APES
Alec Humphries
Toxins-Neighborhood
1: Type in your zip code
92123
2: Under the “toxics” category- click on the link, “See how your county stacks up”.
List the 6 categories and relative percentage ranking for San Diego County.
Toxic Chemicals Released by Factories,
In 2002, this county ranked among the
Power Plants and Other Industrial
dirtiest/worst 20% of all counties in the
Companies
U.S. in terms of water releases.
Lead Hazards
1 percent of houses in SAN DIEGO
County have a high risk of lead hazards.
Worst Toxic Waste Sites (Superfund
In 2004, this county ranked among the
Sites)
cleanest/best 10% of all counties in the
U.S. in terms of the number of
designated Superfund sites.
Smog and Soot: How Much Air Pollution In 2003, this county ranked among the
is Released in Your Community?
dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the
U.S. in terms of air quality index.
Air Pollutants That Pose Cancer and
Based on EPA's most current data, this
Other Health Risks
county ranked among the dirtiest/worst
10% of all counties in the US in terms of
an average individual's added cancer
risk from hazardous air pollutants.
Percentage of Surface Waters with
Top 20% for dirtiest/worst of all the
Impaired or Threatened Uses (state +
counties in the U.S.
EPA data):
Number of Impaired Waterbodies
Top 30% for dirtiest/worst of all the
counties in the U.S.
Did the results surprise you at all, why or why not?
I wasn’t surprised. I feel for being the 8th largest city in the nation we are pretty good about
pollution and toxins.
3: Click on the “other chemical release and waste management attributes” link. List
the categories for which San Diego falls in the Dirtiest/Worst counties in the United
States (80-100%). How do you account for these levels being so high?
Water releases, Total off-site transfers, total production-related waste, air releases of
recognized carcinogens, Air releases of suspected carcinogens, Air releases of suspected
cardiovascular or blood toxicants, Water releases of suspected cardiovascular or blood
toxicants, Air releases of suspected endocrine toxicants, Air releases of suspected
neurotoxicants. I account for these levels being so high because we a large growing city that
has a very large port and we need stuff to move all around the world. I also think it is from
being so close to the border we have a lot of commerce and production.
APES
Alec Humphries
Toxins-Neighborhood
4: List the categories for which San Diego scores well in terms of environmental
pollutants (less than 20%). Why do you think the levels of these pollutants are so much
better here in San Diego? Explain.
Water releases of suspected carcinogens, Water releases of suspected developmental
toxicants, Water releases of suspected gastrointestinal or liver toxicants, Air releases of
suspected musculoskeletal toxicants, Water releases of suspected neurotoxicants, Water
releases of suspected reproductive toxicants, Water releases of suspected skin or sense
organ toxicants. I think that we are so good about this because we have organizations and
people that depend on the water and we are greatful.
5: Click the back button on your browser to get back to the pollution report card for your
zipcode. Click on the link “the top polluters” in your county. List the top 10 polluters
in San Diego County. What do you know about these companies? What do they
manufacture?
1. USMC Marine Corps MCB Camp Pendleton
2. National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (Nabasco)
3. Watkins MFG.
4. Southwest Marine inc.
5. Sony Electronics inc. Sony Tech. Center San Diego
6. US Navy Naval Air Station North Island
7. Duke Energy South Bay Power Plant
8. Signet Armorlite inc.
9. Caldera Spas inc.
10. ARCO San Diego Terminal
I think that these companies are good for San Diego and produce jobs that keep our
economy intact. They manufacture many things that are essential for the survival of San
Diego.
6: Go back to the report card page and click on the “top chemicals released” link, and list
the top 5 chemicals released in San Diego.
1. Nitrate Compounds
2. Lead Compounds
3. N-Butyl Alcohol
4. 1,2,4- Trimethylbenzene
5. Copper
7: Go back to the report card page and locate the air pollution section. Click on the “How
many days a year is your air unhealthy”? link. How many days did San Diego have good air
quality? 44 Moderate? 50 Unhealthy? List the three major pollutants you think are
responsible for reduced air quality in San Diego.
Pesticide pollution, carbon dioxide, and methane.
APES
Alec Humphries
Toxins-Neighborhood
8: Go back to the report card page and find the water quality section. Click on the “See how
your county’s water quality stacks up” link. What are the two categories and percentages
listed?
Percentage of Surface Waters with Impaired or Threatened Uses (state + EPA data): 8090%, Number of Impaired Waterbodies (as reported by the state): 70-80%
Percentage of Surface Waters with Impaired or Threatened Uses (state + EPA data): 8090%, Number of Impaired Waterbodies (as reported by the state): 70-80%
9: Scroll down the page and locate the top two pollutants and percentages for (rivers, lakes
and creeks) category, the (lakes, reservoirs, and ponds) category and (estuaries, bays and
coasts) category. List some ideas as to the source of the potential water pollutants here in
San Diego.
-Lakes: Nutrients (100%), Salinity (50%)
-Estuaries: Pathogens (86%), Nutrients (21%)
-Rivers: pathogens (64%), sediments (36%)
10: Go to the URL: http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/. This site is the San Diego County
Office of Environmental Health. Describe the role of this office:
Raises the quality of life for the residents of San Diego by protection and promoting public
health and safeguarding environmental quality.
11: Type or click on the URL: http://www.sdcountry.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/hhw.html. Read the
information on “What is Hazardous Waste?” and list 8 common household items that are
classified as hazardous waste. How many of these do you have in your house? Indicate
which are in your home.
 Aerosol Cans
 Automotive Fluids
 Batteries (auto, household, & rechargeable)
 Computer, Monitors and Televisions
 Fertilizers
 Fluorescent Lights - including tubes and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)
 Household Cleaners
 Mercury Items (inc. thermometers & thermostats)
 Motor Oil & Oil Filters
 Paint & Stains (latex & oil)
 Pesticides
 Pool Chemicals
 Propane
 Solvent
I have all of these wondrous things in my safe home.
12: Click on the hazardous materials pollution prevention link: http://
www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/pollution_prevent.html. In your opinion, what three
pieces of prevention advice are the best/most relevant? Why?
APES
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Alec Humphries
Toxins-Neighborhood
Choose safer, less toxic alternative products.
If you must purchase hazardous products, buy only the amount you need for the task
and use it all so you can help eliminate HHW.
Always store all your household chemicals in a protected and secure area away from
children, pets, and appliance pilot lights to prevent poisonings and home fires.
13: Click on the Household Hazardous Waste Disposal Facilities link and list 3 certified
disposal sites in San Diego.
 California Center for Sustainable Energy
 San Diego County Water Authority
 California Intergrated Wasted Management Board
14: Go to http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/deh/hazmat/chd_hhw_sharps.html. What are sharps?
How and where should sharps be disposed of? What are some dangers sharps present?
Sharps are items such as needles, syringes, and lancets. They can be disposed of by asking
your health care provider if they take back used needles, or mailing back your used needles
for proper disposal. Sharps are dangerous because they can injure people, they spread
germs, and they can spread HIV/AIDS.
15: Go to http://www.earth911.org/master.asp. Look around the page and do a little
research on electronics and battery hazardous waste. What are some of the problems with
these types of waste? What are the recycling/disposal options?
Some of the problems with these types of waste are that they can be used for household
purposes, but possibly become hazardous when disposed of improperly. These batteries
need to be disposed of properly to make glorious benefit for San Diego.
Conclusion: Write a conclusion about your reaction to this information. Were you
surprised? What bothers you most? What are some potential solutions?
I wasn’t very surprised because I know that this stuff is going on all over the world and San
Diego isn’t just some safe haven for the environment, we have our dirty little secrets too.
What bothered me the most was the pollution of our water ways because it is San Diego’s
largest asset. If we educate the population of this subject they can put in a larger effort on
the environment and its survival in the urbanized world.