Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean Yolanda Barney, PhD. Student Walden University 8165-3 Dr. Rebecca Heick Fall Quarter, 2009 Hello, my name is Yolanda Barney and I am a doctoral student attending Walden University. I am glad that you are interested in my presentation. Recycling is very important as it helps to keep our water clean. Our nation’s lakes, rivers, streams, and oceans are habitats for fish and other wildlife including birds, reptiles, and insects to name a few.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean Water can be contaminated by trash, oil, antifreeze, refrigerants, and drugs. Recycling many of these potential contaminants will help to “keep our water clean.” Water is a medium that dissolves, transports, and is used by fish and underwater species of plants.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean It is easy to dump trash and if people understood that their practices could potentially contaminate their drinking water, then maybe they would stop illegal dumping. The automobiles in this photo have asbestos brakes, oil in the engine and transmission, antifreeze in the radiator, volatile contaminants in the airbag that could inflate upon impact, and gasoline in the tanks. Photo courtesy of the Navajo Public Water Systems Supervision Program, Pollution Prevention Program, 2001.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency prepared a presentation on bottle water. This photo was used in the EPA presentation and shows the amount of containers that were found in the Pacific Ocean.

Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition (SEAPLEX). This “garbage patch” was found by scientists of the National Science Foundation during one of their expeditions. The scientists found that many species of marine life used the plastic bottles as part of their habitat. Many other species of marine life were harmed by plastics. Plastics were wrapped around the bodies and necks of turtles and other marine life. Scripps Environmental Accumulation of Plastic Expedition (SEAPLEX).

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean Reduces the need for landfilling and incineration Prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials. Saves energy Decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change Conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals Helps sustain the environment for future generations. USEPA provides information about recycling and I used “conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals” to support my statement of recycling water keeps our water clean. Water can be contaminated by illegal dumping of oil, antifreeze, or petroleum products. Conserving and preserving water by recycling does keep our water clean.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean Most pharmacies and concerned citizen groups are sponsoring recycling drug campaigns. Steroids and fertility drugs are found in wastewater that eventually discharges into waterways. Pharmaceutical drugs and needle found in our landfills do impact the groundwater. Surface water from rain dissolves drugs and the contaminated water flows to major water ways. The drugs including antidepressants or hormones are impacting fish and other species that rely on water. If your local pharmacy offers a recycling program, please tell your family, friends, and others about the potential for health impacts to fish and other species that rely on water.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean USGS found drugs in 80% of the rivers and streams that were tested. A nationwide study by the United States Geological Survey in 1999 and 2000 found low levels of drugs such as antibiotics, hormones, contraceptives, and steroids in 80% of the rivers and streams that were tested. These drugs reduce fertility and affect spawning in certain aquatic organisms. Long term exposure to low levels of antibiotics might result in the evolution, or selection for, drug-resistant microbes and bacteria.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean Drugs pass through the wastewater treatment process unchanged. These drugs re-enter the food chain. Water treatment plants are designed to protect our waterways by decomposing organic matter in sewage and then disinfecting the treated wastewater. However, many pharmaceutical drugs pass through the treatment process unchanged. So when the treated water is discharged into waterways, the drugs directly impact the natural habitat for marine life and other wildlife species. The introduction of pharmaceuticals into a private septic tank can interrupt the biological breakdown process to destroy their effective operation. Drugs re-enter the food chain and now we as human beings are at risk. Furthermore, higher concentrations of antibiotics also re-enter the food chain which then causes bacteria to become more resistant to the antibiotics.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean Legislation is needed to ensure illegal dumping is not impacting water. Corporations are adopting and promoting recycling policies State and National Campaigns help promote recycling efforts. Community involvement is very necessary. The more a community understands the health impacts to the environment, the more each member may be able to contribute to the recycling efforts. Laws, regulations, and policies need to be developed in order to ensure no water contamination.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean No matter how you look at it, scooping garbage into an oven and setting it afire is an equally primitive alternative to digging a hole in the ground and burying it. The former contaminates air; the latter, groundwater (Steingraber, 1997) This quote by Sandra Steingraber, Living Downstream, 1997 serves to explain why it is so necessary to recycle instead of throwing away used products. Many plastics, glass, cardboard, and other materials are recyclable. Each state has a recycling program and in my state of New Mexico, visit http://www.nmenv.state.nm.us/P2/ for more information about recycling.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean References: Photo courtesy of the Navajo Public Water Systems Supervision Program, Pollution Prevention Program, 2001. EPA Bottle Water Presentation, 2009 Press Release 09-159, Scientists find Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch, National Science Foundation. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp Recycling: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, U.S.EPA, Recycling. Retrieved October 23, 2009 from http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/rrr/recycle.htm.

Recycling Keeps Our Water Clean http://www.cityofsanrafael.org/Government/Fire/Hazardous_Materials/Recycle_Your_Pharmaceutical_Drugs___Needle_Disposal.htm http://www.dec.ny.gov/chemical/45083.html Sandra Steingraber, Living Downstream, 1997