Milken Institute School of Public Health Poster Presentations (Marvin Center & Video)
Poster Number
34
Document Type
Poster
Status
Undergraduate Student
Abstract Category
Environmental and Occupational Health
Keywords
Environmental justice, petrochemical, international health, toxicants
Publication Date
Spring 2018
Abstract
The communities living in Baía de Todos os Santos (BTS) has been subjected to toxicants released into the environment by the growing petrochemical industry surrounding the area. Community members are concerned about the effects that these chemicals have on the health and wellbeing of the people, as well as the natural environment. Many of the communities are artisanal fishers and rely on the fish and shellfish produced by the bay for a living. Working in collaboration with the Movement of Artisanal Fisher People (MPP), this research aims to summarize previous research conducted in the BTS. The research describes the environmental quality of the Bay and exposures to humans and animals living in the bay. A target systematic review was conducted to identify peer reviewed literature meeting the search criteria. This study reviews twenty five scientific papers that monitor and evaluate the environmental conditions in BTS. The research found strong data that proves the environmental degradation occurring in BTS has a toxic effect on the air, sediment, and water quality in the area. Also, studies that analyze the biota living in the Bay indicated excess stress in the organisms due to the surrounding petrochemical plants that leak pollutants into the water. The chemicals found in all four categories: sediment, water, air, and biota were then scanned for possible carcinogenic effects, as well as the chronic and acute exposure effects on humans. The health impacts of these unregulated petrochemical plants on the residents of BTS have not been quantified. The summary was developed to be a foundation for potential change in policy or regulation of toxic chemicals in Baía de Todos os Santos.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Open Access
1
Environmental Degradation in Baía de Todos os Santos, Brazil: A Review of the Evidence
The communities living in Baía de Todos os Santos (BTS) has been subjected to toxicants released into the environment by the growing petrochemical industry surrounding the area. Community members are concerned about the effects that these chemicals have on the health and wellbeing of the people, as well as the natural environment. Many of the communities are artisanal fishers and rely on the fish and shellfish produced by the bay for a living. Working in collaboration with the Movement of Artisanal Fisher People (MPP), this research aims to summarize previous research conducted in the BTS. The research describes the environmental quality of the Bay and exposures to humans and animals living in the bay. A target systematic review was conducted to identify peer reviewed literature meeting the search criteria. This study reviews twenty five scientific papers that monitor and evaluate the environmental conditions in BTS. The research found strong data that proves the environmental degradation occurring in BTS has a toxic effect on the air, sediment, and water quality in the area. Also, studies that analyze the biota living in the Bay indicated excess stress in the organisms due to the surrounding petrochemical plants that leak pollutants into the water. The chemicals found in all four categories: sediment, water, air, and biota were then scanned for possible carcinogenic effects, as well as the chronic and acute exposure effects on humans. The health impacts of these unregulated petrochemical plants on the residents of BTS have not been quantified. The summary was developed to be a foundation for potential change in policy or regulation of toxic chemicals in Baía de Todos os Santos.
Comments
Presented at GW Annual Research Days 2018.