In figuring out the causes of the spread of disease in Hinckley, Brockovich compared results and found that contaminated water was a predictor. Specifically, water contamination with hexavalent chlorine spread in local reservoirs due to unwise PG&E activities to protect gas pipes from corrosion, Brockovich linked to increased disease incidence in the community. As a result of her work, she won a lawsuit against PG&E with a $333 million coercive payment. Notably, the valence of chromium (i.e., its oxidative state) matters in the context of epidemiological safety. For example, hexavalent chromium can cause severe problems to the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and immune systems, which is also true for the kidneys, blood, skin, and liver. Meanwhile, trivalent chromium is a relatively safe food supplement (Kośla et al., 2018). Consequently, the oxidative form of chromium in excess in water bodies has implications for local health.
An examination of the Wellsburg, West Virginia, water quality report highlights some intriguing results for 2020. In particular, the top three most common water pollutants can be identified. First is fluoride, with concentrations as high as 1,020 ppm, with a maximum contaminant load (MCL) of 4 (OEHS, 2021). Among the sources of this pollution are erosion of natural sediments, emissions from aluminum and fertilizer plants, and pollutants in the form of dental enhancers. Second, there is nitrate, which has a concentration of 0.9 ppm; MCL is 10, and the sources of pollution are runoff from fertilizer use, erosion of natural sediments, and leaching from septic tanks for wastewater. The exact concentration, MCL, and sources are a mixture of nitrates and nitrites, also contaminants of local waters. In terms of hazards, studies indicate that fluoride is more dangerous because it poses a threat to more people: in particular, the non-carcinogenic risks from fluoride were nearly three times higher than those from nitrate (Rezvani Ghalhari et al., 2021). To address such threats, the use of molecular filtration systems that trap contaminants and regular monitoring of water quality to assess its drinking and economic suitability are recommended. In addition, the use of safe substances that form safe compounds with fluorine in the water is a possible recommendation.
References
Kośla, T., Lasocka, I., Skibniewska, E. M., Kołnierzak, M., & Skibniewski, M. (2018). Trivalent chromium (Cr III) as a trace element essential for animals and humans. Medycyna Weterynaryjna, 74(9), 560-567.
OEHS. (2021). Consumer confidence report [PDF document]. Web.
Rezvani Ghalhari, M., Kalteh, S., Asgari Tarazooj, F., Zeraatkar, A., & Mahvi, A. H. (2021). Health risk assessment of nitrate and fluoride in bottled water: A case study of Iran. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28(35), 55-66. Web.