KNOW YOUR BEACH!

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The sun is out, the weather is gorgeous and the beach is your playground. But before you dive in, make sure you know what you are getting yourself into. The Environmental Protection Agency has a plethora of information from extensive research and testing on the bodies of water we love to play in for some summer fun. The EPA has listings of all the pollutants you should be aware of and the effects they can have on your health.

Living in Los Angeles, the closet beach to me would be the Santa Monica Bay. So, I took the liberty to find out what pollutants would be in our beach close to home.



POLLUTANTS IN SANTA MONICA BAY BEACH:

DDT: A highly toxic pesticide that was once widely used to control insects on agricultural crops and insects that carry diseases. The residues left behind by DDT can become concentrated in certain living organisms, especially fish. EPA has banned the registration and interstate sale of DDT for nearly all uses in the United States. Effects: headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and tremors. MORE

Chlordane: a man-made mixture of chemicals that was widely used as an insecticide. They are now banned by the EPA for its cancer causing affects. Effects; on the liver, kidney, blood, thyroid, and respiratory and nervous systems from chronic exposure to chlordane via inhalation. Chronic exposure of humans to chlordane by inhalation results primarily in effects on the nervous system. Neurological effects, such as headache, dizziness, irritability, and convulsions, and effects on the blood. MORE

POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs) are from incomplete burning of carbon-containing materials like oil, wood, garbage or coal. Shellfish living in contaminated water and then consumed may be another major source of exposure. Effects; A person’s lungs, liver, skin, and kidneys can be damaged by exposure. Shown to cause lung and skin cancer in laboratory animals. MORE

PCBs (Polychlorinated biphenyls) is a toxic are a group of man-made chemicals which contaminates the ocean water. They are used in making electrical equipment and plasticizes. PCBs get into the environment through spills, leaks from electrical and other equipment, and improper disposal and storage. It is estimated that more than half of the PCBs produced have been released into the environment. Effects; short-term changes in the activity of the liver, but without any noticeable symptoms. Chloracne-small, pale, yellow skin lesions that may last from weeks to years. Large amounts of PCBs given to laboratory animals over a short time can cause cancer. MORE