Pesticide and Water Pollution in California

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Abstract San Francisco Bay Area water pollution is a serious problem. The sources of pollution include mercury contamination, pesticide pollution, and storm drain runoff. Water runoff is causing oil, trash, pesticides, and murcury to travel from urban and industrial areas into the bay. Mercury is a harmful neurotoxin that is harmful for developing fetuses and young children. Pesticides are used to kill unwanted pests, but are polluting the water with toxic chemicals that can have large halflifes, which means they stay in the water many years causing harm to plants and animals who depend on fresh water to survive. Storm drains carry unfiltered water into the bay, which can carry harmful substances like pesticides, oil, lawn trimmings, and trash. Many species of fish and wildlife, including endangered species, are declining in population. Water pollution is a serious problem that the state of California needs to address. Introduction Storm water runoff is unfiltered water which flows across impervious surfaces and goes into creeks, rivers, lakes, and the ocean (“Stormwater Runoff”, 2010). When contaminated materials are included in storm water’s pathway, the storm water carries pollutants. Also, storm water erodes materials on its pathway. Pollution caused by storm water is called “storm water runoff pollution”. In the U.S., the storm drain system (it is connected to the drain of gutters, driveways, and streets) is usually separated from the sanitary sewer drain system (connected to toilet and sink, for example) which deals with pollutants. Thus, storm water flows directly into water streams. Even if the storm water drain system is connected to treatment plants, flooding causes storm water overflow. Impervious surfaces reduce the amount of water which seeps into the ground and

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