Author: getwetprojectblog

A new study by Tel Aviv University researchers found that in a marine environment, microplastics absorb and concentrate toxic organic substances and thus increase their toxicity by a factor of 10, which may lead to a severe impact on human health. The study was conducted by Dr. Ines Zucker of the School of Mechanical Engineering and the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences at Tel Aviv University, together with Ph.D. student Andrey Eitan Rubin. 

For more information, visit: https://phys.org/news/2022-02-microplastics-toxicity-pollutants-environment-factor.html

About one-third of the sites sampled so far in Maine’s statewide testing of school water exceed the acceptable limit for lead, a finding in line with what state public health officials expected.

Lead gets into the water from pipes and plumbing fixtures. It can affect brain development, causing learning disabilities and behavioral problems in children, particularly those under 6, depending on how much of the water they drink and how long they have been drinking it.

For more information, visit: https://www.centralmaine.com/2022/02/15/about-a-third-of-sites-tested-in-maines-schools-exceed-limit-for-lead-in-water/

A U.S. Geological Survey report took aim at untreated well water in Delaware when it found widely distributed per-and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) contamination statewide.

The USGS report released in December 2021 found a variety of types of PFAS in water from 16 of the 30 wells sampled in Delaware; one sample contained eight different types. Those that contained PFAS generally had low concentrations.

For more information, visit: https://www.delmarvanow.com/story/news/local/delaware/2022/02/16/pfas-delaware-well-water-drinking-safety-forever-chemicals/6785499001/

A fight for clean water in Florida is underway with advocates saying suspicious legislation is moving forward that could destroy our water quality.

For more information, visit: https://www.winknews.com/2022/02/09/water-quality-advocates-worried-about-a-proposed-bills-impact-on-the-future-of-swfl-water/

The most toxic substances that we identified actually came after the bottle had been in the dishwasher—presumably because washing wears down the plastic and thereby increases leaching,” explains Selina Tisler.

Several of these substances are potentially harmful to human health. There is a need for better regulation and manufacturing standards for manufacturers, according to the chemists behind the study.

For more information, visit: https://www.futurity.org/soft-plastic-water-bottles-2696062-2/

California’s mountain snowpack is shrinking, and climate change is intensifying the severe drought. Streams have dwindled and reservoirs have declined as vast quantities of water are diverted for farms and cities. Endangered fish are struggling to survive. And in farming areas in the Central Valley, hundreds of families are struggling with dry wells as groundwater levels continue to drop…

For more information, visit: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-02-13/climate-systemic-inequity-drive-california-water-law-reforms

Water from a supply containing high levels of toxic chemicals has been pumped into the homes of more than 1,000 people, the Guardian can reveal.

Cambridge Water has admitted it removed a supply containing four times the regulatory limit of perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), which was being blended with other supplies to provide water to the homes of customers in south Cambridgeshire, in June last year. But the 1,080 customers living in Stapleford and Great Shelford were never informed that they had been exposed. The company has not revealed how long the water had been tainted.

For more information, visit: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/08/high-levels-of-toxic-chemicals-found-in-cambridgeshire-drinking-water

TAMPA, Fla. – The Tampa Bay area continues to be one of the fastest growing in the United States. But while it’s leading to a booming local economy, environmental managers are working to make sure the region can keep up with the growing demand for drinking water.

For more information, visit: https://www.fox13news.com/news/tampa-bay-water-population-growth-means-millions-more-gallons-needed-by-2028

The world’s glaciers may contain less water than previously believed, a new study has found, suggesting that freshwater supplies could peak sooner than anticipated for millions of people worldwide who depend on glacial melt for drinking water, crop irrigation and everyday use.

For more information, visit: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/07/climate/glaciers-water-global-warming.html

Beijing, where winters are dry, is the first Winter Olympics host to rely 100% on man-made snow; climate change won’t make host selection any easier

For more information, visit: https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/beijings-fake-olympic-powder-requires-at-least-74-swimming-pools-of-water-but-that-may-undercount-china-vows-to-reuse-snow-11644260031