Toxic Substances from Everyday Life Are Slipping Through Treatment Plants
A federal study released May 8, 2012 found more than 100 toxic substances from everyday life are making their way through wastewater treatment plants into the Columbia River.
Jennifer Morace, the U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist who was lead investigator on the study, said: “This links it back to what we do in our everyday lives, what goes down the drain and to the wastewater treatment plant, and the fact they were not designed to remove the new or emerging contaminants.”
A total of 112 toxic materials were found, 53 percent of those that were tested for, including flame retardants, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, personal care products, mercury and cleaning products.
