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Tuesday’s top of the scroll: Sacramento area is Delta’s top pesticide source, study finds

Posted by: Maven on July 14, 2009 at 8:52 am

From the Sacramento Bee:

Urban Sacramento is the leading source of pesticide contamination disrupting the Delta aquatic environment, according to new research on pollution in the estuary.

The study, led by UC Berkeley toxicologist Donald Weston, found enough pyrethroid pesticides in the American River to kill tiny shrimp – among the first links in the aquatic food chain. Those pesticides likely reached the river from urban storm drains, which collect runoff from the Sacramento area’s 1.4 million residents.

For five years, biologists have hunted for the cause of a collapse in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem, a water supply for 23 million Californians. Nine fish species are declining, from tiny Delta smelt to giant green sturgeon. Weston’s research supports the theory that no single villain is to blame. The problem probably lies at the complex interface between people and water.

“We were just amazed by this data,” said Weston. “The American River is not supposed to be toxic. I think it reflects the fact that the river’s going through 30 miles of heavy urbanization.”

The study also found that among the water sources tested, Sacramento’s regional wastewater treatment plant is the single largest source of pyrethroid pollution in the Delta. The plant discharges treated sewage into the Sacramento River near Freeport.

Read more from the Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

July 14, 2009 · Filed Under Delta Issues

Comments

One Response to “Tuesday’s top of the scroll: Sacramento area is Delta’s top pesticide source, study finds”

  1. Sue Hooper on November 1st, 2009 3:12 pm

    Please read “a call to {f]arms” It will give you many ideas on what to do. #1 Show the environment people. As are doing harm.#2 Hammer the fed judges who agreed with them. ask any young reporter in Calif to take this problem on. It might win them a prize as no one else is writing about this. Ask brietbart to get involved. Get the names and locations of the environment people and put those names out in a blog. do to them what they tried to do to Glenn. Insiders,sent Glenn and Sean an e-mail saying that you will call in and let the rest of the nation hear again what is happening. My e-mail address is suehooper21@gmail.com. Getting comment through can be hard unless it very early in the morning. E-maials tell us all were to look

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