There are many icky things in ponds: mosquito larvae, eels, leaches, drugs? and growth hormones? Silent Spring Institute of Newton chose six Cape Cod ponds and found elevated levels of 10 different compounds drifting about the ponds. The ponds had high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, two elements that can enter the water via septic waste and detergents. The main concern is that there may be links between the environment and cancer. The Cape is susceptible to chemical contamination of the water supply.
The Silent Spring Institute has developed a geographic information system to analyze associations between breast cancer and environmental features and studied the historical record and correlations between pesticide use and drinking water quality and also developed new methods for measuring environmental estrogens because of the discovery.
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Melissa Lawrence, Rutgers Student Intern, VERTICES, LLC
