This summer, a floating classroom is making its way around Lake Michigan. On it, both kids and adults will be learning about water quality issues and gathering scientific data. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson has more:
Tag: water pollution
Algae: The Missing PCB Link?
Toxic chemicals known as P-C-B’s haven’t been used in the U.S. for morethan two decades. But dangerous levels of P-C-B’s remain in the naturalenvironment and pose a threat to human health. To address this problem,scientists are trying to understand how these chemicals get into thefood chain. Now, a scientist at Northwestern University has found alikely answer. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkelreports:
D-D-E May Degrade Naturally
The notorious pesticide D-D-T was banned in the United States in the 1970’s. But D-D-T left behind several toxic byproducts. One of those is D-D-E. However, a new study published in this month’s Science magazine suggests that D-D-E may be decaying naturally. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports:
New Technology Curtails Airport Runoff
Recent studies have shown that the use of ethylene glycol to ridairplanes of ice and frost is costly to both airlines and theenvironment. While efforts are underway to gather up more and more ofthis toxic liquid so that it can be recycled, another airport isimplementing an entirely new technology to drastically reduce the use ofglycol even in the most extreme conditions. The Great Lakes RadioConsortium’s Todd Witter reports:
New Corn Variety Lowers Agricultural Impact
Manure spills and overflow from large hog farms has become a problem for many local waterways. Those spills often contains high levels of nitrates and pesticides which can endanger fish populations and contaminate water supplies. But now, researchers have found a variety of corn that could make hog manure less harmful. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel Reports:
One Man’s Quest for a Clean Shoreline
In 1997, an Illinois man single-handedly cleaned fifty-miles of Mississippi River shoreline. This summer he’s aiming for more than four-hundred miles. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Herb Trix reports:
Female Hormones Found in Waste Water
Millions of American women rely on birth control pills to prevent pregnancy. Millions more depend on replacement hormones to prevent symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and osteoporosis. Both medications contain a synthetic version of the female hormone estrogen. And now, researchers at the University of Mississippi found that some of that estrogen ends up in wastewater. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel has more on the potential effects:
Illinois River to Be Protected
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the State of Illinois are teaming up to save the heavily polluted Illinois River. The project is being hailed as the nation’s "largest effort to save an ailing river." The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports:
Drinking Water Linked to Miscarriages
A new government-sponsored study of three California towns has turned up a potentially serious finding: that some tap water could be dangerous for pregnant women. The study is the first to find that high levels of chemicals used to disinfect water could increase the risk of miscarriage. That’s raised a red flag at the Environmental Protection Agency. And now the EPA’s moving quickly to see if the California findings hold true elsewhere. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Julie Edelson Halpert reports:
Are Airports Polluting Our Local Waterways?
For most of us, the arrival of spring means good bye to snow and ice. But not at many of the nation’s airports. Frost on the ground and low temperatures mean planes must be sprayed with de-icing fluids for months to come. But there’s growing concern that these fluids are polluting the nation’s waterways. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Steve Frenkel reports: