Observations placeholder
Contamination of Croation drinking water [Manchester and Sheffield] by a paper mill
Identifier
008337
Type of Spiritual Experience
None
Background
This had some interest for me because a farmer [Hague] in Sheffield was paid by the local paper mill to dump waste on his fields. Despite numerous protests from the residents of the area, the Sheffield public health authorities said it was 'safe'. When asked how they knew it was safe, they replied that the paper mill had done tests and told them it was.
All around Sheffield now, fields bordering reservoirs supplying both Sheffield and Manchester with water have been 'treated' by this farmer in very large amounts. I am afraid it is inevitable given the amount of waste dumped on these fields that chemicals have leached into the reservoirs.
He grows crops on these fields and also cattle, which obviously enter the food chain.
So the following paper is indeed of interest.
A description of the experience
Med Glas (Zenica). 2012 Feb;9(1):91-6. Chemometric analysis of groundwater quality data around municipal landfill and paper factory and their potential influence on population's health. Gvozdić V1, Cačić L, Brana J, Puntarić D, Vidosavljević D. Department of Chemistry, University JJ Strossmayer Osijek, Croatia. vlatka.gvozdic@kemija.unios.hr
AIM: To assess the level of 15 groundwater quality parameters in groundwater samples collected around municipal landfill and paper factory in order to evaluate usefulness of the groundwater and its possible implication on the human health.
METHODS: Obtained data have been analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) technique, in order to differentiate the groundwater samples on the basis of their compositional differences and origin.
RESULTS: Wastes and effluents from municipal landfill did not contribute significantly to the pollution of the aquatic medium. Groundwater degradation caused by high contents of nitrate, mineral oils, organic and inorganic matters was particularly expressed in the narrow area of the city centre, near the paper factory and most likely it has occurred over a long period of time. The results have shown that the concentrations of the most measured parameters (NO3-N, NH4-N, oils, organic matter, Fe, Pb, Ni and Cr) were above allowed limits for drinking and domestic purposes.
CONCLUSIONS: This study has provided important information on ecological status of the groundwater systems and for identification of groundwater quality parameters with concentrations above allowable limits for human consumption.
The results generally revealed that groundwater assessed in this study mainly does not satisfy safe limits for drinking water and domestic use.
As a consequence, contaminated groundwater becomes a large hygienic and toxicological problem, since it considerably impedes groundwater utilization. Even though, all of these contaminants have not yet reached toxic levels, they still represent long term risk for health of the population.
PMID: 22634915