And many large municipalities, like DC, are still struggling to move away from combined sewer/stormwater systems, which leads to frequent discharges of untreated waste during loads over peak capacity.
And particularly worrisome are the little plastic beads that make your ex-foliating shower scrub so pretty looking. They're also made of plastic, and all of it goes down the sewer. In insane quantities.
Fwiw those are in the process of being phased out in the U.S. (as the Wikipedia article notes). A ban on their use in rinse-off cosmetics (shampoos, toothpaste, body washes, etc.) was passed in December 2015. But the phase-out lasts through 2019. The unusually short and readable bill is here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1321...
Also, one can use volcanic pummic and/or ground apricot seeds to accomplish nearly the same thing without killing the ocean. I would humbly suggest these microplastics should be outlawed entirely and there should be more requirements to capture, prevent and recycle plastic and other debris from ending up in runoff, which should be only water or nontoxic organic matter.
No numbers in that piece. What is the technical definition of 'loaded'? Do they mean 'detectable'?
It seems curious that Seattle folks would worry about this anyway. They are the ones taking the pills in the first place! They're just going back for seconds after all.
Not sure why the downvotes for you... "Measurable" doesn't mean "too much" and some parts-per-million vs. ambient would be really useful here for context. "XX,XXX pounds of chemicals" is alarmist and non-specific.
Maybe the snark isn't appreciated - folks are worried about consequences for the health of the fish, not secondary dosing.
19 comments
[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 53.3 ms ] threadIn seriousness, curious about comparisons related to other areas...
80% of male fish in the Potomac are infertile from the exposure to birth control.
I wasn't aware that PCP was so prevalent in the Seattle area.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microbead
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plastic_particle_water_polluti...
http://www.vice.com/video/toxic-garbage-island-1-of-3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Pacific_garbage_patch
Also, one can use volcanic pummic and/or ground apricot seeds to accomplish nearly the same thing without killing the ocean. I would humbly suggest these microplastics should be outlawed entirely and there should be more requirements to capture, prevent and recycle plastic and other debris from ending up in runoff, which should be only water or nontoxic organic matter.
It seems curious that Seattle folks would worry about this anyway. They are the ones taking the pills in the first place! They're just going back for seconds after all.
Maybe the snark isn't appreciated - folks are worried about consequences for the health of the fish, not secondary dosing.
Anyone have an un-paid link?