This chapter discusses Polychlorinated Biphenyls and how they have contaminated our waters and are effecting our fish supply. After World War II PCBs became more popular and industries like Monsanto wanted it to be more commercially used. Since the commercial manufacturing, since about the 1930s the effects of PCBs has been known. It was shown in the Swann Company, where their workers showed health issues. The pollution from industries using PCBs has shown to affect their workers and also nearby residents, due to the toxicity. Until eventually people became aware that PCBs were an environmental issue. PCBs are also found in fish in our water systems and can cause serious effects in humans who are consuming fish contaminated, such as liver damage or damage to the reproductive system. These chemicals do not just go away, and these companies are damaging the environment and its people, all to make more money.
After reading this chapter it made me much more aware of how easy it can be to be eating something that could be contaminated as an effect of these companies. I personally do not eat fish, but it is something to keep in mind when I see family or friends eating fish. It was interesting to see that this is an issue that effects our home, New Jersey, and is not something we just hear about happening somewhere else. This is a real issue to be aware about and take action to fight against.
1 Comment
After reading the first chapter of “Protecting New Jersey’s Environment”, which is about the “War on cancer”, it proved to be both emotional and eye opening. This chapter opened my eyes to the amount of chemicals and waste products in our air and environment that affect our lives. One of the Examples, Thomas uses in the book is what is referred to as the Cancer Alley, Which is a stretch of highway in New Jersey filled with car manufactures, pesticide companies, Landfills, and waste sites. Thomas brings to the reader’s attention that these companies and factories release pollutants into the air and use many chemicals in their processes that in turn, we as residents of these communities are exposed to unknowingly. This opened my eyes to how these companies can actually effect my health, and how the environment I live in matters.
Thomas also discusses his heart breaking experience with his brother dying from cancer. He creates a link between the region someone lives in and the cancer that is found there and what type of pollutants they are exposed to. The research being done calls these groups of people with the same types of cancer within an area a “cancer cluster” these clusters show the types of cancer that are prominent in a certain area. Although it may not directly link the cancer to the pollutants these people are exposed to in their daily lives. Thomas works towards this theory to try to discover reason for his brother’s battle with cancer. I however think it is interesting that the research started to happen and see these cancer clusters, and the next step would be to examine the environments and towns these residents come from and study the air and see if there is a link. The waste products these companies produce not only damage their workers’ health but also the entire surrounding area of residents. I think this is an area of research that should be studied more to see if these waste products are the cause of cancer among those that live nearby. This chapter made me reflect and think about where I live and where my family lives and what we may be getting exposed to from our surrounding area and what can be done to control it. As a lot of these companies, probably do not care what damage they cause to the environment or to the residents, which instead I believe residents should know what the risks are and how pollutants can effect their health. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
April 2018
Categories |