Water Pollution in our Homes
Water is essential for life on Earth to flourish and is revered and worshipped in many cultures. Although our water treatment systems filter out the majority of contaminants, some pharmaceutical drugs, fertilizers, chemicals, and microplastic particles still make it back into our water cycle, oceans and the food-chain.
It is easy to become overwhelmed and depressed by the sheer scale of damage our species has caused our planet. The facts are dismal. Each year approximately 8 million tonnes of plastic waste end up in the ocean, and by 2050, according the the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, it is estimated that there could be ‘more plastic in the sea than fish’. Source. Despite this, industries continue with plastic production creating 390m tonnes of C02 a year, yet only 9% of the World’s plastic even gets recycled! Source. Many of our rivers run bright green due to industrial and agricultural run-off and our air quality can be so poor, we must stay indoors. As many as 36,000 deaths a year are contributed to long term exposure to air pollution which is now seen as the biggest environmental threat to health in the UK. Source.
But rather than get overwhelmed and despondent about our predicament, Amma tells us to light the candle of hope in our hearts and move forward. Since the pandemic we have all had to adjust to travelling less and working from home more, and this has had a positive impact on our environment, cutting emissions, improving air quality, and bringing wildlife back into our cities and more birds into our gardens.
Houses are sources of pollution so any positive adjustment we make in our homes and lifestyles will trickle down to affect the environment. We need to be mindful that what we pour down the sink or outside drain does leave our property, but that does not mean it leaves the planet. Microplastics, and other pollutants such as pharmaceuticals and PFAs enter drinking water from our homes, surface run off, wastewater effluent and sewer overflows.
Not only are chemicals damaging to the environment, they can also harm our health. However tempting it may feel to strive for the ultra-bling sparkling look that only bleach can deliver, bleach is one of our most hazardous of cleaning products. Research by Harvard university and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research found that using bleach just once a week increases our chances of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary heart disease.
Many new products we buy for our homes also have the potential to pollute. Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large family of synthetic chemicals all containing carbon-fluorine bonds which are one of the strongest in organic chemistry. PFAS have been in production since the 1950s and are found in stain resistant carpets, water resistant clothing, non-stick cookware, some toiletries, paints and varnishes and products that repel oil, water and grease. They do not break down. They migrate into the groundwater, surface water, soil and air and can be found in the blood of both humans and animals worldwide. They are difficult and costly to clean up and the more they are released, the more they build up in the environment, drinking water and food. Source. PFAS are linked to liver damage, increased cholesterol levels, and increased risk of kidney and testicular cancer. Source.
As an alternative to buying new manufactured products, we could mend, swap, buy second-hand or buy eco products made with natural materials. We can reflect on the impermanent nature of these new products and the fleeting feeling of ‘happiness’ they bring us. Are they necessary or do they just turn off our restless mind for a short while before we start seeking joy in the next new item?
However well we recycle, it will not solve the problem of microplastic water pollution. Over two thirds of UK recyclable waste is exported, to be dealt with reluctantly by other countries whose water treatment facilities may be inadequate.
Spending more time in our homes means that we have more control over how we recycle and the products that go into our water waste. Here are nine ways to clean up our act, one drop at a time.
1. Do not discard unwanted medications down the toilet or bin. Pharmaceutical drugs do not all get filtered out during water purifying processes. They cause harm to aquatic life and make their way back into our drinking water. Take unwanted medications to a local chemist where they can be disposed of correctly.
2. Switch to natural cosmetics and toiletries, avoiding those containing microplastics, PFAS and other endocrine disrupters. Cosmetics are often loaded with microplastics and nanoplastics that are added to lipsticks, foundations and sunscreens which flow straight from the bathroom sink to the sewage. This app, Beat the Micro Bead, uses a software that identifies products containing 500 different microplastics to help us make more ethical consumer choices. Find out where cosmetics can be recycled using an online recycling tool.
3. Use eco-friendly paint in the home and dispose of all toxic DIY products in the designated areas of recycling centres, never down the drain.
4. Try to wear only natural fibres to reduce the amount of microplastic particles being released through laundry processes. Although they are more expensive in the short term, they last longer. Wool has water repelling properties, raw silk is beneficial to the skin and cotton breaths naturally. Find out more about repairing, upcycling and reusing clothes at Love Your Clothes here.
5. Household food waste makes up approximately 70% of the UK total food waste, therefore freeze leftover food and plan meals carefully. Love Food Hate Waste teaches more about that here.
6. Shop in local farmers markets or health food shops where produce isn’t individually wrapped in plastic, or better still, grow your own food. Cook from scratch to reduce buying plastic packaging. The app, My Little Plastic Footprint helps you reduce your plastic footprint by putting users on a ‘plastic diet’.
7. Avoid buying non-stick cooking equipment which contain PFAs and switch to stainless steel or copper pans. Check labels for PFAs when buying new household items. Consider searching for your local Repair Café where volunteers will fix broken household goods for free. This can reduce the amount of PFAs being released into the environment and amount of rubbish going into landfill.
8. Use eco-friendly cleaning products from brands such as Ecover, BioD, or Method or make your own cleaning products. Ash is an effective cleaning product due to its high alkaline content (and is used widely in Amritapuri).
9. Find creative ways to conserve our precious water remembering that globally one in ten people do not have access to clean water. Amma often recalls the days when, as a young girl, she would wait all day for one pot of water for the whole family. She has said that she cries inside when she sees a dripping tap and immediately wants to shut it tight.
May all our homes become beautiful ashrams dedicated to our most beloved Amma and may we all find the patience and shraddha to continue to scrutinise and improve how hard we tread.
More information can be found on the Plastic Soup Foundation website
Chloe, Eben and GreenFriends (with the help of the university of Google).
