Office of technology assessment warns of waste disposal in marine environments

Journal Article · Mon Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6158092

Waste disposal is threatening the health of US estuaries and coastal waters; without additional protection, many of these waters will either begin or continue to degrade over the next decade. Estuaries and coastal waters are heavily used as a source of food and for recreation. However, reports of human illness from eating contaminated shellfish or swimming in contaminated waters are increasing. Commercial harvesting is prohibited or partially restricted for about one-third of their productive shellfishing areas because of contamination. Many other effects of waste disposal occur around the US. Dwindling options for disposal of wastes on land and lower costs for most types of marine disposal are among the factors pressing coastal communities and industries to dispose of their wastes in marine waters. Estuaries and coastal waters bear the brunt of waste disposal; as a result, many of these waters now contain high levels of organic chemicals, metals, and disease-causing organisms, along with excess nutrients and low oxygen levels.

• OSTI ID: 6158092
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 37:6; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520200* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
COASTAL WATERS
CONTAMINATION
ELEMENTS
ESTUARIES
INVERTEBRATES
MANAGEMENT
MARINE DISPOSAL
METALS
MOLLUSCS
NUTRIENTS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
SURFACE WATERS
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WATER POLLUTION