Researchers warn of legacy mercury in the environment

Environmental researchers at Harvard University have published evidence that significant reductions in mercury emissions will be necessary just to stabilize current levels of the toxic element in the environment. So much mercury persists in surface reservoirs (soil, air, and water) from past pollution, going back thousands of years, that it will continue to persist in the ocean and accumulate in fish for decades to centuries, they report.

“It’s easier said than done, but we’re advocating for aggressive reductions, and sooner rather than later,” says Helen Amos, a Ph.D. candidate in Earth and Planetary Sciences at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and lead author of the study, published in the journal Global Biogeochemical Cycles.

 

Click here to read more at www.seas.harvard.edu

 

Manteca fined for river pollution

MANTECA – The city of Manteca has been fined $87,492 after wastewater that was treated but not disinfected was released into the San Joaquin River last year.

Click here ot read more at Recordnet.com

 

Keeping groundwater safe and abundant…

Keeping fresh water safe and abundant is a challenge for all societies. In the U.S., about half of the country’s drinking water comes from groundwater sources. Many rural areas derive all of their drinking water from groundwater, which also provides 40 percent of the irrigation needs of American farmers. While underground aquifers may at one point have seemed limitless, huge demand for water (especially in arid areas like the Southwest) means that groundwater reserves are precious and need to be carefully managed with conservation in mind. Also, groundwater is easily contaminated by any number of common man-made products like gasoline, oil, road salts, pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals.

 

Click here to read more at fatcatwebproductions.com

 

New report on plastic debris in the CA. marine ecosystem released

The California Ocean Protection Council (OPC) has unveiled a new report entitled, “Plastic Debris in the California Marine Ecosystem: A Summary of Current Research, Solution Efforts and Data Gaps.”

“The OPC has identified marine debris as a critical issue for California’s ocean resources. In 2007, the OPC passed a resolution aimed at reducing ocean and coastal debris and its impacts on ecosystems,” said Dr. Amber Mace, Executive Director, Ocean Protection Council. “That resolution identified the need to better understand the science of plastic marine debris in California.”

Click here to read more at Indybay.org

For a copy of the report and more information, go to: http://www.opc.ca.gov/council-documents/.