Kera's Environmental and Occupational Health Blog

Because I live in Half Moon Bay, we have only 1 small sewage treatment facility. It is called  Sewer Authority Mid-Coastside. It maintains the sewers for the city of Half Moon Bay, Miramar, Moss Beach, Montara, and Princeton by the Sea. They provide wastewater treatment services and contract collection maintenance services to about 27,000   people. Even though there is one sewage treatment facility, we have never had any problems with our sewage or wastewater treatment services in the 5 years I have lived here. They care about the community and help us maintain a happy and health coastside. 

My campaign slogan would be "Drink Tap Water, your body, environment, and future generations will thank you for it". There are so many different messages I want to get across to the public, because this is a big issue. Tap water and bottle water is the same thing- however you are paying for one of them.  I also think about when I was a kid on the play ground and I would run to the drinking fountain. When I would get there, a kid would have his/her (usually his) mouth all over the spout. It would gross me out and not want me to drink out of that fountain. Now a days, I dont even think about people doing that because I know that it is better for the environment if I dont purchase a bottle of water and just refill mine at the tap. I guess I care more about the the environment and future generations than I do about someone putting their lips on the spout of a fountain and I think others should too. Maybe if we can get a message across that tap water is cleaner than what people...

Answer the following questions: What is the source of your drinking water?   Where does your water ORIGINATE?  (It is treated at a water treatment plant, but what watershed or aquifer is the sources of the water?) My drinking water comes from multiple sources, Denniston Creek, Denniston Groundwater, Pilarcitos Lake, Upper Crystal Springs Resivior, and Pilarcitos Creek.  What chemicals were found in your water that were higher than expected? The chemicals that I found in my water that were higher than expected were "Total trihalomethanes"-types of disinfectants. It had an average of 73 c ppb   and 80 b  ppb is the highest allowed by regulation. What chemicals did you NOT expect to find in your water? Chemical that I did not expect to find in the water was lead. The allowed level is 15 ppb and my lead level is 7 ppb. Within the healthy range, but higher than I expected.  Are there associated health risks with the chemicals found in ...

I was struck by the first video we were instructed to watch, "Water Facts". It mentioned that the world is made up of 366 Quintilian gallons of water. However, only .007% of it is potable. People around the world have cell phones than clean drinking water. With the relatively small amount of water we have available to us to drink, it makes sense for us to keep it sustainable and clean for ourselves and future generations. That is where the Clean Water Act of 1972 comes in. It's goal of this act is to " restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters by preventing point and non-point pollution sources, providing assistance to publicly owned treatment works for the improvement of wastewater treatment, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands. It is one of the United States' first and most influential modern environmental laws". It is important that the public and government take this act very seriously and cont...

It was really nice to be able to collaborate with my group members on the topic of policy around chemical exposures. Our group as a whole had similar thoughts on what policies might be better to address the body burdens that chemical and fragrances put on us. Marisa brought up the idea that the ideal policy would be to get rid of fragrances to significantly decrease our exposures to the negative health effects from them. However it would pose a great challenge. She then was able to identify vulnerable industries, such as hospitals, that should have fragrance free policies. Daisy was able to bring a personal component to the conversation by explaining how as someone who works at Kaiser, fragrance free policies would help those who have sensitivity to smells. She also indicated that if companies could use organic plants instead of synthetic oils, the exposure to toxic chemicals would decrease. Carmen also works in a clinical setting and suggested not stopping at a fragrance...

While looking at the  toxnet.nlm.nih.gov website, I came across multiple links to papers and records that discussed various chemicals. Two chemicals that are widely used are Urea formaldehyde (typically used in isolation and other building materials) and Bleach (a common cleaning/disinfectant product). Even though these chemicals are widely used, there are serious health concerns.  Urea formaldehyde (found in pressed board, a common building material) Some common health effects that are associated with exposure: Upper respiratory tract, lower respiratory tract disease and cancer However, various sources cite that further research should be done to examine the potential causal relationship of Urea Formaldehyde and upper and lower respiratory tract diseases and cancer. Bleach is made up of sodium hypochlorite mixed with small amounts of small amounts of sodium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and calcium hypochlorite  (a cleaning/disinfectant product...

I would devise a campaign that promotes awareness through television. According to Nielsen’s National Television Household Universe Estimates, there are 119.6 million TV homes in the U.S. (https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2017/nielsen-estimates-119-6-million-us-tv-homes-2017-2018-tv-season.html) and that is 119.6 million ways to be able to reach out to people in the US about the hazards of Radon. Most people are unaware that they could be exposed to Radon and that it might cause them to develop lung cancer-I know I was unaware until I watched Dr. Akerley's video. The television campaign would be similar to Dr. Akerley's video and the Anti-tobacco commercials, it would be a series of commercials that are: 1. Simple and easy to understand 2. Explain what Radon is and why it is harmful to us 3. How we can test for Radon in our homes with a free Radon test (through this campaign) and where to get it 4. What we should do if we results come back positive for Radon ...

Public transportation and I have a love hate relationship. One the one hand, I love not having to worry about driving in the city, trying to find parking, and paying exorbitant amounts of money to park my car for two hours. However, I do not love the smell of urine in the BART stations, open needle use, crowded trains, and feeling like I have no control on my arrival time (mostly due to train delays). I believe that public transportation is a great idea, but if there is no one to maintain the system to accommodate an influx of users than it becomes more of a burden compared to driving your own vehicle. I listen to a podcast done by Joe Rogan, a comedian (known for hosting the show Fear Factor), and he had on Dr. Neil Degrasse Tyson (Astrophysicist). The first question Joe asked was "Why dont we have flying cars". Dr. Tyson's response was that flying cars give us the ability to travel in 3 dimensions, and we already have that-its called the subway. He continued with sayi...

Who and what are the top polluters in your zip code? The top polluters in my zip code are: Rank Facility City Pounds 1 TYCO THERMAL CONTROLS L.L.C. REDWOOD CITY 11,760 2 SOUTH BAY MARBLE INC. SAN CARLOS 8,638 3 PETERSON PRODS. BELMONT 7,884 What percent of the homes in your zip code have lead-based paint? About 1% of homes in my zip code have lead-based paint.  Are there Superfund sites in your zip? Superfund Sites are sites that are considered the nation's worst toxic waste sites. It is land that has been contaminated by hazardous waste and identified by the EPA as a candidate for cleanup because it poses a risk to human health and/or the environment. To date,there are about  1322 Superfund Sites that are scheduled for clean up. Fortunately San Mateo County does not have any Superfund sites located within it.   What can you tell us about the Superfund sites that are near where you live? The closest Superfund site is Treasure Island...

Black lives matter takes on a new meaning when you think about all of the waste and toxic chemicals that are disposed of more in low-income, predominately African American communities. The social inequality is intensified when you see that it is not just police brutality and the justice system that are the problem, it is the vast majority of other industries. Reading over the article from author Nick Chiles about the "8 Horrifying Examples of Corporations Mistreating Black Communities With Environmental Racism" I am stricken with disgust at the way industries and the government blatantly ignore the dangers they are putting 27% of the U.S.'s population in. This disregard creates inequities for social determinants of health, which sets these communities up for failure.  Environmental advocates and the Black Lives Matter groups are fighting different battles and hoping for the same outcome-to get rid of the harmful chemicals and toxins in communities around the United States...

In a world where inequality is rampant, health risks are increased especially in those vulnerable populations. We as public health advocates must be the purveyors of a better future for all, not just the more fortunate. Drugs that are placed on the market have to go through rigorous testing and clinical trials before they are able to grace the shelves of a store. Chemicals, however, are easier to get on the market and are tougher to get rid of. A lot of chemicals that were banned, such as DDT and Atrazine (in Europe), are being found in future generations of individuals who were born after these chemicals were banned. Another example of this lack of oversight has to do with the obesity epidemic that has affected many Americans. Physicians and media push for less sedentary lifestyles and better diest, but they are ignoring or are oblivious to the chemicals in a person's environment that could also be contributing to this issue. These chemicals, like bisphenol A (BPA...

Lab Results from Blood and Urine Samples The following chemicals were found at levels for which there are no “safe” levels 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 Knowing that these chemicals are in most individuals, is scary. The Environmental Protection Agency is supposed to be regulating these products to make sure they are safe to use, however, they do not require any medical data or studies showing the effect of these chemicals on humans before it is placed on the market. Getting results like the ones above makes me angry and untrusting of t...

Ken Cook, the president of the Environmental Working Group (EWG), has done a lot in terms of uncovering the hazards that we are exposed to from the time that we are fetuses in the womb to children, adults and so forth. It was previously thought that fetuses were protected from harmful chemicals and various hazards in the environment while in the womb of their mother. However, the EWG has found the opposite.  They discovered 287 chemicals in 10 individuals, and the first time they were exposed to those chemicals, those individuals were in their mother's womb. It is our duty to minimize the exposure to these chemicals for the sake of the future generations. Ken Cook's talk was enlightening and showed that we are in the midst of a "silent pandemic" due to all of these chemicals. The chemical companies disregard the risks because they claim the parts per billion is so low that there is no danger, but they are wrong. Ken Cook explains that for the drug Cialis, the recomme...

In addition to all of the health risks that you can be exposed to through your personal care products, products that you use almost everyday can also pose a risk. The two products that I use a lot and wanted to look up on the Household Product Database were "Nature's Miracle 3 in 1 Stain Remover" and the "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser". I was surprised that the pet stain remover showed minimal risks. I figured that, based on the previous products I have looked up, it would be in the moderate-hazard range since it is a product for pets. The Mr. Clean Magic eraser also surprised me. I assumed that something that markets as "magic" cant be all that good for you. The HPD website showed that it was an irritant, but it also did not have any known hazards. I do think that we need to be more mindful of the different products that we keep in our homes and not just buy products that have "Green", "Organic", "Healthy" in the names. Ever...