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Priorities & Results Featured Links Water Resources & Energy 2012 Standards & Guidelines for Contaminants in Drinking Water   Annual Public Water System Compliance Report Annual Report to US EPA that includes counts of all drinking water violations and a detailed list of all Public Water Systems with health-based violations. Bacteria Source Tracking Pilot Study Protocol for tracking down sources of bacteria in rivers and streams. Consumer Confidence Reports Public Water Systems' reports to their customers on their water quality. Clean Water Act  - 40 Years of Progress The Federal Clean Water Act was enacted 40 years ago on October 18, 1972, and MassDEP continues to protect the state's waterbodies. Clean Water Intended Use Plans Projects recommended by MassDEP for financing with State Revolving Loan funds through the Water Pollution Abatement Trust. Drinking Water Intended Use Plans Projects recommended by MassDEP for financing with State Revolving Loan funds through the Water Pollution Abatement Trust. Eelgrass Maps Identifying eelgrass distribution and loss in Massachusetts coastal areas. Water Resources & Energy MassDEP is addressing energy efficiency with innovative state-wide projects. Energy Pilot for Drinking Water & Wastewater Treatment Facilities A project designed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and the amount of energy that treatment facilities use in treating the water that flows through the plant. Enforcement Reports Annual summaries of MassDEP enforcement initiatives. Environmental Progress Reports Goals, work plans, and indicators to assess MassDEP's effectiveness in meeting environmental protection targets. Massachusetts Estuaries Project A cooperative effort to identify and mitigate environmental threats to coastal areas in Southeastern Massachusetts. Massachusetts Nutrient Management Report The addition of nutrients to aquatic systems in state water bodies can lead to impairment of the water bodies by causing algal blooms, lack of oxygen, and other issues. Eutrophication Generic Environmental Impact Report The Department of Conservation & Recreation's report on the impact of aquatic plant growth in Massachusetts water bodies. NOTE: Link leaves MassDEP's web site. Important Habitat Maps Mapping project to identify areas of significant wildlife habitat in Massachusetts. Regional Turf Fertilizer Initiative This collaborative effort of 7 states, EPA, and various stakeholders aims to tackle the issues of fertilizer runoff to water bodies. Nonpoint Source Clean Water Toolkit This Toolkit includes information about nonpoint source pollution, a selector tool for choosing appropriate best management practices by criteria and alphabetically, and instructions. Nonpoint Source Pollution Management Plan An integrated strategy to prevent, control, and reduce pollution from nonpoint sources to protect and improve the quality of our waters. Safe Drinking Water Act Annual Report Annual Report to the Massachusetts Legislature on accomplishments under the provisions of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Seasonal Demand Management Plans Water Management Act permittees' plans for managing water withdrawals. Source Water Assessment Reports Source Water Assessment reports help target inspections and focus technical assistance where they are needed the most, encourage cooperative emergency response, and contribute to comprehensive protection of all public water sources. Total Maximum Daily Load Reports (TMDLs) Information about TMDLs and draft and final TMDL Reports for Massachusetts watersheds. Water Quality Assessment Reports Periodic reports on the health of Massachusetts waterbodies, including specific impairments, ecological threats, and current status. Water Quality Monitoring Reports Reports on a number of water quality concerns in Massachusetts. Watershed-Based Plans An interactive, web-based tool that organizes information by subwatershed, in order to present this information in a format that will further projects to restore water quality and beneficial uses in the Commonwealth. Wetlands Resource Area Annual Tracking Report An annual wetlands tracking report using WIRe information.

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Environmental Effects of Air Pollution

Along with harming human health, air pollution can cause a variety of environmental effects:

Acid rain is precipitation containing harmful amounts of nitric and sulfuric acids. These acids are formed primarily by nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are burned. These acids fall to the Earth either as wet precipitation (rain, snow, or fog) or dry precipitation (gas and particulates). Some are carried by the wind, sometimes hundreds of miles. In the environment, acid rain damages trees and causes soils and water bodies to acidify, making the water unsuitable for some fish and other wildlife. It also speeds the decay of buildings, statues, and sculptures that are part of our national heritage. Acid rain has damaged Massachusetts lakes, ponds, rivers, and soils, leading to damaged wildlife and forests. For more information on acid rain, go tohttp://www.epa.gov/acidrain/.

Eutrophication is a condition in a water body where high concentrations of nutrients (such as nitrogen) stimulate blooms of algae, which in turn can cause fish kills and loss of plant and animal diversity. Although eutrophication is a natural process in the aging of lakes and some estuaries, human activities can greatly accelerate eutrophication by increasing the rate at which nutrients enter aquatic ecosystems. Air emissions of nitrogen oxides from power plants, cars, trucks, and other sources contribute to the amount of nitrogen entering aquatic ecosystems.

Haze is caused when sunlight encounters tiny pollution particles in the air. Haze obscures the clarity, color, texture, and form of what we see. Some haze-causing pollutants (mostly fine particles) are directly emitted to the atmosphere by sources such as power plants, industrial facilities, trucks and automobiles, and construction activities. Others are formed when gases emitted to the air (such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides) form particles as they are carried downwind. For more information on haze, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Visibility Web page: http://www.epa.gov/oar/visibility/.

Effects on wildlife. Toxic pollutants in the air, or deposited on soils or surface waters, can impact wildlife in a number of ways. Like humans, animals can experience health problems if they are exposed to sufficient concentrations of air toxics over time. Studies show that air toxics are contributing to birth defects, reproductive failure, and disease in animals. Persistent toxic air pollutants (those that break down slowly in the environment) are of particular concern in aquatic ecosystems. These pollutants accumulate in sediments and may biomagnify in tissues of animals at the top of the food chain to concentrations many times higher than in the water or air.

Ozone depletion. Ozone is a gas that occurs both at ground-level and in the Earth's upper atmosphere, known as the stratosphere. At ground level, ozone is a pollutant that can harm human health. In the stratosphere, however, ozone forms a layer that protects life on earth from the sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. But this "good" ozone is gradually being destroyed by man-made chemicals referred to as ozone-depleting substances, including chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and halons. These substances were formerly used and sometimes still are used in coolants, foaming agents, fire extinguishers, solvents, pesticides, and aerosol propellants. Thinning of the protective ozone layer can cause increased amounts of UV radiation to reach the Earth, which can lead to more cases of skin cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune systems. UV can also damage sensitive crops, such as soybeans, and reduce crop yields.

Crop and forest damage. Air pollution can damage crops and trees in a variety of ways.Ground-level ozone can lead to reductions in agricultural crop and commercial forest yields, reduced growth and survivability of tree seedlings, and increased plant susceptibility to disease, pests and other environmental stresses (such as harsh weather). As described above, crop and forest damage can also result from acid rain and from increased UV radiation caused by ozone depletion.

Global climate change. The Earth's atmosphere contains a delicate balance of naturally occurring gases that trap some of the sun's heat near the Earth's surface. This "greenhouse effect" keeps the Earth's temperature stable. Unfortunately, evidence is mounting that humans have disturbed this natural balance by producing large amounts of some of these greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane. As a result, the Earth's atmosphere appears to be trapping more of the sun's heat, causing the Earth's average temperature to rise - a phenomenon known as global warming. Many scientists believe that global warming could have significant impacts on human health, agriculture, water resources, forests, wildlife, and coastal areas. For more information, visit EPA's Global Warming Web page: http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/.

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Health Effects of Toxic Chemicals

 > Environmental Health and Safety > Resources > WHMIS: What You Need to Know > Health Effects of Toxic Chemicals

WHMIS: What You Need to Know

6. Health Effects of Toxic Chemicals

There are many materials used in the workplace that can be hazardous. However, in order for them to affect your health, they must contact the body or be absorbed into the body. When assessing the potential health effects from working with a particular material it is necessary to understand difference between "toxicity" and "hazard".

1. TOXICITY is the ability of a substance to produce an unwanted effect when the chemical has reached a sufficient concentration at a certain site in the body.The more toxic a material is, the smaller the amount of it necessary to be absorbed before harmful effects are caused. The lower the toxicity, the greater the quantity of it necessary to be absorbed. The toxicity of a chemical is generally measured by experiments on animals (quite often rats). If it is measured in terms of the amounts of material necessary to cause death in 50% of the test animals. These values are called LD50 (lethal dose) or LC50 (lethal concentration), and are usually given in weight of material per kg of body weight or airborne concentration of material per set time period respectively.
   
2. HAZARD is the probability that this concentration in the body will occur.Toxicity is an inherent property of the material. A material may be very toxic, but not hazardous, if it is handled properly and is not absorbed into the body. On the other hand, a material may have a very low toxicity, but be very hazardous.

Example:

1. An open container of an acid is much more hazardous than a closed container of the same material.
2. Two liquids may possess the same degree of toxicity but present different degrees of hazard:-One material may be non-irritating to the eyes and nose and odourless. The other may be irritating to the eyes or respiratory system and possess a pungent odour.
   The latter material, because of its warning properties presents a lesser degree of hazard.

In order for toxicants to affect the human system either they must cause damage to external tissues, such as the skin or eyes, or they must be able to enter the body by some mechanism.

Routes of Entry

There are three primary routes of entry into the body: ingestion, skin or eye absorption, and inhalation.Ingestion:- This means taking a material into the body by mouth (swallowing). Ingestion of toxic materials may occur as a result of eating in a contaminated work area.
Absorption- Substances that contact the eye and the skin may be either absorbed into the body or cause local effects. For the majority of organic compounds, the contribution from skin absorption to the total exposure should not be neglected.
Inhalation- This means taking a material into the body by breathing it in. In the lungs, very tiny blood vessels are in constant contact with the air we breath in. As a result, airborne contaminants can be easily absorbed through this tissue. In the occupational environment, this is generally the most important route of entry.

Health Effects - Chronic vs Acute

Once a toxic substance has contacted the body it may have either acute (immediate) or chronic (long term) effects.Example: Spilling acid on your hand will cause immediate harm, i.e. a burn to the skin.
Exposure to asbestos or tobacco smoke may result in lung cancer after as much as twenty years (this is a long term effect).

Exposure - Chronic vs Acute

Exposure can be classified as chronic or acute. In chronic exposures, the dose is delivered at some frequency (daily or weekly usually) over a period of time. In acute exposures, the dose is delivered in a single event and absorption is rapid. Usually, a chronic exposure occurs at low concentration and acute exposure at high concentration.Some materials may only cause harm if given acutely, not having any effect in the long term. Other materials may not exhibit an effect in the short term, but may cause problems after prolonged exposure.

Physiological Classification of Materials

This classification identifies toxic materials on the basis of biologic action.Irritants - refers to some sort of aggravation of whatever tissue the material comes in contact with.
e.g. ammonia, nitrogen dioxide.
Asphyxiants - exert their effects through a depletion of oxygen to the tissues
e.g. - simple asphyxiants - carbon dioxide, nitrogen, methane, hydrogen
chemical asphyxiants - carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulphide.
Narcotics or Anaesthetics - the main toxic action is the depressant effect upon the Central Nervous System.
e.g. - many organics, chloroform, xylene.
Systemic Poisons - the main toxic action includes the production of internal damage
e.g. Hepatotoxic agents - toxic effects produce liver damage. eg. carbon tetrachloride.
e.g. Nephrotoxic agents - toxic effects produce kidney damage eg. some halogenated hydrocarbons
Carcinogens - agents/compounds that will induce cancer in humans.
e.g. benzene, arsenic, inorganic salts of chromium, nickel, beryllium.
Mutagens - agents that affect the cells of the exposed people in such a way that it may cause cancer in the exposed individiual or an undesirable mutation to occur in some later generation.
e.g. radiation, variety of chemical agents that alter the genetic message.
Teratogens - Agents or compounds that a pregnant woman takes into her body that generate defects in the fetus
e.g. Thalidomide, possibly steroids
Sensitizers-Agents that may cause allergic or allergic-like responses to occur. After an initial exposure to a substance an individual may become sensitized to that substance. Subsequent exposures to the same substance, often at a much lower concentration than before, produce an allergic response. This response may be a skin rash (dermatitis) or an asthmatic-like attack, depending on the route of exposure.
e.g. cutting oils, isocyanates in polyurethane foam operations and paint spraying operations, some laboratory solvents.

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Green’ Issues of Magazines Underperforming

‘Green’ Issues of Magazines Underperforming

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Companies deciding where to spend their advertising budget might reconsider advertising in the newest green-themed issue of major consumer magazines.

New research from Mediamark Research & Intelligence suggests that when it comes to how consumers read magazines, issues dedicated to the environment might put off readers, reportsMediaPost.

Magazines that took a general tack on environmental topics fared the worst, according to the research, which came from an issue-specific readership study.

The data may show that readers have been over-saturated by negative information about the environment, MediaPost reports.

From 2006-2008, MRI tracked readership of magazines such as Wired, The Economist, Popular Science, Car and Driver, Automobile, Metropolitan Home, Newsweek, Time, Vanity Fair, Bridal Guide, Modern Bride, Elle, BusinessWeek, Consumer Reports, Forbes and Scientific American.

According to MediaPost, here are some of the results:

• When looking at nine major consumer magazine issues with green themes or cover stories in 2006, MRI’s data showed that 67 percent performed “worse than average” in six-month readership.
• Looking at issues with green themes or cover stories in 2007, half of 24 issues performed worse than average
• The figures for 2008 show that 52 percent of issues with green themes or cover stories did worse than average.

While negative as a whole, the above figures suggest a gradual, year-to-year improvement in readership of green-themed magazines.

The research shows that magazines that cover green issues “in connection with a core service message” may fare better.

For instance, issues with themes of “green” weddings, including Bridal Guide and Modern Guide, saw a boost in readership of 24 percent and 38 percent, respectively.

Along the same lines, with a special issue called “Renovation Goes Green and Gorgeous,” the audience grew 15 percent for Metropolitan Home.

The readership data stands in contrast to MRI’s own research about American’s collective perception on the environment. In a 2007 survey (PDF), “Green is Mainstream,” MRI found that 63.5 percent of Americans agreed preserving the environment is “very important,” while 22 percent rated it as of “average importance.” Just 12 percent said it was “not important.”

Other research shows that the amount of advertising making “green” claims is on the rise.

Another set of data shows that 42 percent of Americans think global warming is “exaggerated.”

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Reader Comments

I think the problem may be with the overuse of the term “green.”I think consumers are so over “greened” (how’s that for a new word overgreened?)that they don’t see any value in the content of the green issues. Consumers and business leaders are more focused on economic issues then environmental issues. Perhaps if messaging were more directed towards the economic benefits of sustainable living and sustainable development readers might be more engaged.

Fred Raimondo | May 9th, 2009

It’s true, not everyone wants to buy a magazine which is to do with the enviroment.

Ashley L. | May 14th, 2009

As you’ll read on my website, “We know the problems, let’s find the answers.” It’s as imple as that when writing any green story.

Christopher Peake
Exeter, NH

christopher peake | May 27th, 2009

Green magazines generally come under one of two categories: 1) Campaign magazines, which tend to concentrate on catastrophic predictions on climate change and political campaigns, and 2) Consumer magazines, which tend to preach to or present ‘green’ options to the reader in a simplistic, black and white style. The truth about going green is often less clear-cut and more interesting than these magazines would have us believe, and as a journalist I’ve found the ‘green’ media to be seriously lacking, with a few noteable exceptions. So I launched my own green magazine – GreenerLiving – which doesn’t preach, is not judgemental and tries to talk about greener options for a mainstream audience, not just those who are already signed-up members of the green movement. It’s time we stopped talking at consumers. Instead, it’s time to talk with consumers, and work through the often complex and contradictory issues. Then we might engage readers more effectively.
Peter Batt, Publisher of GreenerLiving magazine (www.greenerliving.tv), Broadstairs, UK

Peter Batt | May 28th, 2009

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