Environment

On 8-27, EWG’s (Environmental Working Group) Senior Scientist David Andrews published test findings in an interactive map, which shows the results of EWGs testing.  The results show that:

“nationwide testing has found that 6.5 million Americans in 27 states are drinking water tainted by an industrial compound that was used for decades to make Teflon. (PFOA)

The chemical, known as PFOA, has been detected in 94 public water systems. The amounts are small, but new research indicates that it can be hazardous even at the tiniest doses. PFOA and closely related fluorinated chemicals – including PFOS, once used to make Scotchgard – can cause cancer, birth defects and heart disease and weaken the immune system.

Even the lowest level of PFOA detected by the water testing, which was mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency, was about five times higher than what’s safe to drink, according to the new research. This means that even if the EPA has not reported finding PFOA in your drinking water supply, it could still be contaminated.

Here is the link to the article:

http://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2015/08/your-drinking-water-contaminated-toxic-non-stick-chemicals

Here is the link to the interactive map:

http://static.ewg.org/reports/2015/pfoa_drinking_water/interactive_map/index.html?_ga=1.53535915.2027693422.1440722845

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

discovery News from 8/27 has an interesting story and some great pictures from University of Washington biologist Peter Ward which were  in July/August 2015, while exploring the waters off Papua New Guinea.   Allonautilus scrobiculatus was first sighted by ward in 1984.  The UW article provides some interesting information about the Nautilus and explains how fragile and vulnerable this species is.

http://news.discovery.com/animals/rare-nautilus-makes-first-appearance-in-30-years-photos-150827.htm

http://www.washington.edu/news/2015/08/25/rare-nautilus-sighted-for-the-first-time-in-three-decades/

About me: Sean McClure is currently a Federal Employee with over 15 years of experience working at the White House, Department of the Treasury, USAID, and Department of State.  He has traveled extensively to 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.