ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Iowa

In 2008 , heavy summer rains led to extreme flooding in Muscatine , Iowa , a town with a large , growing Hispanic and migrant population . Flooding can cause well water contamination from bacteria , nitrates and pesticides , making it unsafe to drink . As the only drinking water source for some families in this area , it was essential to determine which wells were safe . The state department of health and State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa used their Grants to Counties program to sample the contaminated wells and provide bottled water until the well water was safe to drink . n

References

1 . US Environmental Protection Agency . EPA Annual Environmental Justice Progress Report FY 2020 . Accessed March 11 , 2021 . Available from : https :// www . epa . gov / sites / production / files / 2021-01 / documents / 2020 _ ej _ report-final-web-v4 . pdf

2 . World Health Organization . Arsenic Long Term Health Effects . Accessed March 11 , 2021 . Available from : https :// www . who . int / news-room / fact-sheets / detail / arsenic #:~: text = Long % 2Dterm % 20exposure % 20 to % 20arsenic , increased % 20deaths % 20in % 20 young % 20adults .

A laboratory scientist tests water samples for coliform . Photo : State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa