Tag: Pollution

Understanding PFAS: A Look at the Awareness and Impact on U.S. Drinking Water

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Water poured into a clear glass.
Water poured into a clear glass.

The presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in U.S. drinking water has emerged as a critical environmental and public health issue. Despite increasing media coverage and governmental attention, a significant gap exists in the general public’s understanding of PFAS. An exploratory study by Texas A&M AgriLife scientists and published in PLoS ONE, aimed to bridge this gap by assessing public awareness regarding PFAS and their potential impact on community health and drinking water.

Key Findings of the Nationwide Survey

  • Limited Public Awareness: Alarmingly, nearly half of the respondents (45.1%) were unfamiliar with PFAS. Additionally, 31.6% had heard of PFAS but lacked an understanding of what it entails.
     
  • Perception of Drinking Water Safety: A striking 97.4% did not believe their drinking water was affected by PFAS, indicating a disconnect between public perception and environmental realities.
     
  • Community Exposure as a Predictor: Awareness due to known community exposure emerged as the strongest predictor of PFAS awareness. Those aware of community exposure were more informed about PFAS sources and likely to change their product usage habits.

PFAS: An Overview

PFAS, often termed “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment and in our bodies, are resistant to water, grease, and heat and found in a range of everyday products including food packaging, clothing, cosmetics, and toilet paper. PFAS have been widely used in various industrial processes and consumer products since the 1940s. Their presence in products ranging from non-stick cookware to fire extinguishing foams raises significant environmental concerns, particularly in water sources. The resistance of PFAS to degradation leads to bioaccumulation, posing serious health risks such as cancer, hormone disruption, liver damage, weakened immune systems, and reproductive harm.

Regulatory Response and Public Health Implications

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently proposed stricter regulations to limit PFAS in drinking water, reducing the maximum contaminant levels from 70 parts per trillion (ppt) to 4 ppt. This move, coupled with significant financial settlements from major corporations for PFAS clean-up, highlights the urgency of addressing PFAS contamination. However, the public’s limited awareness and understanding hinder effective response and mitigation efforts.

The Gap in Public Perception and Knowledge

The importance of knowing about PFAS lies in the need to understand the potential health risks associated with exposure to these substances. The general public’s awareness and knowledge of PFAS have been found to be limited, with only about half of the respondents in a nationwide survey stating they were aware of PFAS as an environmental contaminant. This study underscores a critical gap in public awareness and understanding of PFAS. This lack of awareness extends to the potential contamination of their primary drinking water sources.

Community exposure was identified as the strongest predicting factor regarding the level of public knowledge and awareness of PFAS and its sources. Therefore, it is crucial to provide accurate, real-time data on PFAS exposure to empower consumers to make informed decisions and take necessary precautions. Additionally, clear labeling of PFAS products is essential to allow consumers to be aware of their exposure frequency and make adjustments in product use as desired.

The Role of Effective Communication

Government agencies, research organizations, universities, utilities, and scientific institutions must collaborate to provide clear, accessible, and actionable information about PFAS, their sources, and health implications. This effort should aim to make the information relevant and understandable to the general public, encouraging informed decision-making and behavioral changes to reduce PFAS exposure. Manufacturers should clearly label their products with the presence of PFAS. This transparency allows consumers to be aware of their exposure frequency and make adjustments in product use. Consumers may want to install point-of-use treatment devices, such as under-sink or countertop filters, in their homes to remove PFAS from drinking water. These devices often use activated carbon or reverse osmosis technology to effectively reduce PFAS levels.

Source: Berthold TA, McCrary A, deVilleneuve S, Schramm M (2023) Let’s talk about PFAS: Inconsistent public awareness about PFAS and its sources in the United States. PLoS ONE 18(11): e0294134.

The Rising Challenge of Space Debris: ESA’s 2023 Space Environment Report Highlights the Need for Sustainable Practices

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LEO - Low Earth Orbit - Credit: NASA ODPO.
LEO stands for low-Earth orbit and is the region of space within 2,000 km of the Earth’s surface. It is the most concentrated area for orbital debris. Credit: NASA ODPO.

Navigating the Crowded Cosmos

As the Earth’s orbital space becomes increasingly populated with satellites crucial for scientific research, communication, and navigation, the burgeoning issue of space debris poses a threat to our sustainable future in space. The ESA’s 2023 Space Environment Report casts a sobering light on the crowded and hazardous orbits, underlining the urgency for effective space debris mitigation measures.

The Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee’s guidelines set forth in 2002, aimed at reducing space debris, have become the foundation for space policy. However, with a record-breaking 2,409 new satellites launched in 2022, these guidelines are being outpaced by the sheer volume of space traffic. Many satellites remain in their operational orbits post-mission, creating potential debris clouds that could linger for years. With the rise of commercial satellite constellations in low-Earth orbits, the risk of collisions has grown exponentially, necessitating more frequent collision avoidance maneuvers.

Despite improvements in adopting debris mitigation measures, the ESA report suggests that current efforts are insufficient given the rate of satellite launches and existing debris. Over half of the 30,000 tracked debris pieces are cluttering low-Earth orbit, which doesn’t account for the countless smaller, untracked objects. The report warns that if we continue on this path, the dream of a sustainable space environment could slip through our fingers.

A Silver Lining

Nevertheless, there is a silver lining. A record number of satellites and fragments reentered Earth’s atmosphere in 2022, showing that adherence to guidelines — like vacating protected orbits within 25 years of end-of-life — is improving. Moreover, more than 80% of constellation satellites are now designed to deorbit within two years post-mission. Yet, most of these reentries are uncontrolled, posing risks of debris landing unpredictably on Earth.

ESA’s proactive steps include the novel “assisted reentry” technique, successfully demonstrated with the Aeolus satellite, and pioneering the ClearSpace-1 mission for active debris removal. These initiatives are part of ESA’s Zero Debris goal for 2030, aiming to leave no new space debris in critical orbits. By setting a precedent with the ClearSpace-1 mission, ESA aspires to catalyze a new commercial sector focused on debris removal and promote sustainable space operations industry-wide.

Time to Act

The 2023 report from ESA serves as a call to action for the global space community. The space around our planet is a finite, invaluable resource that demands our immediate attention and stewardship to prevent the dire predictions of Kessler Syndrome from becoming a reality.

…. fragments from future collisions will be generated faster than atmospheric drag will remove them.”

The Kessler Syndrome, as discussed by Donald J. Kessler, March 8, 2009

With continued focus and innovation in space sustainability, we can ensure that the benefits of space advancements are not overshadowed by the growing cloud of orbital debris. It’s time to act and safeguard our space environment for future generations.

Join the global movement: Combat plastic pollution this World Environment Day, June 5th

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Theme:Finding solutions to plastic pollution
Date:June 5th, 2023
Host:Côte d’Ivoire in collaboration with the Netherlands
Hashtags:#BeatPlasticPollution and #WorldEnvironmentDay

June 5th, 2023, will mark the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day, which was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1973. This year, the event is anticipated to attract tens of millions of participants both online and through in-person activities, embodying the spirit of environmental advocacy.

Addressing plastic pollution

This year’s theme is focused on finding solutions to plastic pollution. The occasion underscores the consequences of actions and inaction taken by individuals, businesses, and governments in response to plastic pollution. It also highlights the pressing need to amplify these efforts and transition towards a circular economy. To assist in these efforts, a Beat Plastic Pollution Practical Guide is available, outlining steps to halt and reverse the detrimental effects of plastic pollution.

An urgent need

Our planet is in crisis, besieged by the overwhelming weight of plastic waste. Despite its numerous applications, plastic has become detrimental due to our dependence on single-use plastic products, which cause significant environmental and health issues.

As per the UN, globally, one million plastic bottles are bought every minute, up to five trillion plastic bags are used each year, and 400 million tonnes of plastic waste are produced annually. Approximately 36% of all plastic is used for packaging, including single-use items for food and beverage containers. Sadly, around 85% of these items end up in landfills or as unregulated waste. Less than 10% of the seven billion tonnes of plastic waste generated worldwide has been recycled. The most prevalent types of plastic waste found in the environment include cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic bottles and caps, grocery bags, straws, and stirrers.

Environmental harm

Plastic waste can persist in the environment for centuries due to its durability and resistance to degradation. Nearly all single-use plastic products are manufactured from fossil fuels, contributing to the escalation of greenhouse gas emissions. Most plastic items merely break down into smaller microplastics, which can infiltrate the human body and accumulate in various organs. The impact of this phenomenon on human health remains largely unknown. Microplastics are now ubiquitous and are a part of the Earth’s fossil record. They have even led to the creation of a new marine microbial habitat, known as the “plastisphere.”

How you can help

Urge your local and national leaders to take decisive action by eliminating problematic plastic packaging, redesigning products for sustainability, and promoting transparency in sustainability information. Additionally, you can participate in beach or river clean-ups, shop sustainably, adopt a zero-waste lifestyle, advocate for change, choose sustainable fashion, and opt for plastic-free personal care products.

Spread awareness and inspire others via social media using the hashtags #BeatPlasticPollution and #WorldEnvironmentDay.