Congrats, Everybody! You Have Irreparably Polluted The CHESAPEAKE BAY!
Kyle Schwitters
into the Bay and its tributaries -- it's mostly YOUR fault!
Farmers and their beasts are next on the list of polluters.
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"Bay Is a Threat To Humans, Too"
"Report Cites Pollutants in Chesapeake"
By David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
THE SAME POLLUTION PROBLEMS that afflict the Chesapeake Bay's fish and
crabs -- high levels of mercury in fish, neon-colored algae blooms and
voracious bacteria -- can also threaten the health of people who fish,
boat and swim in the estuary, according to a new report.
The report, released today by the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation,
pointed out that the threat of infection from pollutants that wash
into the bay from onshore is great enough that health authorities
recommend not swimming until 48 hours after a significant rain.
It says that many of the Chesapeake's problems have not improved
significantly, despite a government-sponsored "save the bay" effort
now 25 years old. And with climate change apparently warming the water
to a more pathogen-friendly temperature, it says one of the scariest
health threats -- a powerful strain of bacteria called Vibrio -- may
become more common.
"Clean water laws are not being enforced, and this is putting human
health in danger," said William C. Baker, the foundation's president.
Baker said the information about Vibrio was among the report's most
disturbing conclusions: "I was surprised . . . that there are very
real, very severe risks in contact with the waters of Chesapeake
Bay."
Clifford S. Mitchell, director of environmental health coordination,
for Maryland's health department, downplayed the risks to swimmers,
saying, "We're not seeing any kind of indication that it's not safe to
go into the Chesapeake generally." He also said the agency had not
recorded any cases of food poisoning related to Chesapeake shellfish
between 2001 and 2007. He said he did not have the 2008 figures with
him.
Nevertheless, Mitchell acknowledged that swimmers should avoid water
activities after a rain, which can sweep in animal manure and human
waste from older sewage systems and leaky septic tanks. He also warned
that people should not let cuts or open wounds contact the water;
should avoid water that is unusually murky or discolored by algae, and
should check official signs and Web sites for state water-quality
warnings.
"If the water looks good, if there are no postings [warning not to
swim], if they've checked online . . . they should feel pretty
comfortable," Mitchell said.
Maryland officials recommend that would-be bathers download a Google
Earth program that notifies them about beach closures. It can be found
at http://www.marylandhealthybeaches.com. In Virginia, information
about bay beaches can be found at
http://www.vdh.state.va.us/epidemiology/DEE/BeachMonitoring/beachadvisories.
The bay foundation's report highlights several threats stemming from
pollution:
-- Blooms of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, can cause
liver disease, skin rashes, nausea and vomiting if ingested. The
foundation's study said that, in 31 percent of tests on water
contaminated with the algae, there was enough to make the water unsafe
for children to swim.
-- A protozoan called Cryptosporidium, which washes into the bay in
human and animal waste, can cause diarrhea and sometimes more serious
illnesses if ingested.
-- Mercury, found in the smoke from coal-burning power plants, winds
up in the water and accumulates up the food chain. People who consume
enough of it can suffer neurological damage and an increased risk of
heart disease. Mercury is the reason that state authorities warn
against consuming too much of certain fish from lakes and streams in
this region, and advise diners to limit their consumption of rockfish
from the bay.
-- Vibrio, typically found in warmer waters to the south, seems to
turn up more often now in the Chesapeake, the foundation's report
said. The reason could be climate change and algae blooms that make
the water more inviting for the bacteria. In Virginia, for instance,
the report said, the number of cases of human infection jumped from 12
in 1999 to 30 in 2008. Vibrio can cause vomiting and diarrhea if
ingested, and potentially serious skin infections if it is contracted
through open wounds.
But Mitchell, from the Maryland health department, said that there
were not enough data to know if these infections really are more
common than before.
Among those who have been infected is Ken Smith, vice president of the
Virginia Waterman's Association. Smith said that in June of last year,
he had been removing big "Jimmy" crabs from his pots, then washed up
with a bucket of water from Totuskey Creek, a tributary of the
Rappahannock River.
The next morning, he woke up and saw a bump on his forearm the size of
a mosquito bite.
"Went and drank a cup of coffee, and I looked back down and it was
about the size of an egg," Smith said. In a few minutes, he was
shaking violently, and drove himself to a hospital in Kilmarnock, Va.
Smith said doctors there had seen enough cases to know it was Vibrio.
But even with treatment, he endured several painful days, in which his
infected arm swelled up twice the size of the other one.
"It's got to be something . . . in the water that [Vibrio] likes,"
Smith said. "It's just too much of it happening here."
[Comments: fahre...@washpost.com.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/06/AR2009070602931.html
