, but they said that they couldn’t. Only David agreed to come with me.
Have you ever thought of “what you should talk”? Probably “no”. Because we don’t have to bother from years, what to say or talk in the next moment or with the next person we meet.
Whenever a child shows a disability in learning, a violent behavior, paying no heed, a parent or a teacher would punish him, seldom someone would try to find the reason. Well, people who did has found that the heavy metal “Lead” is one of the culprits behind violent and anti-social behavior in children. KEEP READING “Choose Lead Free Paint and Lead Free Toys for the safety of your family”
The upcoming week (22-28th October 2017) is dedicated to preventing lead poisoning. To be aware and stay away from all sources of lead and tell your neighbor too… KEEP READING “”
I was once told by a wise man, that for education and knowledge to be worthwhile, you must also learn how to use it to get an income. He himself was a geologist and as his job, he sold expensive minerals, rocks, and articles made out of them. I think he also had a unique collection of rare minerals and precious stones. Now, why do I want to tell this??? Is because nowadays I agree with him. 😀 for knowledge simply doesn’t feed you and some cannot even have a glass of water without money. If someone says that “I can live without earning a single Penney”, it’s because someone has already paid the bill for him. So, how can we actually convert our education to our income??? KEEP READING “Education and Income”
We have often seen the beauty of life at the sea bed. Corals, colorful and diverse schools of fish, crabs, turtles and all those that make it heavenly beautiful. Yet, how many of us can really reach there? Swim, dive or snorkel to witness it with our own eyes? KEEP READING “The beach is alive!”
Have you ever tried to see the world in a different angle?
Well… some animals are born with it. Seriously… there are some unique creatures that are designed by nature, to watch the sight inversely. KEEP READING ““My world is upside down””
Bindu is a resident of an urban housing scheme. His mother is a pre-school teacher and father is a painter. Little Bindu used to go with his father to his working places. He would watch his father painting houses, sometime help him by washing paint brushes or mixing paints. Until his mother returns from school, Bindu spends his time with his father.
Once, Bindu started his pre-school education, although he was unable to go for work with his father, he was inseparable from his father’s lap when they both are at home.
Time passed by and Bindu started schooling. He spends most of his time alone. He didn’t like the company of friends very much. To be worst, he gets mad at even very small incidents and ends up hurting other children. He never paid much attention to teachers or lessons, he listened, just for the sake of having ears. He hated examinations. Never scored well in any subject. His presence in the school was very low. One day, his teacher asked about this from his mother.
“He often suffer from stomachaches teacher” replied his mother.
“I think you better consult a Pediatrician. This stomachache may not be only because of something he eats”. Although Bindu’s teacher pointed this out, Bindu’s mother didn’t find a time to meet a pediatrician.
One day, Bindu’s teacher discussed with her friend on Bindu’s awful behavior.
“I attended a lecturer recently, it was organized by an organization called Center for Environmental Justice, which work on Lead poisoning. They explained that when the heavy metal called lead gets contaminated in a child’s blood it can show up symptoms like developmental delay, learning difficulties, irritability, loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, vomiting, constipation and hearing loss. But they also said that to be certain it is due to lead poisoning, it is essential to carry a blood test. I think best thing is to get a blood lead level test done for this child”
Later someday, Bindu’s teacher went along with his mother and him to get a blood test done and then took the report to consult a doctor at “The National Poisons Information Centre”. Bindu’s teacher explained the doctor about behavior of Bindu and the blood test. The doctor then reviewed the blood report, checked Bindu and started speaking with the teacher and Bindu’s mother.
“You have done a very wise thing by coming here. Most of the times when someone observes this kind of behavior in a child, they just ignore thinking it’s normal for a child. But, in this case this child does have a lead poisoning”
“What is that doctor?”
“This child’s blood is contaminated with the heavy metal called lead. That’s the reason for most of his behaviors. Mainly weakness in learning. Actually, this child has a weak hearing and this is one of the effects of lead poisoning ”
“Can my child be cured doctor” asked Bindu’s mother crying.
“Yes. The lead content in Bindu’s blood is still very low. Only 15 micrograms per deciliter which means 15 micrograms per one tenth of a blood liter. Actually, it is not healthy to have any amount of lead in blood. Anyway….for the problem in hearing, you will have to consult an ENT doctor. He will probably recommend a hearing aid. Because the damage on nerves cannot be reversed. Also, we can control the toxicity in blood with certain kinds of foods”
“What kinds of food doctor?” Bindu’s mother asked curiously.
“Food that have less amounts of fat and rich in protein, calcium and vitamin C. like cereals such as Mung, chick peas, black eyed beans, dhal, peanuts and so on. Also spinach, milk, yogurt, curd, cheese, green vegetables and fruits. Because when there is lead in blood, if there is a lack of nutrients like iron, calcium and zinc, our body absorbs lead instead of these nutrients. It is also important to keep Bindu away from all possible sources of lead contamination”
“How did he get contaminated doctor?”
“Hmm… take a look at that poster. It clearly shows how anyone can get contaminated with lead. Main source being the lead contaminated paints applied in houses”
“Paint?”
“Yes, why?”
“Bindu’s father is a building painter doctor. Ever since Bindu started to walk, he used to go with his father to assist in painting..” Bindu’s mother replied with tears.
“Is that so? So then Bindu could probably have got contaminated through paint. Lead could be contaminated in some enamel or lacquer that dissolve in thinner or turpentine, floor pints and anti-corrosive paints. Emulsion or paints dissolved in water are now safe except for those applied on walls before 1978s. Of course he must have got contacted with these while helping his father in panting.”
“So how can we identify the paint without harmful levels of lead?”
“Most of the times we can trust the standard certificates… sometimes the producer himself gives the certification, but they cannot be trusted always. Also you must be careful when buying yellow, green, red and orange colour enamel, lacquer or floor paints that doesn’t’ have a standard certificate. Today, you can find lead safe paints in any colour even for cheap prices. It’s just because we don’t know these things, we don’t bother to look for.”
“So then doctor, how did his lead got in to Bindu? Is it through his skin?” asked Bindu’s teacher.
“Not only through that. The paint we apply tend to decay with time and starts to peel off or when we deliberately scrape off old paint to apply the new coat, the lead contaminated in paints gets in to the dust and soil. Most of the times children plays on the floor getting dust on their bodies and hands..”
“Then when they put those hands in mouth, lead can get in to their stomach with the dust”
“Exactly.. you understood it well teacher. Also it is a habit of children to put anything on their hand in mouth. In a way that’s how they identify things at younger age. So, if those items or toys contain lead paint in them, these paint chips gets in to them when they chew it. In a child, almost fifty percent of lead in their food, absorbed into blood.. in an adult this amount is only ten percent.”
“I remind of it doctor, when he was small, Bindu used to crawl to wall to peel off loosened paint with his fingers and often eat those paint chips unless we are around. I have washed his mouth several times when I saw him doing this.”
“Hmm. Yes, researchers say that children likes this taste. There are children who has got addicted to eat paint chips. On another hand if Bindu’s father returns home with his working suit, this can bring lead in paints to household environment and then when Bindu cuddles with his father, Bindu can easily get contaminated.”
“No doctor, Bindu’s father wears a different suit for work. After working, he takes a bath and change the suit before he comes home. He even washes his working suit separately.”
“Now, that’s a very good thing.”
“Then doctor, has even Bindu’s father got contaminated with this toxic?”
“Possible. But have to prove with a blood test like this. Also, those who paint cars or gates, welders, workers of metal factories and lead battery factories, gold extractors, workers who demolish buildings, have a higher risk of lead contamination. Usually, when an adult gets contaminated with lead, they show symptoms like high blood pressure, joint and muscle pain, difficulties with memory or concentration, headache, abdominal pain and mood disorders. But often these can be result of another toxic or toxics. So, they have to be proved with a blood test to confirm its because of lead”
“Does this toxic affect on having a child too?”
“Yes. If a man is contaminated with lead, his sperm count can be less and abnormal. Also it can result miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth in a pregnant women.”
“Then why is there a plate in this poster doctor?”
“The paint applied on plates and cups can be contaminated with lead. Therefore we have to be careful when selecting plates and cups for everyday use. At least that doesn’t have paint in the part that we eat on and put in our mouth. Better alternatives are plain white, glass or stainless steel tableware”
“Do even jewelry contain lead?”
“Hmm… this poster shows the artificial metallic and painted jewelry. Now-a-days many wear these, specially to escape from thieves. But, when we are with a child, better be careful. Because children tend to bite these. Also when they get contacted with the skin over a long period, even adults can get contaminated”
“Why is there a salmon tin in this poster?”
“There are tins that are welded with lead. These are often used in packing paint not salmon or foods though. One of the reasons how paint gets lead. Worst part is, children then use these empty paint tins as toys”
“Even my husband welds small parts with lead at home” said Bindu’s teacher.
“It can be hazardous, unless you do it with a face mask on and in a place well ventilated. But now a days there are conductive glues and other alloys to be used for welding instead of lead”
“Then doctor, if we apply paint on these welded metals? Can it prevent lead contamination?”
“Actually the thing is, even these paints that we call, anti-corrosive, can contain lead. Specially the red colour”
“We always use those paint on window grills of our pre-school. I have often seen children hanging in these to look outside for their parents. Habitually, children bite the grill while hanging”
“That’s the way of children. Best thing would be to apply white anti-corrosive”
“These days almost every pencil comes with red, yellow, green or black paint…. and children use to put these pencils in mouth” said Bindu’s teacher.
“Even in my pre-school we had the same problem. But then I told them pencil chips may generate worms in their stomach. Ever after, they rarely show that habit”
“That’s a great idea!”
“Then doctor, what are the other things that can cause lead contamination in children?” Bindu’s teacher asked enthusiastically.
“Anything that has lead contaminated paint on it, for example school bags, pencil boxes, slippers, shoes, also those swings, seesaws in pre-schools and children’s play grounds can be sources of lead exposure”
“I will find lead free paint next time to apply in the pre-school”
“That’s good. First look for the standard certification which confirms whether its lead safe. I said the word ‘safe’ because we can only expect it under a certain limit. But not without it at all.. the world has now accepted the limit below 90 ppm or 90 miligrams per one kilo of paint.
“But, how do we recognize?”
“Well, first thing would be to look for the standard. next, there are some self labels that manufactures has put on their own. But, these are not always trustworthy. In the absence of both, better stay away from red, green, yellow and orange colour oil based paints. It would better to wear hand gloves and face mask in applying paints. At least a long sleeved shirt and trouser . You must also keep in mind that it is vital not to scrape off the old paint when you apply the new paint. Because these paint chips and dust can be mixed up in dust and cobwebs in the house or sand in the garden. Best thing is to wash off the peeled paint if you find it affecting the new paint coat. As for the garden, best would be to grow grass to prevent exposure.”
“What about the lead in house dust?”
“That’s a good question. Not only from paint, the house dust can get contaminated with lead from several sources. If you have a lead battery factory or a vehicle painting workshop near the house or if there’s a worker of any of these places or work places I mentioned earlier, the household dust can get lead. You must make sure to clean the house often. At least once a week. Floor, window frames, window seals, door frames, children’s toys and cots should be wiped and cleaned with water. Those wipes then have to cleaned properly and shall not be used for another purpose. Special attention must be given to places where dust accumulates more. Such as corners of the house and underneath the furniture”
“Now only I realize the depth of this matter. In my pre-school, it’s always mothers who come to help in painting furniture and toys of children. Next time, I will make sure all this are followed”
“Now since you mentioned, even toys have to be taken care of.. if it’s a developed country, we would trust the paint in it. They also take a special care for lead and other chemical safety in what they call ‘secondary toys’, like key tags, children’s clothes with painted arts that are not toys but what children play with. But whatever produced locally can have lead contaminated paints. So, best thing would be to get plain wooden toys and paint it with a lead safe paint. Or else you can order from the manufacturer with the condition that they have to apply lead safe paint. As alternatives, you can use stuffed toys or toys made of hard boards, chip boards or so”
“Then doctor how about pastel chalk and play clay?”
“There are no researches to prove this exactly. But do you know, you can make clay at home with corn starch, baking soda and food coloring? Also, we can always use natural clay instead”
“Yes doctor, what else we had in our time. I remember me and my mother collecting clay from our paddy field to make sculptures at school”
“True..”
“Why does this poster have lipstick?”
Doctor smiled.. “Unfortunately, researchers have found lead in some lipsticks, nail paint or cutex, perfumes and whitening or fairness creams. Specially in lipsticks and nail paints of colors like dark red and brown, shiny products. It seems like applying lip balm is safer than applying lipsticks. Some girls even make lip balms at home. Also there are lipsticks made of natural ingredients. Anyhow, a pregnant women better stay away from these cosmetics. Also children, I have seen parents applying make-up on children too”
“In that case, even we would have to get our blood tested” Bindu’s teacher said worriedly.
“We do like beauty. But in reality, almost all the lipstick we apply ends up in the stomach”
“True doctor, even nail paints, we don’t even notice when it fades off. It may not only be eaten with food but also mixed up when we cook..”
“That reminds me, how many of us take bread or rotee wrapped in news papers and later eat the bread with the news… even this is lead”
“That means do even news paper ink contain lead?”
“Highly possible. Because in Sri Lanka, we don’t have a regulation to control the lead limit in printing ink. Therefore, we must keep in mind to wrap food in print less papers, whenever we have to. Some even use news papers to put fried food. Even for this, we better use papers without a print. To carry food, best would be to bring them in a box”
“Are even water bottles hazardous doctor?”
“It’s not lead that you need to be cautious when selecting a water bottle. It’s the type of plastic. For everyday use, you better use a bottle of plastic number 5 or above. It’s not safe to use PET bottles or those we get soft drinks in or water in the market. After the first use, the chemicals in these bottles tend to melt into the liquid we put in lately. Regarding lead, since there are no pictures in the part contact with water or mouth, there is no big hazard”
“But some children always scratch these stickers when ever their hands are free”
“That’s true and that’s why we must wash their hands well whenever we give them something to eat. Also have to keep their nails short. That’s a good habit not only to stay safe from lead but also from other germs as well”
“Thank you very much for all this information doctor”
“That’s my job and the duty. It’s not only lead. There are other chemicals as well, that we need to stay cautious. Do come in another day with your friends to learn about them too. Just make sure to consult an ENT doctor for Bindu. Also do feed him meals rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C. take special measures to keep him away from all possible lead sources. Don’t forget, lead poisoning is completely preventable”
Going through old newspapers gives a pleasure of sinking yourself in the news of old times. It is a surprise sometimes to see that the old time discoveries have not brought the change where necessary.
In October 2009, a reporter quotes a statement from Former Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka on using sugar cane to produce ethanol and electricity. Citing the use of ethanol in powering vehicles in Brazil he had drawn the need of research to be done on finding the ability of sugar canes in producing ethanol. Also on using the dry pulpy residue left over in sugar production to generate electricity.
Later in 2010, Dr. P.G. Rthnasri, of the Department of Chemical and process Engineering, University of Moratuwa has announced the successful results in testing bio-methane
as a fuel on three-wheelers, made out of bio-degradable resources. It was said that they used the waste generated in students’ canteens and water hyacinth from Bolgoda Lake to form the gas which was then purified to remove CO2 and then stored the compressed gas. However, a similar system is now being used in household cooking purpose.
May 2010, Dr. Sandya Gunawardena, of the Department of Chemical and process Engineering, University of Moratuwa has announced the successful completion of the study on using bio-diesel produced from rubber seed oil by using a three wheeler on test drive. It was said that this oil can be used in any diesel engine to a proportion. Furthermore, the research team have tested using waste cooking oil into bio-diesel which was a pilot project by that time.
In March 2010, it was a full page advertisement, the discovery of petrol made out of waste plastic and polythene by Mr. Ananda Withanage.
It was the plan at that time to provide 43 000 three wheelers with petrol made out of polythene and plastic to run 150 km per day. May be, it would have been the emissions that stopped the implementation of this project.
However, it all definitely brings the question on “why the alternative bio-fuel is not in use?”, which is a topic that worth bringing back on stage….
Are you aware that food can be a source of toxic chemicals?
With the current trend of using and emitting toxic chemicals, we can never be certain that our food is completely free of any pollutant. From the very beginning, farmers apply weedicides to the fields, then grow vegetables, fruits, rice, nuts and crops of all kinds. Followed by series of pesticides. Then after harvesting, more chemicals are added for conservation. Then in processing, more and more chemicals are added to give color, enhance the taste and texture, to smell better, and many more qualities that make us greedy to eat them. All these chemicals end up in our stomach.
To make things worse, all those toxic chemicals emitted to atmosphere are directly absorbed by plants or they then contaminate water or soil through rain and are absorbed by roots with water. All those chemicals that are released to water bodies, are either consumed with water itself or after they have been absorbed by trees. Those chemicals released to soil directly, once again are consumed with water or food. All these in addition to inhalation or absorption through skin…
Forget the world, let’s think of our own house. This may not be the situation for all, but majority of Sri Lankans living in Sri Lanka. Yes it is and I know it for sure. People who grow crops in economic scale, definitely use weedicides and pest controls, then they throw the bottles often in open space like under a banana tree, at the field itself or at the river/ canal bank. These are then washed off either to the water, soil or both.
Cockroach sprays are applied into the sink at the night and put cups and other cooking ware to that same sink in the morning. Use the spray bottle while cooking and store them in the kitchen itself for easy access. Won’t this end up in our stomach or on our skin???
Often food poisoning occurs due to pathogenic microorganisms in food. One famous case is the Clostridium botulinum poisoning through canned food. According to WebMD, there are about 250 types of diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms such as bacteria and virus [5]. Through meat, eggs, fish, vegetables, processed food, water and unpasteurized milk contaminated with these pathogens. Also through infected people and animals.
What these toxic chemicals and pathogens can do to us?
One may say, “well, even though we are exposed to all these chemicals aren’t we livings safely..” well, may be for you.. but for the rest of the world it is not so. It says that 7.6 million people die from cancer worldwide every year. Amongst, 4 million people are aged between 30 to 69 years [1]. In 2013, more than 47,000 Americans died from kidney disease [2]. Some 10% of the population worldwide is affected by chronic kidney disease (CKD), and millions die each year because they do not have access to affordable treatment [2]. About Mercury poisoning, well, Minamata incident sets the most famous example in methyl mercury poisoning through fish. Yet, to be certain if necessary, “Over the limit”, a report on mercury contamination through fish further proves on methyl mercury contamination, by indicating 22 out of 24 contamination cases among heavy fish consumers in United States [3]. The numbers may vary, but the facts remain the same.
A very interesting report says that according to the World Health Organization, “At least 600 million people, or 1 in 10 worldwide, fall ill from contaminated food each year and 420,000 die, many of them are young children”. Furthermore, according to United Nations Agency, “Food-borne diseases – caused by bacteria such as salmonella, viruses, parasites, toxins and chemicals, mostly cause temporary symptoms such as nausea, diarrhoea and vomiting. But they can also cause longer-term illnesses including cancer, kidney or liver failure, brain disorders, epilepsy and arthritis” [4].
Oops..
Well, I guess little awareness can save us from things being worst. Also there are natural ingredients that can be used in our day-to-day life to reduce the effect of toxic chemicals. They include herbal teas, natural food additives, herbal drinks (“Kanda”), leafy vegetables, etc.
Contaminants in food
Let’s hold a shield to the sword. No matter how contaminated your food is, you still need to consume some food for a living. So, the first thing would be to know what kind of contaminants can be served in your plate.
Pesticide, weedicide, insecticide residues
Food additives such as Monosodium glutamate (Ajinomoto)
Heavy metals such as Mercury, POPs, Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium,.. etc.
Micro pathogens such as Listeria, Salmonella, Clostridium botulinum,…etc
Other chemicals such as carbide
In order to prevent this becoming a longer article to read, I will add details on each of these contaminants separately. But, as for the measures to prevent contamination, given below are some very basic steps that would prevent you from ingesting all these harmful chemicals.
What can we do?
Wash your vegetables thoroughly with flowing water before preparation.
Avoid eating the peels of vegetables and fruits whenever possible.
Allow veggies and fruits to be in the open air for sometime before you store them in the refrigerator. This can help to get rid of volatile pesticide residues in them.
Try gardening.. at least leafy vegetables can be supplied from your own garden.
Avoid eating fish and meat raw. Cook them properly before consumption.
Avoid fatty parts of meat and fish, like the skin.
Avoid eating the gut, gills and heads of fish. Because the adipose tissues in the head and other parts involved in food consumption stores most of the fat-soluble pollutants as well as heavy metals.
Always check for the expiry date when buying.
In order to avoid bad E-numbers/ food additives, go for the label. In some countries, they mention in the label that “these additives can cause adverse effects on children”.
When buying pre-cooked or canned food, make sure the can is not damaged or rusted, as damages in aluminum cans can contaminate the food. Also once opened do not store or refrigerate them in the can itself. If you get a foul smell or see milky liquids in food, throw them away without even tasting!
Always store cooked food in the refrigerator, better within 2 hours of cooking. When consuming leftover foods or pre-cooked food, heat until they are steaming hot.
I just wonder how many of these you’ll actually remember after closing this page. The list is even longer! Yet, I made it short. So that anyone can digest as much as possible in order to stay away from “bad guys”.
These are tiny granules (1 mm to 0.1 µm) that vary in shape, density, chemical composition, formation and function. [1]
They are found in;
Scrubs
Toothpastes
Shower gels
Cleansers
Cleaning products
Printer toners
Plastic blasting
Anti-slip applications
Anti-block applications
Medical applications
Industrial applications such as;
Oil and gas exploration
Textile printing
Automotive molding
Microbeads or microplastics?
“Microplastics” are plastic matter found in water and soil, that are less than 5 mm in size. This may take different shapes [2]. This includes microbeads. In other words all those plastics and polythene dumped in to the sea and oceans that undergoes weathering and tattering eventually become microplastics. Yet, microbeads are anthropogenic. They are man-made and released to the environment as micro particles.
This article will focus on microbeads.
Why is it considered a pollutant?
As of any pollutant in water even these tiny plastic pieces contaminates the environment. Most of these products are washed down the sink. These then flows through drainage systems and ends up in water bodies like lakes, rivers and the ocean.
In water bodies they separate into layers according to the density. Light weighted or low density microbeads/ microfibers float on the surface where as high density ones mix with sediments and the rest, in the middle of the water body according to their weight.
These particles are mainly non-degradable. As of any plastic, it retains in the environment for a long long time. What’s worse is that they even adsorb other chemical pollutants into their tiny bodies. Like Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), that are already present in water. So, may it be a human, fish, bird or any animal that ingest these tiny particles ingest another bunch of chemicals too [1].
Human ingestion
A study by Tanaka and Takada on “Microplastic fragments and microbeads in digestive tracts of planktivorous fish from urban coastal waters” proves that these beads, fibers and even plastic fragments can be accumulated in fish. The fish they have used in this study is, Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus), a fish that feeds and hangs around in surface and subsurface levels of the oceans. The results says that 77% of the samples contained plastics. Out of that 7.3% were microbeads and 5.3% were filaments. The rest composed of other plastics such as polythene and foams [3].
Another study on Blue fin tuna (Sinhala: Balaya) shows that gut content had particles of microplastics that came from its pray, myctophid fish [4]. On the same phenomenon, any predative fish can be contaminated with microbeads.
What would your chance of eating one of these fish be?
Anyhow, no research was found on direct connection between microbeads ingestion and ingestion of other chemical pollutants adsorbed into these microbeads, which is highly possible.
This also reveals the fact that microbeads are present in ocean waters. Which means even your salt can contain these particles!!!! How about keeping a microscope in the kitchen???
Sea food fried rice, sea food pizza, pasta, spegeti, noodles, almost anything made out of seafood are delicacies among many people. Prawns, squids, octopuses can easily get these particles ingested through their pray animals. Bivalves such as oysters, clams, mussels, .. etc are filter feeders that filters the water to obtain their meal. Thus they can easily ingest and accumulate Microbeads in their gut.
How to prevent?
Well, it’s easy. Cut the source..stop using these ex-foliating items such as Scrubs, Shower gels, Cleansers.., etc. That will cut a greater portion of the contamination. How much you may ask,
According to; Napper and Thompson [5] microbeads incorporated in personal care products as ex-foliants varied somewhere around 137,000 to 2,800,000 per 150ml bottle. It is also reported that some products that are used on a daily basis could release about 94,500 microbead particles per application, to household waste water [5].
Even if we stop dumping microbeads to water bodies today, microbeads already in the water and sediments of rivers, lakes, seas and oceans today, will remain there for another 100 years or so.
How can you identify whether your product contains microbeads?
I found one in a facial scrub..
All the beads in products are NOTmicrobeads. There are other degradable chemicals too. To identify correctly, read the “Ingredients” section and look for names; polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polymethlyl methacrylate (PMMA) or nylon [6].
It’s simple and also allows you to be a contributor towards a healthy environment, until laws are set and implemented.
It is essential to take measures to bring up rules and regulations to reduce and eventually ban microbeads in products.
In addition, the efficiency of water purification systems should be enhanced to remove microbeads and microfibers from household water supply systems.
Tanaka, K., Takada, H., Microplastic fragments and microbeads in digestive tracts of planktivorous fish from urban coastal waters, Scientific Reports, 2016; doi:10.1038/srep34351. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5043373/ (Accessed January 2017).
Young, J.W., Lamb, T.D. Le D, Bradford, R.W., Whitelaw, A.W., Feeding ecology and interannual variations in diet of southern bluefin tuna, Thunnus maccoyii, in relation to coastal and oceanic waters off eastern Tasmania, Australia. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 1997, 50: 275–291.
Napper, I. E. Thompson, R. C., Characterisation, Quantity and Sorptive Properties of Microplastics Extracted From Cosmetics. Marine Pollution Bulletin (in press), 2015.
Reisser, J., Shaw, J., Wilcox, C., Hardesty, B.D., Proietti, M., Thums, M., et al., Marine Plastic Pollution in Waters around Australia: Characteristics, Concentrations, and Pathways, PLoS ONE, 2013 8(11): e80466. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0080466. http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0080466 (Accessed January 2017).
Katsnelson, A., Microplastics present pollution puzzle, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 5547–5549, doi: 10.1073/pnas.1504135112. http://www.pnas.org/content/112/18/5547.full (Accessed January 2017).
This is a really simple incident that cause a devastating result. All those toxic chemicals emitted to atmosphere are then pours back to earth with rain, contaminates water bodies and soil. Those that are absorbed into soil, may it be through rain or direct spray to earth such as pesticides, are then seep in to ground water and comes back to us through wells.
Water can get contaminated with microorganisms, biotoxins, heavy metals and other toxic chemicals.
In addition to water contamination due to anthropogenic chemicals, Climate change is another driver behind water contamination and thereby, waterborne diseases. Intensive rain as well as intensive droughts resulted by climate change, cause increase and spread of various pathogenic bacteria and virus.
In addition, droughts can concentrate the chemical contaminants in water. flooding due to heavy rains can result in water contamination through mixing with sewage systems and thereby increase the exposure to waterborne diseases. In addition, melting glaciers due to increased temperature can result in releasing chemicals trapped in them to oceans and thereby contaminate the marine life[1].
Contaminated water can be a cause for many diseases [1, 2]
Water can be a media that cause diseases related to heavy metals and other hazardous chemicals. In addition, there are some diseases directly related to water contaminated with pathogens.
Indicated below are the standards for drinking water set by World Health Organization and by different countries [3].
Parameter
World Health Organization
European Union
United States
China
Canada
Acrylamide
“
0.10 μg/l
“
“
“
Arsenic
10μg/l
10 μg/l
10μg/l
50μg/l
“
Antimony
ns
5.0 μg/l
6.0 μg/l
“
“
Barium
700μg/l
ns
2 mg/L
“
“
Benzene
10μg/l
1.0 μg/l
5 μg/l
“
“
Benzo(a)pyrene
“
0.010 μg/l
0.2 μg/l
0.0028 μg/l
“
Boron
2.4mg/l
1.0 mg/L
“
“
“
Bromate
“
10 μg/l
10 μg/l
“
“
Cadmium
3 μg/l
5 μg/l
5 μg/l
5 μg/l
“
Chromium
50μg/l
50 μg/l
0.1 mg/L
50 μg/l (Cr6)
“
Copper
“
2.0 mg/l
TT
1 mg/l
“
Cyanide
“
50 μg/l
0.2 mg/L
50 μg/l
“
1,2-dichloroethane
“
3.0 μg/l
5 μg/l
“
“
Epichlorohydrin
“
0.10 μg/l
“
“
“
Fluoride
1.5 mg/l
1.5 mg/l
4 mg/l
1 mg/l
“
Lead
“
10 μg/l
15 μg/l
10 μg/l
“
Mercury
6 μg/l
1 μg/l
2 μg/l
0.05 μg/l
“
Nickel
“
20 μg/l
“
“
“
Nitrate
50 mg/l
50 mg/l
10 mg/L (as N)
10 mg/L (as N)
“
Nitrite
“
0.50 mg/l
1 mg/L (as N)
“
“
Pesticides (individual)
“
0.10 μg/ l
“
“
“
Pesticides — Total
“
0.50 μg/l
“
“
“
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons l
“
0.10 μg/
“
“
“
Selenium
40 μg/l
10 μg/l
50 μg/l
10 μg/l
“
Tetrachloroethene and Trichloroethene
40μg/l
10 μg/l
“
“
“
Drinking safe water
Water purification systems made a devastating rise in sale once in Sri Lanka, when it was announced that CKDue (Chronic Kidney Disease due to unknown etiology) is caused by water. Marketing wise, one may think this as a promotion. But I only want to mention, to what extent your water purifier can clean your water.
Table 1: Water purification systems, their efficiency in purifying and mechanisms [4, 5, 6, 7,8].
Water purification method
What it filters off
Mechanism of purification
SODIS( “Solar water disinfection”)
The UV-A rays in sunlight kill germs such as viruses, bacteria and parasites (giardia and cryptosporidia).
Clear PET bottles are filled with the water and set out in the sun for 6 hours.
Boiling
Kills Pathogens, drives out some of the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
Place the water in a clean container and bring it to a full boil and continue boiling for at least 3-5 minutes. Boiled water should be kept covered while cooling. If the water is cloudy, filter before boiling.
Distillation
Nitrates, chloride, and other salts, sediment, metals,
The water is boiled in a chamber causing water to vaporize, and the pure (or mostly pure) steam that moves to a different part of the unit, is cooled until it condenses back into liquid water.
Sediment Filters
Asbestos fibers, cysts and some organic particles
Fiber or Ceramic filters provide mechanical filtration
Activated Carbon Filters are of two types
Contaminant particles are removed by filtration and adsorption to the surface of the carbon particles. But, hot water can release trapped contaminants into the water stream
1. Granular Activated Carbon (GAC)
Can reduce chlorine and particulate matter as well as improve the taste and odor of the water.
2. Solid Block Activated Carbon (SBAC)
Pesticides, herbicides, chlorine, chlorine byproducts and particulate matter such as parasitic cysts, asbestos, etc
Reverse Osmosis (RO)
Protozoa (Cryptosporidium, Giardia), bacteria (Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, E. coli), viruses (Enteric, Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus), chemical contaminants (metal ions, aqueous salts), including sodium, chloride, copper, chromium, and lead; may reduce arsenic, fluoride, radium, sulfate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, nitrate, and phosphorous.
Asbestos, and all of the cancer-causing “radionuclides”[5]
***Some pesticides, solvents and other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) are not completely removed by RO. A good activated carbon post filter is recommended to reduce these contaminants [6].
a separation process which uses water pressure (in excess of the osmotic pressure) to force water molecules through a semipermeable membrane.
KDF (Kinetic Degradation Fluxion)
Filter
Removes chlorine, Kill algae and fungi, Controls bacterial growth in the filter, Remove hydrogen sulfide, iron, lead, cadmium, aluminum, mercury, arsenic and other inorganic compounds, Partially reduce hardness
***Do not, by themselves, remove organic chemicals (pesticides, disinfection byproducts, MTBE, etc.), or parasitic cysts
Atmospheric Water Generators (AWG)
Removes virtually all bacteria and common viruses, remove volatile organic chemicals. VOCs such as ether, viruses, bacteria, VOCs, inorganic chemicals, dirt, pollution and residual chlorine.
A condensation unit receives a clean humid airflow and condenses water vapor into liquid.
Activated Alumina
reduce levels of fluoride, arsenic, and selenium without using distillation or reverse osmosis.
****Activated alumina devices can accumulate bacteria, so treated water may have higher bacteria counts than raw water.
Water containing the contaminant is passed through a cartridge or canister of activated alumina which adsorbs the contaminant [7].
Those are what came with new technologies. In Sri Lanka, there are natural seeds that does more or less similar job.
Several researches shows that Moringa oleifera seeds (Sinhala: Murunga) are efficient in removing heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, chromium, and lead from water [9].
Dried Vitex negundo leaves is the best way to reduce Total Solids in untreated water and bring it to the standard level [10].
Caesalpinia bonduc (Sinhala: Kumburu) seeds (traditional method of removing water hardness existed among ancients in Sri Lanka)
To conclude with, I would suggest that first thing we need to be doing is to check the water source to understand what it is contaminated with and then go for the best suitable purification method.
Withanage, S., Tissera, D., Gihan,M.,Traditional ways of water purification, First National Symposium on the Potential Health and Environmental Impacts of Exposure to Hazardous Natural and Man-made Chemicals and their Proper Management, 2012, 34-40.
