Erin Brockovich made hexavalent chromium famous with her $330 million lawsuit against Pacific Gas and Electric. Image: CC public.resource.org/Flickr

A cancer-causing chemical has been detected in drinking water samples from numerous U.S. cities. A study released by the Environmental Working Group released Monday found that hexavalent chromium contaminated municipal water supplies in 31 of 35 cities tested. Hexavalent chromium, also known as chromium-6, achieved notoriety in the movie “Erin Brockovich.”

Why hexavalent chromium is hazardous

Hexavalent chromium is dumped into the environment by steel and pulp mills, metal-plating and leather-tanning industries, according to the Environmental Working Group. EWG paid labs to test drinking water in 35 cities known to be contaminated by the cancer-causing chemical, which leaches into groundwater from eroding soil. An EWG scientist said evidence has been well-documented that a corollary exists between exposure to chromium-6 and stomach cancer in humans.The highest levels of hexavalent chromium were found in Norman, Okla., Honolulu, Hawaii, Riverside, Calif., Madison, Wis., and San Jose, Calif.

The chromium-6 study

The EWG study is the first nationwide assessment of hexavalent chromium in municipal water supplies. The study was made public as the Environmental Protection Agency considers a regulatory limit for chromium-6 in tap water. The National Institutes of Health classified hexavalent chromium a probable carcinogen in 2008. In 2009, California proposed a safe limit of hexavalent chromium levels in drinking water at 0.06 parts per billion. The EWG study found that in Norman public drinking water exceeded that limit by 200 times. Of the 35 cities in the study, 25 exceeded the proposed California limit.

EWG recommends reverse osmosis water filters

Hexavalent chromium is the cancer-causing chemical that starred in the movie “Erin Brockovich”. Brockovich, a real person, successfully sued Pacific Gas and Electric for contaminating the water supply of Hinckley, Calif., with chromium 6. The utility company paid more than $330 million in damages. Until the EPA regulates hexavalent chromium in drinking water, the EWG suggests a water filter. “Reverse osmosis” water filters are designed to remove heavy metals, including chromium, from drinking water. Reverse osmosis water filters can cost anywhere from about $120 to $300.

Sources

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USA Today

Medical News Today

In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is considered "the world tree." (Photo: ThinkStock)

Earth Day AND activities for kids? That’s a win-win situation for environmentalist parents. But for kids to truly appreciate the fun that can be had on Earth Day (April 22), it helps if mom and dad understand where Earth Day comes from and what it’s about. According to USA Today, this is the 40^th anniversary of Earth Day. Back in 1970, Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, who was an environmentalist at heart, proposed that April 22 be set aside as a day to honor the planet and efforts to protect its precious resources. The idea caught on, and later that year, Congress authorized the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in order to police environmental pollution.

Earth Day activities for kids should be achievable

Earth Day activities for kids should mirror the call the EPA has issued to all Americans to commit to five actions that will keep our environment safe. Whether one of yours is applying for payday loans online rather than creating paperwork in a store is up to you.  Five actions may not seem like much at first, but think about what would happen if everyone followed their five actions diligently. The world would be a cleaner place, for Earth Day and every other day. It’s easier to focus on a few actions rather than a long list, which makes similarly targeted Earth Day activities for kids much less overwhelming. It also makes it much cheaper for parents, to the point that low interest loans are unnecessary.

Speaking of activities, here are your five actions for the kids

Thanks to Main Street, here are your “five actions,” your Earth Day activities for kids:

1. Sort recyclables. Ideally, you live in an area with curbside recycling pickup. Even if you don’t, there are likely places where you can take your recycling products. Separate plastic bottles from aluminum cans and show kids the recycling symbols on the bottom so they know what it means to be green. Teach them young so that it becomes a way of life — not a sometimes project.
2. Don’t throw away jars. Glass or plastic, those jars can be used to hold pencils, your favorite beverage, flowers, pennies, small toys or even that kind of sticky goo kids get out of vending machines. Kids can even decorate the jars!
3. Join the energy patrol. At home, at school or anywhere else, saving water and electricity go a long way toward saving the environment and saving money. Formulating good ideas is great to include in your Earth Day activities for kids.
4. Spring cleaning – make it a game! Cleaning up the house and garage doesn’t sound like fun at first, but if you challenge your kids to find new ways to use old products, it gets them more involved and thinking green. Here are some ideas to get kids started with household recycling, courtesy of the UK site Recycle This.
5. Make an Earth Day crossword. If your child loves solving puzzles, make an Earth Day activities for kids-themed crossword to help them flex their language muscles. Or use this one, courtesy of the EPA.

Have a Happy Earth Day on April 22!

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Getting the Energy Star certification may be too easy. Image from Flickr.

When shopping for a new small or large appliance, the Energy Star label is supposed to be a guide of energy usage. A joint venture of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Energy Department, the Energy Star label currently functions as the guide for millions of dollars of government subsidies, as well as hundreds of thousands of consumer decisions each year. This is why it is especially worrisome that a recent Government Accountability Office audit was able to get over a dozen bogus products approved – everything from a gas-powered alarm clock that would practically require auto financing all the way to a space heater with fly paper attached.

Energy Star approved unrealistic products

When the Government Accountability Office submitted fictional products for approval, they were granted the Energy Star logo 15 times out of 20. Energy Star certifications were offered to products that claimed 20 percent more efficiency than any other product on the market – with absolutely no questions asked. A bogus air cleaner that was really a space heater with a duster and fly paper taped on was also certified.

Energy Star partnerships

Beyond approving products that were bogus or improbably specified, the GAO report on Energy Star also found that companies could easily get certified as partners. Once a company is certified an Energy Star Partner, they are allowed to use the Energy Star logo. This means products that carry the Energy Star logo may or may not have ever been tested by the EPA and Department of Energy. In other words, getting an Energy Star label may be easier than getting instant payday loans.

Energy Star requires outside certification?

For some products, the Energy Star label requires that the manufacturer provides “independent laboratory certification” of their energy savings claims. This includes products such as fluorescent lights and energy-efficient windows. However, fridges, washing machines, dishwashers, air conditioners, water heaters and more are not necessarily verified.

Changes to the Energy Star system

The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy have both put out statements responding to the GAO report. The Energy Department has “promised to set up a system of independent verification of products.” No matter what happens, it is certain that the Energy Star logo and Energy Star Certification need some serious attention – from regulators, their own government agencies and the public.

Sources:

G.A.O. Report 10-470