Water and noise pollution
By Kaden Bollwinkel
Our water quality
The United States has one of the safest water supplies in the world. If you are among the 286 million Americans that get their water from a community water system, your tap water is regulated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Even though we have safe water not all water is safe! Many toxic chemicals like cleaning agents, oil, and manufacturing plants can enter any water source and make our water toxic. We should be aware of were are water is being cleaned and how safe it is.
Effects of contaminated water
The presence of contaminants in water can lead to adverse health effects, including gastrointestinal illness, reproductive problems, and neurological disorders. Infants, young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people whose immune systems are damaged may be especially susceptible to illness from some contaminants.Worldwide, nearly 2 billion people drink contaminated water that could be harmful to their health!
professional response
Dr.John Manuel says,"passage of the Clean Water Act of 1972 brought many improvements to surface waters by curbing much of the toxic and organic pollution going into waterways. But 42 years later, we have yet to make significant reductions in two major pollutants in our rivers, lakes, and coastal sounds. Although nitrogen pollution overall has gone down in U.S. streams and rivers since 2004, it remains a serious problem in many waterways, and water pollution has gone up significantly."
Noise pollution in our community
definition of noise is “unwanted or disturbing sound”. Sound becomes unwanted when it either interferes with normal activities such as sleeping, conversation, or disrupts or diminishes one’s quality of life. Four million workers go to work each day in damaging noise. Ten million people in the U.S. have a noise-related hearing loss, and this is because the increasing amount of noise pollution!
Health risks and ways to protect our ears
Noise is an increasing public health problem, and noise has adverse health effects. Studies have shown that there are direct links between noise and health. Problems related to noise include stress related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity. You can take many steps to protect yourself from the harmful effects of noise pollution. If people must be around loud sounds, they can protect their ears with hearing protection like ear plugs or ear muffs.
sources
Goverment. "Noise Pollution." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
Manuel, John. "EHP – Nutrient Pollution: A Persistent Threat to Waterways." EHP. Jodie Costen, 29 Oct. 2014. Web. 14 Apr. 2015.
Page, Randy. Health and Wellness. N.p.: Glencoe, 2008. Print.
"Water Quality and Testing." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Apr. 2009. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.
"Water Related Diseases and Contaminates." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 07 Apr. 2014. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.