M5.2 Public Health and Clean Water

Water is Life 

Safe water drinking is essential and necessary for the safety of human health, animal health, and environmental health. For humans specifically, clean water is necessary for survival and adequate population health. The Clean Water Act of 1972 was necessary to regulate and maintain the safety of water humans used to drink and for sanitation purposes. The act was intended to "protect and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters."

I believe access to clean water is a basic human right. As we witnessed a tragedy in Flint, Michigan, it is inhumane to deny access to clean water. We have yet to see all the heath effects of the crisis in Michigan, but I hope that justice prevails and residents affected by the crisis are properly treated and soon gain access to clean water. 

Clean water, and more importantly access to clean water,  is imperative to maintain a populations' health. It prevents disease and prevents the spread of communicable disease.  The health of individuals, as well as the world is dependent on the ability to access clean water. 

References: 

https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-clean-water-act

M5.7 Sewage Facilities: Kern County

There are several sewage facilities in Kern County. The county serves a population of over 800,000 people. The following are the waste water plants and the waste water treatment facilities:

KERN SANITATION AUTHORITY

In the 1940’s, East Bakersfield area residents petitioned the Board of Supervisors to form several Sanitation Districts to manage wastewater. In 1991, these districts became the Kern Sanitation Authority (KSA). The Kern County Wastewater Treatment Plant is located at 4101 Kimber Avenue. 

FORD CITY-TAFT HEIGHTS SANITATION DISTRICT 

Ford City-Taft Heights is a County Sanitation District which manages wastewater from the unincorporated areas of Ford City and Taft Heights. Sewer collection for the two communities joins the City of Taft system and gravity flows to the Taft Wastewater Treatment Plants. The Taft Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at 1120 East Ash Street, is jointly owned by the City of Taft (52%) and the Ford City-Taft Heights Sanitation District (48%). The City of Taft operates the sewer plant through a contract with Kern Sanitation Authority.

SHERIFF’S LERDO FACILITY WASTEWATER SYSTEM 

The Sheriff’s Lerdo Wastewater Treatment facility is owned by the County of Kern. The sewer plant provides wastewater treatment for the Sheriff’s Lerdo jail and the adjacent juvenile facility. 

BUENA VISTA AQUATIC RECREATION AREA WASTEWATER SYSTEM 

The Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area Wastewater Treatment facility is owned by the County of Kern. REEDER TRACT COUNTY SERVICE AREA 39.8 WASTEWATER SYSTEM 

The Reeder Tract wastewater facility is owned by County Service Area 39.8, which is administered by the Kern County Public Works Department. The facility provides wastewater treatment for a residential area between the communities of Lake Isabella and Bodfish. 

LAKESHORE PINES COUNTY SERVICE AREA 39.1 WASTEWATER SYSTEM

The Lakeshore Pines wastewater facility is owned by County Service Area 39.1, which is administered by the Kern County Public Works Department. The facility is a septic system that provides wastewater treatment for a residential development on the shore of Lake Isabella. 

M5.4 Consumer Confidence Reports and Water Quality

I currently live in Bakersfield, California. According to the 2016 CCR, water used in the area comes from a combination of groundwater from 77 active wells in Kern County and water purchased from the Kern County Water Agency. Some of the water purchased comes from San Jose, California. water in the area had fluoride, magnesium, calcium, and carbonate minerals. Some of these materials (magnesium, calcium,carbonate) may leave buildup in pipes and drains. 

Below is a list of chemicals found in the drinking water that cold affect human health:

Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock opera- tions, and wildlife.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban stormwater runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining, or farming.
Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are byproducts of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gas stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application, and septic systems.
Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or the result of oil and gas production and mining activities. 

I learned that there are numerous chemicals in my water that I would not want to enter my body. I believe some amount of contamination is inevitable, but I was particularly worried about the pesticides and radioactive contaminants found in the water. These chemicals cause birth defects, cancer, and tumors, among other health effects. 
In my home, we use a water filter for drinking water. Most of the water we drink is tap water filtered through Brita filter. I always thought tap water had to be filtered in order for it to be safe. I am glad we use filters consistently since I do not want my family or I to ingest such harmful chemicals. 
I use water bottles on occasion. I now realize that water bottles are not necessary and they cause my harm to our bodies and the environment than any benefits that could come from them.  I will make an effort to use my re-usablw water bottle more often. 

M5.5 Campaign

                           "Drink Smarter, Use Tap Water"

 

M4.6 Radon

In order to develop a national awareness campaign I think there needs to be political involvement, an allocated budget, widespread education of evidence-based research, and an interdisciplinary team to educate, assess, and contribute to reducing radon in the environment. 

Political Involvement

First, I believe there needs to be an infrastructure of support from the Environmental Protection Agency in collaboration with the federal government. There needs to be an appropriate amount of support in place to educate the nation on the dangers associated with radon exposure. This support includes a proposed budget that is used solely to provide radon awareness and has an objective to reduce health associated risks as a result of radon exposure.

I also believe there should be a federally-funded system that provides low-cost radon tests for families and communities that may not have the financial means to purchase test kits.

Widespread Education

Local public health departments would work in collaboration with community organization to provide programs and initiatives to educate communities. A combination of efforts from local clinics, schools, and community organizations that provide evidence-based and reliable information to the people is necessary. The goal of the initiative is to reach as many people as possible to ensure there is common knowledge on the dangers associated with exposure. Additionally, these initiatives would be followed by assessing the prevalence of radon and work with community members to reduce exposure.

The initiative could include community awareness events in which partners like the American Lung Association, the American Public Health Association, and the Environmental Protection Agency work together to create an accessible and easy-to-use  framework that communities could follow and facilitate across the nation.  

Stakeholders

• Environmental Protection Agency
• Political leaders
• Local community organizations
• American Public Health Association
• American Lung Association

M4.2 National Library ToxNet

Toxicology is the science that investigates the adverse effects of chemicals on health. The U.S. National Library of Medicine provides TOXNET, a toxicology data network. Below we explore the adverse health effects of two chemical substances found in everyday lives of the American people. 

Urea Formaldehyde 

Urea formaldehyde is a chemical substance found in adhesives used for plywood material. 

Some of the characteristics and effects of the chemical include carcinogenicity, tumor production, and mutagenicity tested in lab rats. These are life-threatning health risks, yet this product is still allowed to be sold and produced freely on the market. 

Bleach 

Bleach, a common household product used to disinfect and clean. It is scientifically known as hydrogen peroxide. Similar to urea formaldehyde, the effects of exposure to the chemical include carcinogenicity, tumor production, and mutagenicity. 

M3.2 Vulnerable Populations

Why are we still ONLY focused on sedentary lifestyles and diets when addressing obesity in the US?  Why are we not also looking at ways to decrease exposures to those chemicals that may be contributing to the epidemic?

I believe part of the reason we do not look for ways to decrease exposures to chemicals that contribute to obesity is because so many people do not know that they are being exposed. As a consumer, I know to look for products that say "BPA Free" on them when I shop for water bottles or containers, but I never knew specifically why. I think most people know that BPA is a chemical we should avoid and have some knowledge that it may cause birth defects. I did not realize that these chemicals could also contribute to weight gain. 

The EWG article by Monica Amarelo states that 16,000 foods in the U.S are packaged with BPA. We live in world where we rely on packed food constantly. To think that thousands of foods are lined with a chemical that is an endocrine disruptor that results in damage to the brain and reproductive system, and contributes to weight gain is beyond belief. As a I believe that there needs to be more widely spread education on the damage and correlation such chemicals have and contribute to the overall health of our nation. As knowledge of the harm increases, there will be more pressure on companies and the government to regulate these products. Although I am not surprised that these chemicals are not regulated in the food industry. It is odd to me that harmful chemicals in our everyday cosmetic and household products, as well as food products, have little or no regulation on a legislative level. 

As a public health professional, it is our duty to address these issues and tackle them with laws and regulations to ban them from products so easily accessible and widely used by the people of our nation. 

M3.3 Environmental Justice Blog

The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. 

Environmental Health was probably the least explored social determinant until recent times. The examples in Flint opened the eyes of a nation to see how much government involvement, or lack thereof, and injustice can contribute to the health and safety of communities. I believe Flint is an example of the type of justice the Black Lives Matter movement is trying to achieve. While social and racial injustices are widely addressed in the movement, health, safety, and education also play a big part. Flint was an example of the Black Lives Matter movement in which a flawed system that did not give low-income communities the same opportunities to thrive, and produced a large amount of damage. Chemical and lead found in their drinking water affects IQ and contributes to crime. In an upstream model, this is a huge correlation of how a lack of a fair system contributes to a lower quality of life, worse health outcomes, and reduces the opportunities for a thriving a community. 

M3.4 Air Pollution

• Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code?

The top polluters in my county were 

• Clean Harbors Buttonwillow L.L.C
• Delano Growers Grape Producers
• Shell Bakersfield Refinery 
• What percent of the homes in your zipcode have lead-based paint?
• 2% of homes in this county have a high risk of lead hazards 
• Are there Superfund sites in your zip?  
• A super fund sites are the nation's worst toxic waste sites 
• There are 2 superfund sites in the Bakersfield area 
• Brown and Bryant Inc 
• Edwards Air Force Base
• What can you tell us about the Superfund sites that are near where you live?
• The Brown and Bryant Inc is under construction for clean-up 
• It produces liquid agricultural chemicals 
• It has 5 detected contaminants (pesticides) that seep into the ground water and can be very harmful if injected by humans  
• What did you learn about the air quality in your zipcode?
• I knew that the air quality was terrible. I was surprised to find out that only 17 days a year does this region have "good" air quality. 
• How about the water quality?
• We have one body of water with affected pollutants in the water. Metals, pesticides, and chlorides in the water contribute to this
• How did your zipcode fair on a social justice / environmental justice basis?
• The environmental justice mapper painted a shocking picture that compared environmental burdens between whites and people of color. Many of the low-income jobs in the area are in agriculture, and most of these jobs are done by people of color. It's eye-opening to see just how much harm farm workers are exposed to on a daily basis. The worst part is that they do not realize it and the companies exposing them to such harmful chemicals and pesticides are not protecting them. 

M3.5 Transportation

I have spent most of my life either living in Bakersfield, Ca or Sacramento, Ca. Compared to Sacramento, Bakersfield is not pedestrian or biker friendly. Although bad air quality is a result of many factors in Bakersfield, I believe the lack of environmentally friendly modes of transportation is one of them. I find it interesting that public health departments are now starting to partner with transportation departments to address the health effects that result from our transportation methods.
What I found most in a Link to Better Health and Equity  was that sustainable modes of transportation can benefit health and reduce social inequalities. As Public Health professionals I could see the connections between better health and stainable modes of transportation through increased physical activity. The link to social inequities is what I found the most interesting as it made me question how this is possible. A possible contribution could be that sustainable modes of transportation increase community cohesion that could in turn begin to close social inequities. I am interested to see what else may contribute. 

M3.1 Biomonitoring

Below is a list of chemicals were found in my body.

My initial reaction is panic and worry. What stands out to me the most are the reproductive toxicants that may cause infertility and/or birth defects. I am most worried about this since I would like to have children of my own someday and of course want them to be as healthy as possible. The other chemicals are alarming as well.  I am also feeling a bit hopeless. I value taking care of my body with healthy foods, physical exercise, and preventative care, but I am finding out that that is not enough. My final thought is one of disappointment towards a system that does not regulate the chemicals that we are exposed to.

Chemical(s)	Potential Health Effects
Dioxins	Carcinogen, endocrine disruptor, cognitive disfunction
DDT	Reproductive toxicant
Organophosphate	(pesticide) neurotoxicant, Parkinson’s
Lead	Neurotoxicant, kidney toxicant, insomnia, impotence
Solvent	Liver toxicant, neurotoxicant
PCBs	Carcinogen, toxic to immune, neuro, and repro systems
Phthalates	Repro toxicant (infertility), testicular damage, endometriosis, endocrine disruptor

M2.3 Household Products

Windex: Multi-Surface 

I chose to look up Windex Multisurface cleaner because it is something I use in my home often. I was particularly interested in this product because of the potent smell. I was surprised to discover that the product was considered "slightly" harmful. I'll be more aware of keeping it away from surfaces where food is handled though.

Oven Cleaner 

Another very potent smell I come across is oven cleaner. Not only does it have a strong scent, but also causes coughing when inhaled. I usually hold my breath when spraying it. (I suppose that should have been a sign that I shouldn't be using it ). The can also has a lot of precautionary instructions and disclaimers to avoid fires, eye irritation, and skin irritation. 
The health rating in the item is considered moderate, which is surprising. I thought it'd be much higher. 

M2.2/4 Personal Care Products

M2.2

The amount of toxic chemicals used in daily products is absolutely mind blowing. The fact that there are no regulations on limits of these products is unexplainable. 

So, what's in my personal care products?

I never realized how many damaging chemicals I was purchasing and placing on my body. I choose to look up personal care products that I use on a regular basis. The first item I chose was my face wash that I use twice daily. Secondly, I choose to enter my bar soap that I use 1-2 times a day. 

Aveeno Brightening Cleanser

The overall rating of this product was considered "moderately" hazardous. Some of the concerns listed were organ system toxicity and cancer. No big deal, right? Wrong. I was shocked that a product that I use so often could potentially have so many negative effects. Honestly,  as a public health professional, I am also quite saddened that there are no government regulations on any of these harmful ingredients.

Dove Sensitive Skin Beauty Bar 

I was relieved to find out that my body wash was considered a "low" risk hazard, until I found out that organ system toxicity was still listed as a moderate concern.

As a country, I feel that regulations and laws need to be in place to address the unaccepting amount of toxic chemicals that we are putting into our bodies daily. Another important factor is that the general public should be aware of these chemicals and their implications. It should not take a graduate level course to find out that we are buying and placing carcinogens, and other very harmful chemicals, into our bodies on a daily basis. Needless to say, I'll be reconsidering my personal care products and reading ingredient lists before I buy new products. 

M2.4 Safe Cosmetics 101

Birth to Retirement: a connection to the second leading cause of death

I am glad I watched this video after I did the personal product investigation. I am relieved to know there are efforts out there moving companies to remove toxic chemicals from their products. I was most shocked at the carcinogens present in baby products. Companies market toxic products to the American people from birth to retirement. Many americans have probably been exposed to carcinogens on a regular basis since infancy. Which explains why cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. What I find most troubling is that there is evidence-based science available that demonstrates the high and continuous use of these carcinogens in our everyday products. So why is there anything being done? Why hasn't anything been done in the last 80 years? It's unacceptable that the last cosmetic regulation law was passed in 1938. We are far too medically and scientifically advanced to keep ignoring this very evident and prevalent issue. While I realize that other factors play a role in the causes of cancer, why are companies still being allowed to sell us products that increase our risk of cancer?