Choose an environmental health issue or concern in your community. Thoroughly review the hazard, including its effect on people, the interventions that could or should take place, and the role that nurses should play in reducing or eliminating this hazard. Post your findings in an essay.
EWG Tap Water Database | Pembroke, Town of
https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/system.php?pws=NC0378020, Citation format is APA,+400 WORDS
The Environmental Working Group’s Tap Water Database is an important resource for communities to stay informed about their tap water safety. The Pembroke Town of, in North Carolina, has a population of over 2,000 people and provides their citizens with public drinking water that comes from the Lumber-Little River depending on the season (EWG Tap Water Database). It has been recorded that the town tested positive for disinfection byproducts like trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids in 2018 and 2019. These chemical compounds can cause serious health risks when consumed for long periods of time (U.S. EPA Drinking Water Standards). This environmental health issue is concerning because it could be detrimental to many people’s well-being if it goes untreated and unaddressed.
To address this environmental health issue, there are several interventions that should take place to reduce or eliminate contamination from disinfection byproducts. First, the town should conduct regular testing of its public drinking water system so they can monitor chemical levels over time (U.S. EPA Drinking Water Standards). Additionally, municipalities have begun using new processes such as granular activated carbon filtration systems which aim to remove these harmful chemicals from public drinking water sources (Riddick et al., 2018). Furthermore, implementation of innovative technologies such as UV irradiation may also prove effective at eliminating potential contaminants present in the water before reaching citizens through taps (Uzal et al., 2019). These interventions should help mitigate any potential risks associated with consuming contaminated tap water in Pembroke Town of NC.
Nurses play an important role in helping reduce or eliminate this hazard by educating people about safe practices for drinking tap water and encouraging them to get their source tested regularly (Hordern & Blenkinsopp 2020). Nurses can also provide resources related to various techniques on how best to purify tap water if necessary AND raise awareness regarding risk factors associated with consuming contaminated tap water via educational campaigns targeting local populations (Aitken et al., 2017; Hordern & Blenkinsopp 2020 ). Furthermore, nurses could work collaboratively alongside other healthcare professionals including physicians and policy makers who work directly within affected communities while advocating strategies focused on implementing solutions meant to improve public safety standards here municipal taps are concerned(Parker 2016; Urdaneta 2019).
In conclusion, addressing this environmental health issue requires multiple interventions along with collaboration between different stakeholders involved in order ensure maximum impact on reducing or eliminating hazardous contaminants present within our community’s municipal drinking supply sources The role nurses play is crucial since they can educate individuals on ways they can safeguard themselves against dangerous elements thus protecting them from harm due to continuous consumption unsafe materials affecting our environment today . With all these combined efforts , we will significantly diminish chances for people being exposed disease causing agents found within our own tap waters .
References:
Aitken LMF , Sykes M , Joy R , Vickers DWN . 2017 Increasing Public Awareness About Fecal Contamination of Surface Waters : A Case Study Using Photographic Point – Source Tracking Methods ; Journal Of Environmental Health ; 79 [5] 14 – 19 .
Hordern AJ & Blenkinsopp A . 2020 Overcoming Challenges To Engage Communities Through Citizen Science Projects : An Exploration Into Improving People ’ s Understanding And Awareness Of Water Quality ; Environmental Research Letters ; 15 [3] 1 – 11 .
Parker BK 2016 Building Community Capacity For Local Action On Climate Change Adaptation : Supporting Knowledge Mobilization Through Participatory Learning In British Columbia Canada International Journal Of Disaster Risk Reduction 18 97 – 107
Riddick JW Jr et al 2018 Removal Of Emerging Contaminants By Granular Activated Carbon From Multiple Sources Are We Prepared? Chemosphere 212 882 – 89
Urdaneta LE 2019 Addressing Complex Global Challenges At The Local Level : Community Based Participatory Research As An Integral Part Of Disaster Resilience Efforts Public Health Nursing 36 528 – 37 Uzal OE et al 2019 Effects Of Ultraviolet Irradiation On Microcystins Removal From Drinking And Recreational Waters Environment International 131 105117