Benji Jones (2021, October 6) Why the Huntington Beach oil spill is so harmful to wildlife. From https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/22708654/oil-spills-wildlife-huntington-beach-california

On October 2, an oil pipe in Southern California ruptured, spewing an estimated 144,000 gallons of crude into the Pacific Ocean. Thuis spill created a toxic oil slick off the coast with about a 13-mile radius. This spill affects multiple marshes in the surrounding areas leading to many avian species threatened with extinction. Oil slicks also kill phytoplankton, which offsets entire food chains. 

Oil spills, one of the most toxic additives to water pollution, are very detrimental to its surroundings. Preventing oil spills would be crucial in reducing the amount of damage caused by water contaminants. This article helps show how many different things can go wrong and how badly they can affect the environment. One leak in an oil rig leading to a 13-mile  radius of toxicity is a huge problem when thinking about how much wildlife there is in such a large range of water.  

Renee Elefante (2022, January 4) As OC Taps New Drinking Water Sources, Worries About Contamination Arise. From   https://voiceofoc.org/2022/01/as-oc-digs-deeper-for-drinking-water-worries-about-contamination-arise/ 

As a result of drought, many are beginning to tap groundwater for drinking. While finding contaminants already in the ground water, along comes further contaminants caused by the tapping itself. Not only is groundwater used for excess water, but so is desalination. This process, removing salt from ocean water, creates brine that is run off into the ocean. This brine is extremely harmful to the marine environment. Yet another problem found with water contamination is in Anaheim with trihalomethanes. Trihalomethanes are a byproduct of chlorine put into water, but research has linked trihalomethanes to diagnoses of bladder cancer.

There are many causes of water pollution in California and many that are unexpected. Most people think desalinization is a good alternative for getting clean water because the breineleft off, or the salty substance, is okay to put back in the ocean since it is only salt. That is not true. All this brine going into the ocean is extremely harmful for wildlife and is an issue that will continue to grow until people are aware of its negative effects. 

Sean Bothwell (2021, October 19) Clean water in California is overdue. From https://calmatters.org/commentary/2021/10/clean-water-in-california-is-overdue/

Water pollution in California is plagued with unsafe substances such as pesticides which has many fish on the brink of extinction. These unsafe waters are primarily undealt with in underserved communities of color. The Clean Water Act reduced pollution for traditional industrial outfalls, but continues to ignore the places in most dire need. Communities of low-income people such as anglers need fish to be their source of food to survive but are unfortunately continuing to eat fish that are contaminated. 

Not only is water pollution affecting the stability of humans financially but is also pushing wildlife onto the brink of extinction. While all of the main causes of water pollution such as pesticides and other natural pollutants seem like smaller, solvable issues, in reality there is not much time to spare. This article highlights the differences in treatment between prioritized  communities versus communities  in most need of help. 

Dan Ross (2021, October 6) Contamination a ‘huge challenge’ for affordable drinking water in California. From https://sacramento.newsreview.com/2021/10/06/contamination-a-huge-challenge-for-affordable-drinking-water-in-california/

Stanislaus County is taking a big hit from water contamination caused by agricultural runoff. This town home to low-income families is not going well considering they are now paying 300% more than state avg. for clean water. Resorting to groundwater is not an option because of a major drought. These polluting chemicals have been linked to results in many health conditions such as cancer, immunotoxicity and liver disease. These chemicals, while in low exposure with humans, are still able to cause negative effects due to their high toxicity.

Stanislaus county is taking the hits for toxic agricultural runoff into their water supply. Unfortunately, this area cannot afford to be having these problems considering almost all of its residents are of a lower-income. Preventing the use of pesticides and other chemicals used for agriculture is a very large debate and most likely will not subside in time to clear Stanislaus’s water supply.  

Kara Manke (2022, January 11) Safe drinking water remains out of reach for many Californians. From https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/01/220111153647.htm

Access to clean and affordable water in California has become harder to come by. This article reports on the three most common contaminants, Arsenic, Nitrate, and Hexavalent chromium. These chemicals are mainly discovered in natural groundwater. It is found there is a large amount of these contaminants found in domestic wells which supports most Californians “clean” water. They combined data from California’s community water systems, domestic well permits, residential tax parcels, building footprints and census results to rule out housing being supported by contaminated wells.

Not only is wildlife being affected negatively by water pollution, but so are humans. As these natural contaminants continue to be found in groundwater, there are less options for access to clean water. Undergoing regular water testing for contaminants will be very crucial to human health. This article highlights the naturalitty of these toxins and how hard they are to terminate.