Article Title: Wading in Waste
Author: Michael A. Mallin
Many Americans have moved to coastal areas to take advantage of their warm climate and natural beauty but the beaches and shellfish beds along the coast have been contaminated by disease-causing microorganisms coming from animal and human wastes. These microbes can cause liver disease, respiratory infections and gastrointestinal disorders. As you can guess, this problem was caused by humans. Areas that used to be forests and farmlands have been turned into resorts, malls, restaurants, office complexes, and residential subdivisions. Construction companies drained wetlands and used asphalt, concrete, and housing materials to cover previously vegetated soils. The result of this is impervious surfaces everywhere - parking lots, roads, sidewalks, and rooftops - which don't let water soak through. When it rains, the water flows over the surface, picking up animal waste and other pollutants, washing them into drainage ditches or storms drains which lead to lakes, creeks, or beach areas. Storms drains usually don't treat storm water and since this runoff originates from a wide area rather than a single source, it is considered as nonpoint source pollution. Poorly designed sanitation systems in coastal regions can also contribute to microbial pollution. In communities where storm drains feed into sewer pipes, heavy rains can cause overflows that dump untreated human waste into rivers, lakes and bays. Therefore, people who go swimming, surfing, wading, diving, snorkeling, waterskiing, or boating in the contaminated water can get infected. Some of the illnesses caused by water contact include gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, cellulitis, ear infections, respiratory infections, and hepatitis. Septic systems located in sandy soils are another source of microbial pollution. Areas containing sandy soils and a high water table are unsuitable for septic systems because sandy soils along the coast have large spaces between the sand grains. When these soils are saturated with water, bacteria, viruses, and even fecal microbes from septic systems can easily move through them and can enter coastal waters. In addition, waste from livestock farms is to be blamed for microbial pollution. The farms dispose of the huge amounts of manure by either spraying it as a liquid or spreading it as litter on nearby fields. If the spraying or spreading happens shortly before or during a rainstorm, fecal microbes from the waste can enter nearby streams by overland runoff.
I was not surprised that this problem was started by humans. However, after reading this article, I won't probably go to the beach anymore. Since we caused this disaster, we need to fix it. We need to stop draining wetlands, since they help filter storm water runoff, and using impervious surfaces. We need to start using permeable surfaces and plant more vegetation because in highly-vegetated areas, the soil cleanses the rainwater and runoff of fecal bacteria, viruses, and pollutants, reducing runoff. We also need to design a more effective sewage treatment system for coastal areas since septic systems are disastrous. If people want to go to the beach to enjoy the beauty and eat shellfish without worrying if it's contaminated, they need to take action. In fact, everyone should take action. We need to make sure that our beaches are beautiful again and that shellfish is safe to eat. It's up to us, and we can succeed if we all work together.
Author: Michael A. Mallin
- More Americans have moved to coastal areas to take advantage of their balmy climate, recreational opportunities and natural beauty.
- However because of this poorly planned development, beaches and shellfish beds along the coast have been contaminated by disease-causing microorganisms coming from animal and human wastes.
- According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 85% of the beach closures and advisories was caused by counts of fecal bacteria in the beach waters.
- The waterborne microbes can cause liver disease, respiratory infections and gastrointestinal disorders.
- The construction of houses, roads, shopping centers and parking lots has disrupted the natural
- drainage systems in coastal areas, and wastes that used to be filtered by forests or wetlands are now fouling marinas and beaches.
- This issue has led to conflicts pitting developers and pro-growth politicians against regulatory authorities, commercial and recreational shellfishers, surfers, swimmers, and divers.
- Areas that used to be forests and farmlands are being turned into resorts, malls, restaurants, office complexes, and residential subdivisions. Construction companies are draining wetlands and using asphalt, concrete, and housing materials to cover previously vegetated soils.
- The result of this is impervious surfaces everywhere - parking lots, roads, sidewalks, and rooftops which don't let water soak through.
- When it rains, the water flows over the surface, picking up animal waste and other pollutants, washing them into drainage ditches or storms drains which lead to lakes, creeks, or beach areas.
- Storms drains usually don't treat storm water but sewage treatment plants remove bacteria and other contaminants from their effluent.
- Since this runoff originates from a wide area rather than a single source, it is considered as nonpoint source pollution.
- The Environmental Protection Agency has stated that this type of pollution is the leading remaining cause of water-quality problems in the U.S
- Storm water runoff carries fertilizers, pesticides, and heavy metals but it is the disease-causing microbes such as the bacteria, viruses and protozoa derived from feces, that are the main threat to human health.
- In vegetated areas, the soil cleanses the rainwater and runoff of fecal bacteria, viruses, and pollutants. However impervious surfaces accumulate pollutants during dry periods and direct high concentrations of the contaminants downstream when it rains.
- Since the microbes pollute shellfish beds, any who consumes raw or poorly cooked shellfish from waters contaminated with fecal microbes might contract gastroenteritis.
- To protect shellfish consumers, state agencies have to post signs in polluted shellfish beds notifying the public that harvesting clams, mussels or oysters there is illegal.
- Microbial pollution is dangerous to people involved in swimming, surfing, wading, diving, snorkeling, waterskiing and boating. If fecal organisms contaminate a lake, anyone in the water can get infected by microbes entering through the mouth, nose, eyes or open wounds. Some of the illnesses caused by water contact include gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, cellulitis, ear infections, respiratory infections, and hepatitis.
- Poorly designed sanitation systems in coastal regions can also contribute to microbial pollution. In communities where storm drains feed into sewer pipes, heavy rains can cause overflows that dump untreated human waste into rivers, lakes and bays.
- Areas containing sandy soils and a high water table are unsuitable for septic systems because sandy soils along the coast have large spaces between the sand grains. When these soils are saturated with water, bacteria, viruses, and even fecal microbes from septic systems can easily move through them and can enter coastal waters.
- Urban runoff and septic systems are not the only reasons for microbial pollution; in rural areas, waste from livestock farms is to be blamed. The farms dispose of the huge amounts of manure by either spraying it as a liquid or spreading it as litter on nearby fields. If the spraying or spreading happens shortly before or during a rainstorm, fecal microbes from the waste can enter nearby streams by overland runoff.
Many Americans have moved to coastal areas to take advantage of their warm climate and natural beauty but the beaches and shellfish beds along the coast have been contaminated by disease-causing microorganisms coming from animal and human wastes. These microbes can cause liver disease, respiratory infections and gastrointestinal disorders. As you can guess, this problem was caused by humans. Areas that used to be forests and farmlands have been turned into resorts, malls, restaurants, office complexes, and residential subdivisions. Construction companies drained wetlands and used asphalt, concrete, and housing materials to cover previously vegetated soils. The result of this is impervious surfaces everywhere - parking lots, roads, sidewalks, and rooftops - which don't let water soak through. When it rains, the water flows over the surface, picking up animal waste and other pollutants, washing them into drainage ditches or storms drains which lead to lakes, creeks, or beach areas. Storms drains usually don't treat storm water and since this runoff originates from a wide area rather than a single source, it is considered as nonpoint source pollution. Poorly designed sanitation systems in coastal regions can also contribute to microbial pollution. In communities where storm drains feed into sewer pipes, heavy rains can cause overflows that dump untreated human waste into rivers, lakes and bays. Therefore, people who go swimming, surfing, wading, diving, snorkeling, waterskiing, or boating in the contaminated water can get infected. Some of the illnesses caused by water contact include gastroenteritis, conjunctivitis, cellulitis, ear infections, respiratory infections, and hepatitis. Septic systems located in sandy soils are another source of microbial pollution. Areas containing sandy soils and a high water table are unsuitable for septic systems because sandy soils along the coast have large spaces between the sand grains. When these soils are saturated with water, bacteria, viruses, and even fecal microbes from septic systems can easily move through them and can enter coastal waters. In addition, waste from livestock farms is to be blamed for microbial pollution. The farms dispose of the huge amounts of manure by either spraying it as a liquid or spreading it as litter on nearby fields. If the spraying or spreading happens shortly before or during a rainstorm, fecal microbes from the waste can enter nearby streams by overland runoff.
I was not surprised that this problem was started by humans. However, after reading this article, I won't probably go to the beach anymore. Since we caused this disaster, we need to fix it. We need to stop draining wetlands, since they help filter storm water runoff, and using impervious surfaces. We need to start using permeable surfaces and plant more vegetation because in highly-vegetated areas, the soil cleanses the rainwater and runoff of fecal bacteria, viruses, and pollutants, reducing runoff. We also need to design a more effective sewage treatment system for coastal areas since septic systems are disastrous. If people want to go to the beach to enjoy the beauty and eat shellfish without worrying if it's contaminated, they need to take action. In fact, everyone should take action. We need to make sure that our beaches are beautiful again and that shellfish is safe to eat. It's up to us, and we can succeed if we all work together.