polyvinyl chloride
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Credit: State Farm/Flickr
Wildfires threaten drinking water with contamination risks
As wildfires rage, the aftermath poses a hidden threat to clean water supplies, contaminating reservoirs and water systems for months after the flames are extinguished.
In short:
- Wildfires can introduce cancer-causing substances into water supplies, affecting millions in high-risk areas.
- Burned vegetation and ash prevent water absorption, leading to flash floods and contamination.
- High ambient heat can compromise PVC water lines, unfurling plastic polymers and releasing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the water supply.
Key quote:
"We’re destabilizing [water] systems and we don’t even know in what way and how."
— Newsha Ajami, chief strategic development officer, Lawrence Berkeley National Labs.
Why this matters:
As the flames consume everything in their path, they release a cocktail of chemicals and heavy metals from burned structures, vegetation, and soil. These toxics seep into waterways and reservoirs, turning our taps into potential health hazards. Read more: US lead pipe replacements stoke concerns about plastic and environmental injustice.
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Credit: NASA APPEL Knowledge Services/Flickr
Millions of Americans face risk of a toxic ‘bomb train’
In some spots along the path the chemicals are transported, people of color make up the largest group at risk.
Credit: JOHN K THORNE/Flickr
How the music business is putting a green spin on vinyl records
A surge in vinyl sales is driving record manufacturers to find new ways to diminish the environmental footprint of LPs.
Canada’s cornerstone environmental law gets an update
Changes will help prevent future environmental racism, but it’s unclear how they’ll affect current legal fights against exposure to pollution.
Paul Sableman/Flickr/Commercial use & mods allowedhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
‘The poison plastic’: why calls are growing for a ban on PVC
A toxic train derailment in Ohio has forced an uncomfortable conversation in the US. The pollution and response to the accident was bad enough for local residents, but black and lower-income communities face the effects of America’s dirty plastic industry on a daily basis.
Paula R. Lively/Flickr/Commercial use & mods allowedhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Tracking the chemicals in the East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment and fire
Tankers of vinyl chloride were going halfway across the country, government records show, a trip highlighting the risks of transporting chemicals as plastics production grows.
Mark Dixon/Flickr
East Palestine isn’t alone: Communities around the country grapple with toxic chemical exposure
According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Toxic Release Inventory — a list of self-reported toxic chemical emissions — more than 428,000 pounds of vinyl chloride was released into the air by 38 industry facilities last year.
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