Poisoned Waters, Biology Summary of PBS DVD

Poisons, Pollution,Toxins in U.S. Coastal Waters, Frontline TV DVD

Apr 23, 2009

Six-legged frogs, chicken waste equivalent to the waste output of 4 major cities, are part of a PBS view that is discomforting. What can be done to stop this pollution?

Poisoned Waters, a Public Broadcasting System (PBS), Frontline Documentary, runs for almost two hours. Hedrick Smith, a Pulitzer-Prize-Winning author, produced and narrated the documentary.

Polluted Waters of Chesapeake Bay, Duwamish River, Puget Sound, and Clean Water Act

Poisoned Waters gives examples of East and West Coast pollution. The eastern story centers on the dying Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. Fifty years ago, the Bay was rich in striped bass, shad, yellow perch, crabs, oysters, and clams. Now, productivity is reduced by one-third to one-half. Forty years ago, President Nixon signed the Clean Water Act and started the EPA with Bill Ruckelshaus as its activist director. DDT was quickly banned as dangerous. Nevertheless, today more pollution abounds and continues.

The Delmarva region has grown with building, commerce, population and pollution. Both urban pollution, from run-off of densely-populated business districts like Tysons Corner, and the intense chicken farm activities, add significantly to the unhealthy streams and tributaries that feed the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay. Chicken farms are huge fecal wastelands, dominated by the major processors, Perdue and Tyson. The chicks, feed and adults are company-controlled entities, but all chicken waste is left and belongs to the landowners, who have all the responsibilities for containment and disposal. That is a big problem. Currently wastes are placed in sheds to prevent runoff, and much of it is dried and pelleted for sale as fertilizer. Nevertheless, runoff continues from multiple sources as the Bay and Potomac River continue to degrade.

Algal Blooms, Dead Zones and Endocrine Disruptors

Runoffs from the described farms and other industrial wastes cause major blooms of algae due to the phosphorous and nitrogen that enter the waters and cause massive growth of algae. The algae grow and die cyclically. Billions upon billions of dead algae sink and blanket living plants below, which also die. Soon there are complete dead zones of plants and animals. Currently, 40 % of the Bay is dead.

Endocrine disruptor effects of chemicals is another problem. Waste water, containing chemicals from toothpastes, deodorants, household sprays, body lotions, soaps, shampoos, auto oils and additives, metals, ultimately ends up in the Chesapeake Bay. The endocrine disruptors are not fully identified, but they have dramatic effects that include six-legged frogs and male fish with eggs inside them.

Puget Sound and the Duwamish River, PCBs and Pollution

Seattle is the second focus of the documentary. The Duwamish River is a major industrial area. Upstream is the famous Boeing airplane company. Industrial wastes, including the very dangerous PCBs (polychorobiphenyls), have made the river a Superfund project. The complexities of fixing responsibilities and blame for PCBs and distributing cost are obvious. Seattle's King County Commission, with jurisdiction for 1.8 million residents, now restricts, by the Critical Area Ordinance, sub-development of property by homeowners outside of Seattle. These laws and regulations aim to preserve the natural, purifying benefits of large vegetation areas for downstream waters. This controversial restriction of homeowners’ rights is addressed and the conflict clearly shows pollution has major impacts both long- and short-time. King County Executive, Ron Sims', has been threatened, but proceeds to have the law enforced..

Orca Whales, Chinook Salmon, PCBs and Puget Sound

The killer whales in Puget Sound form a natural, year-round, native population of several families or pods. Samples of the blubber (fat) taken and sampled periodically show high concentrations of PCBs in the mammals' fat. Further, orca babies, which feed on the milk of the mother, are dying at higher proportions than ever before. Orcas are at the top of the food chain. Orcas reflect the accumulations of PCBs present from the smallest to the largest life forms. The toxins and poisons in natural foods afflict these whales (and Chinook salmon) which show high PCBs that concentrates in critical fatty tissues and organs (liver, spleen, kidney, intestines). This is disturbing because PCBs in the orca mammalian bodies reflect features in our mammalian bodies.

Poisoned Waters is a troubling, pollution story often repeated and continued on planet earth. The pollution-toxin problems of natural waters and major estuaries are pervasive, costly and demand the highest of wisdom, will and effort to win these waters back to health. Another chapter waits to be written. Will it be sad, or good? It is up to all, to take control, prevent and correct.

The copyright of the article Poisoned Waters, Biology Summary of PBS DVD in Pollution Control is owned by Donald Reinhardt. Permission to republish Poisoned Waters, Biology Summary of PBS DVD in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.