Toxins in your Neighborhood
2: Under the “toxics” category- click on the link, “See how your county stacks up”.
List the 6 categories and relative percentage ranking for San Diego County.
1.Total environmental releases: 70%
2. Cancer Risk Score : 70%
3. Noncancer risk score : 60%
4. Air releases recognized carcinogens: 80%
5. Air releases recognized developmental toxicants: 60%
6. Air releases of recognized reproductive toxicants: 70%
Did the results surprise you at all, why or why not?
Yes, the results did surprise me since I thought San Diego was a safe place and how everyone wishes to live here.
3: Click on the “other chemical release and waste management attributes” link. List the categories for which San Diego falls in the Dirtiest/Worst counties in the United States (80-100%). How do you account for these levels being so high?
Land releases
total off-site transfers
total production-related waste
air releases of recognized carcinogens
air releases of suspected carcinogens
air releases of suspected cardiovascular
water releases of suspected cardiovascular
. air releases of suspected endocrine toxicants
air releases of suspected neurotoxicants
In my opinion it accounts for these levels since we are right next to the ocean and also San Diego is a busy area that causes toxic in air.
4: List the categories for which San Diego scores well in terms of environmental pollutants (less than 20%). Why do you think the levels of these pollutants are so much better here in San Diego? Explain.
Water releases of suspected carcinogens
Water releases of suspected developmental toxicants
Water releases of suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicants
Air releases of suspected musculoskeletal toxicants
Water releases of suspected neurotoxicants
Water releases of suspected reproductive toxicants
Water releases of suspected skin or sense organ toxicants
In my opinion it is like this since we are responsible for the ocean in which we are really close to it and have the power with it.
5: Click the back button on your browser to get back to the pollution report card for your zip code. Click on the link “the top polluters” in your county. List the top 10 polluters in San Diego County. What do you know about these companies? What do they manufacture?
1.Camp Pendleton- Big military base
2. National Steel and Shipbuilding Co.- Makes steel and ships
3. Watkins MFG- Portable hot tubs
4. Southwest Marine INC.- Drive assemblies in the powerboat engine industry
5. Sony Electronics INC.- Cameras, TVs, Computers, Playstation
6. U.S Navy Naval Air Station- Military
7. Duke Energy South Bay Power Plant- Electric and gas
8. Signet Armorlite- Lenses and molds
9. Caldera Spas INC.- Hot tubs, spas, accessories
10. Arco San Diego Terminal- Gas
6: Go back to the report card page and click on the “top chemicals released” link, and list the top 5 chemicals released in San Diego.
1.Nitrate Compounds
2.Lead Compounds
3. N-Butyl Alcohol
4. 1,2,4- Trimethylbenzene
5.Copper
7: Go back to the report card page and locate the air pollution section. Click on the “How many days a year is your air unhealthy”? link. How many days did San Diego have good air quality? 44
160 Moderate
183 Unhealthy
List the three major pollutants you think are responsible for reduced air quality in San Diego.
CO2, Nitrogen, Smoking
8: Go back to the report card page and find the water quality section. Click on the “See how your county’s water quality stacks up” link. What are the two categories and percentages listed?
Percentage of Surface Waters with Impaired or Threatened Uses (state + EPA data): 80%-90%
Number of Impaired Waterbodies (as reported by the state): 70%-80%
9: Scroll down the page and locate the top two pollutants and percentages for (rivers, lakes and creeks) category, the (lakes, reservoirs, and ponds) category and (estuaries, bays and coasts) category. List some ideas as to the source of the potential water pollutants here in San Diego.
Rivers, Lakes and Creeks:
Pathogens 64%
Sediments 36%
Lakes, Reservoirs and Ponds:
Nutrients 100%
Salinity 50%
Estuaries, bays, coasts:
Pathogens 86%
Nutrients 21%
Pathogens: Inadequately treated sewage
Sediments: Eroding land
Salinity: Agricultural runoff
10: Go to the URL: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/. This site is the San Diego County Office of Environmental Health.
Describe the role of this office:
The role of this office is to notify us what is happening within in our city.
11: Type or click on the URL: http://www.sdcountry.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/hhw.html. Read the information on “What is Hazardous Waste?” and list 8 common household items that are classified as hazardous waste. How many of these do you have in your house? Indicate which are in your home. (*)
*windex
*Automotive Fluids
*Batteries
*Computer, Monitors, Televisions
Fertilizers
*Fluorescent Lights
*Household Cleaners
*clorox wipes
12: Click on the hazardous materials pollution prevention link: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/pollution_prevent.html. In your opinion, what three pieces of prevention advice are the best/most relevant? Why?
Preventing spills and accidental releases- Spills and accidental releases are big and could harm a whole ecosystem or a whole population.
Organic/ recycled - more expensive, people go for the cheaper stuff
Choosing products that are reusable- Non-reusable products could be sent to landfills which then can pollute the waters
13: Click on the Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Facilities link and list 3 certified disposal sites in San Diego.
California Center for Sustainable Energy
San Diego County Water Authority
Recycling and household hazardous waste collection event
14: Go to http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/chd_hhw_sharps.html. What are sharps? How and where should sharps be disposed of? What are some dangers sharps present?
Sharps are needles, syringes and lancets. Sharps could be disposed of by using a mail-back service for proper disposal. Dangers of sharps are injuries, germs and diseases.
15: Go to http://www.earth911.org/master.asp. Look around the page and do a little research on electronics and battery hazardous waste. What are some of the problems with these types of waste? What are the recycling/disposal options?
It's harmful to the environment. Recycling these things in a safer way where it won't cause anyone diseases.
Conclusion: Write a conclusion about your reaction to this information. Were you surprised? What bothers you most? What are some potential solutions?
After answering these questions and getting the answers of these toxic materials, i feel ashamed and embarrassed on how the places you think are safe and a place to be can have the most toxic pollutants. I never thought San Diego was included in this, in fact i knew freeways made a lot of CO2 by cars and is harmful to schools around, but i never knew San Diego is a worst toxicant. We could use safer things that aren't that toxic such as using borax to wash clothes then using tide.
List the 6 categories and relative percentage ranking for San Diego County.
1.Total environmental releases: 70%
2. Cancer Risk Score : 70%
3. Noncancer risk score : 60%
4. Air releases recognized carcinogens: 80%
5. Air releases recognized developmental toxicants: 60%
6. Air releases of recognized reproductive toxicants: 70%
Did the results surprise you at all, why or why not?
Yes, the results did surprise me since I thought San Diego was a safe place and how everyone wishes to live here.
3: Click on the “other chemical release and waste management attributes” link. List the categories for which San Diego falls in the Dirtiest/Worst counties in the United States (80-100%). How do you account for these levels being so high?
Land releases
total off-site transfers
total production-related waste
air releases of recognized carcinogens
air releases of suspected carcinogens
air releases of suspected cardiovascular
water releases of suspected cardiovascular
. air releases of suspected endocrine toxicants
air releases of suspected neurotoxicants
In my opinion it accounts for these levels since we are right next to the ocean and also San Diego is a busy area that causes toxic in air.
4: List the categories for which San Diego scores well in terms of environmental pollutants (less than 20%). Why do you think the levels of these pollutants are so much better here in San Diego? Explain.
Water releases of suspected carcinogens
Water releases of suspected developmental toxicants
Water releases of suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicants
Air releases of suspected musculoskeletal toxicants
Water releases of suspected neurotoxicants
Water releases of suspected reproductive toxicants
Water releases of suspected skin or sense organ toxicants
In my opinion it is like this since we are responsible for the ocean in which we are really close to it and have the power with it.
5: Click the back button on your browser to get back to the pollution report card for your zip code. Click on the link “the top polluters” in your county. List the top 10 polluters in San Diego County. What do you know about these companies? What do they manufacture?
1.Camp Pendleton- Big military base
2. National Steel and Shipbuilding Co.- Makes steel and ships
3. Watkins MFG- Portable hot tubs
4. Southwest Marine INC.- Drive assemblies in the powerboat engine industry
5. Sony Electronics INC.- Cameras, TVs, Computers, Playstation
6. U.S Navy Naval Air Station- Military
7. Duke Energy South Bay Power Plant- Electric and gas
8. Signet Armorlite- Lenses and molds
9. Caldera Spas INC.- Hot tubs, spas, accessories
10. Arco San Diego Terminal- Gas
6: Go back to the report card page and click on the “top chemicals released” link, and list the top 5 chemicals released in San Diego.
1.Nitrate Compounds
2.Lead Compounds
3. N-Butyl Alcohol
4. 1,2,4- Trimethylbenzene
5.Copper
7: Go back to the report card page and locate the air pollution section. Click on the “How many days a year is your air unhealthy”? link. How many days did San Diego have good air quality? 44
160 Moderate
183 Unhealthy
List the three major pollutants you think are responsible for reduced air quality in San Diego.
CO2, Nitrogen, Smoking
8: Go back to the report card page and find the water quality section. Click on the “See how your county’s water quality stacks up” link. What are the two categories and percentages listed?
Percentage of Surface Waters with Impaired or Threatened Uses (state + EPA data): 80%-90%
Number of Impaired Waterbodies (as reported by the state): 70%-80%
9: Scroll down the page and locate the top two pollutants and percentages for (rivers, lakes and creeks) category, the (lakes, reservoirs, and ponds) category and (estuaries, bays and coasts) category. List some ideas as to the source of the potential water pollutants here in San Diego.
Rivers, Lakes and Creeks:
Pathogens 64%
Sediments 36%
Lakes, Reservoirs and Ponds:
Nutrients 100%
Salinity 50%
Estuaries, bays, coasts:
Pathogens 86%
Nutrients 21%
Pathogens: Inadequately treated sewage
Sediments: Eroding land
Salinity: Agricultural runoff
10: Go to the URL: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/. This site is the San Diego County Office of Environmental Health.
Describe the role of this office:
The role of this office is to notify us what is happening within in our city.
11: Type or click on the URL: http://www.sdcountry.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/hhw.html. Read the information on “What is Hazardous Waste?” and list 8 common household items that are classified as hazardous waste. How many of these do you have in your house? Indicate which are in your home. (*)
*windex
*Automotive Fluids
*Batteries
*Computer, Monitors, Televisions
Fertilizers
*Fluorescent Lights
*Household Cleaners
*clorox wipes
12: Click on the hazardous materials pollution prevention link: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/pollution_prevent.html. In your opinion, what three pieces of prevention advice are the best/most relevant? Why?
Preventing spills and accidental releases- Spills and accidental releases are big and could harm a whole ecosystem or a whole population.
Organic/ recycled - more expensive, people go for the cheaper stuff
Choosing products that are reusable- Non-reusable products could be sent to landfills which then can pollute the waters
13: Click on the Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Facilities link and list 3 certified disposal sites in San Diego.
California Center for Sustainable Energy
San Diego County Water Authority
Recycling and household hazardous waste collection event
14: Go to http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/chd_hhw_sharps.html. What are sharps? How and where should sharps be disposed of? What are some dangers sharps present?
Sharps are needles, syringes and lancets. Sharps could be disposed of by using a mail-back service for proper disposal. Dangers of sharps are injuries, germs and diseases.
15: Go to http://www.earth911.org/master.asp. Look around the page and do a little research on electronics and battery hazardous waste. What are some of the problems with these types of waste? What are the recycling/disposal options?
It's harmful to the environment. Recycling these things in a safer way where it won't cause anyone diseases.
Conclusion: Write a conclusion about your reaction to this information. Were you surprised? What bothers you most? What are some potential solutions?
After answering these questions and getting the answers of these toxic materials, i feel ashamed and embarrassed on how the places you think are safe and a place to be can have the most toxic pollutants. I never thought San Diego was included in this, in fact i knew freeways made a lot of CO2 by cars and is harmful to schools around, but i never knew San Diego is a worst toxicant. We could use safer things that aren't that toxic such as using borax to wash clothes then using tide.
