Littering can cause cancer on humans.!!!

When we turn on the water tap to get a drink, few of us really stop to think of the quality of our drinking water. We assume that it meets current standards for consumption. It usually does, but more and more we hear how our water has been contaminated by bacteria and chemicals. A study by the Department of Environmental Quality found perchloroethene (PCE) (traced to a logging company and former dry cleaning businesses) in the drinking water of 21 wells in Sweet Home, Oregon (1995) and 18 wells in Lebanon, Oregon (1990).

PCE is suspected of causing cancers in humans, and its break-down product of trichloroethylene (TCE) is toxic. Additionally, chemicals and sewage are released into our rivers, streams, and lakes. According to the USEPA Toxic Release Inventory System, in 1996, businesses released 1,230,992 pounds of toxic chemicals in Linn county, and 13,940 pounds of toxic chemicals in Benton county (Oregon).

In one way or another we all have consumed certain toxic substances. Some are broken down and excreted while others bioaccumulate. Although the results of this bioaccumulation are not well understood in humans, it is suspected to cause various cancers, low sperm counts, immune system problems, learning disabilities, and birth defects.

As the toxins in our environment continue to add up, more problems are likely to develop in the future. Are there solutions? Well, there is no magic, painless solution. It will require a lot work by the public and industries to decrease the level of chemical pollution we release into our environment.

by Melissa Kilgore