Pollutagens George D. Buckley Harvard University

Polluntagens are microscopic pathogens and parasites from humans, pets and other terrestrial animals

They enter the ocean ecosystems largely from sewage and land runoff into local waters

Your kitty may be killing more than song birds; its kitty litter may be killing marine life

Toxoplasmagondii is a protozoan parasite from cat intestines that can wreck havoc on other animals’ immune systems (M. Grigg)

One infected cat can shed 100 million egg-like oocytes in its feces. There are 70 million domestic cats in the United States and nearly 60 million feral cats (M. Grigg)

Canine (dog) distemper has been shown to have caused wide spread seal deaths

Sarcocystisneurona, an opossum parasite has been found to cause brain inflammation and death in West coast sea otters. (M. Miller)

Neosporacaninum, a parasite that causes cattle fetuses to die, has been found in dead seals in Washington state

Salmonella and Clostridium, virulent bacterial pathogens, have been frequently found in sick and dead whales. (J.P. Schroeder)

In the Caribbean, the Large and stately Elkhorn coral that provide shelter to myriad of species of marine invertebrates and fish has been largely killed off by the white pox disease caused by Serratiamarcescens. (K. Sutherland)

The Serratiamarcescens which has caused the death of over 90% of Caribbean Elkhorn coral is found in sewage and is caused by meningitis

In the Pacific, drug resistant strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Enterococcus bacterial pathogens have been found in many populations of seals. (S. Raverty)

Tests on sick marine mammals and necropsies (autopsies) on dead ones often reveal two or more infectious marine pollutagens.

While one polluntagen may not have sickened or killed the animal, the combined effects of two or more pollutagens can kill the animal by overwhelming its immune system (J. P. Schroeder)

Beyond the untold millions of pollutagens entering the world’s oceans, there is grave concern about the massive amounts of food additives, industrial chemicals, and pharmaceuticals in the waste stream.

Humans often excrete most of the medicines that they take via urine or fecal matter. Unused medicines are often discarded down the toilet or into the trash.

What To Do?

1) Never discard unused medicines. 2) Bring unused pharmaceuticals to an approved local recycling station. 3) Never discard dog or cat waste into the sewer. 4) Keep cats indoors.

Sewage treatment must be improved to include better testing for pathogens and pollutagens with added filtration to complement anti microbial treatments

Plants are excellent at recycling pollutants through the process of Phyto-remediation

We must promote the protection of wetlands such as swamps and marshes, nature’s natural bio-filter