MSDS: Tungsten Carbide

1. The health risks associated with this chemical include: Respiratory irritation, eye irritation, coughing, shortness of breath, hearing loss and lung damage.

2. Yes. The nickel and carbon are grouped as 2B carcinogens.

3. None

4. None. Only told that the MSDS was available for me to view during my orientation.

5. The health risks are consistent with those of the MSDS.

I believe that the MSDS makes it really easy to understand how to look up the health risks of literally every chemical in your surroundings, even those you've never really

considered chemicals. This is an excellent resource. I remember being told about the MSDS throughout different jobs I've had, but I didn't know it would be so easy to understand and serve a really great purpose.

Peak Food Conditions

The food peak issue is a complex one. Public Health officials must examine the rapid scarcity of items like rice, milk, chicken and others in a way that takes into account not only how each of these items fare individually over time, but also how they relate to one another and how the loss or gain of each item affects the others in unique ways. There is much to be done but we must acknowledge this as an issue among the general population if anything significant is to be done.  The possibility of mitigating the human effect on Peak Food Conditions is still available and we must move swiftly with a public campaign to bring more awareness to this issue in a way that can be easily communicated and understood by the general public. The biggest hurdle is to make sure the public understands that food is not limitless and we need to drastically decrease how much food we waste as well as understanding how to yield food more efficiently. A diet that is also based more on vegetables could provide great change in the right direction.

The public health importance of the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act was critical to preserving the integrity of our water with many provisions in place that protect our water from industry pollution and requires permits for disposal methods previously unregulated by law. Congress supported the act despite 2 presidents opposing the bill.

Before the act, it was common practice to dump waste water directly into fresh water sources which led to dangerous levels of toxins inside of water commonly used by the public. In Chicago the river population started to grow after these acts were in place and humans and animals were able to enjoy the water as life began to flourish in the river.

The clean water act aims to protect the public from toxins in water but serious updates are needed to our outdated sewer and storm drain systems because there are still many pollutants reaching our clean water systems.

Wastewater Facilities in Richmond, CA.

There is one wastewater treatment center in Richmond, CA by the name of Veolia Water.

Some facts and figures for Veolia include:

• Veolia Water has been operating in Richmond since 2002.

• Veolia employs 30 people in Richmond.

• The Veolia Richmond facility serves approximately 68,000 residents.

• Veolia manages sewer collection for the City of Richmond through 185 miles of underground pipes and the City's 197-mile storm water drainage system.

• Veolia has helped the City of Richmond reduce overflows by 84% in the last four years.

• Veolia processes a "dry weather average flow" of 6.5 million gallons of wastewater for the City of Richmond each day.

• Veolia has increased the facility's permit compliance record from 67% to 97% since taking over the 50+ year old plant.

• Veolia has implemented $43 million in capital improvements to the City of Richmond's sewer collection system.

• Veolia has implemented $14 million in capital improvements to the City of Richmond's wastewater treatment facility.

• Veolia has implemented $1.6 million in capital improvements to the City of Richmond's storm drain system

What is needed for an ideal Chemical Public Health Policy?

I think that a better codification of harmful chemicals should be developed for the public to be able to make quick and easy decisions about which items they choose to interact with in their everyday lives. For example when TV Ratings came out, they were slowly adopted as an easy way to identify what you were getting as far as content from your favorite TV shows so you could make better decisions on how to protect your kids from inappropriate content. The same could apply to household products, beauty items and other items and devices that use chemicals. Whether its a color code or numerical rating, this helps touch on the Louisville Charter's recommendation for full right-to-know disclosure. By letting consumers know what they're buying in a way that is easier to understand, we help empower them with information access with less barriers, and potentially creating a healthier environment free of dangerous chemical interactions with the public.

Environmental Racism in Richmond, CA

I am not even the slightest bit surprised that the Richmond Chevron Refinery made the list for corporations taking advantage of communities through Environmental Racism. I can still remember the 2012 Chevron refinery fire. This place is a stain on our community. Chevron likes to give back to the community they poison by sponsoring many school programs that focus on science and engineering at local schools. But that can not be equated with the damage there plant has been doing to Richmond for decades. They are regularly involved in the politics of the city of Richmond, which was on full display during Richmond's last election where Richmond spent millions of dollars to get pro-Chevron candidate Nat Bates elected as Mayor, an election he subsequently lost.

Richmond is a pioneer and one of the most innovative cities in the country; Richmond residents are getting smarter about these deceptive strategies by Chevron every day and the last election is a strong indicator of that.

Fernando's Water Quality

I was surprised to learn that my water comes all the way from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I always assumed as a Richmond resident that my water comes from the San Pablo Reservoir just because of its close proximity to where I live.

Another interesting thing that I learned was that sometimes water is sent from the Sacramento River to my home during times of high-demand or during drought periods. Furthermore, my water can be treated at a variety of different water treatment plants including Orinda and El Sobrante before the water reaches my faucet. I always assumed that my water was treated at the giant East Bay Mud head quarters in Oakland.

I discovered that the quality of my water meets all the standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Board and that the water is only tested to meet the standards set by those institutions. Which I am not sure if is a good or bad thing since doing the bear minimum to pass their tests is the equivalent to doing enough studying to pass a quiz as opposed to striving to ace the test.

I do not filter my water regularly, but I have tried to purchase a Brita Water Filter Container because I once had a friend who used one on his tap and it tasted delicious. I used it for 1 month before it broke and it was too expensive for me to try and get another one.

I will say that I was presently surprised by the comprehensive report on water quality in my area. It seems as if the report genuinely tries to inform you of how and why your water arrives to your faucet the way it does and I am glad that my water received a passing grade.

As far as bottled water goes, I literally drink AT LEAST 5 bottles of water a day. But I also drink at least 5 bottles of tap water a day as well. I didn't realize that so many brands (even the high end ones) are misleading in their marketing tactics on just how healthy their product is. I will definitely think twice about what kind of water I will drink the next time I am at the super market.

Contra Costa County
Environmental Health Services Report
by Fernando Diaz

I didn't expect much when browsing the web for environmental health services in Contra Costa County, i figured i figured there may be some food inspections and maybe some kitchen inspections but I was actually pleasantly surprised to find out we have a lot of unsung heroes in our community keeping us safe from harm, albeit a different kind of harm.

There are specialists in the areas of recreational health (pools, spas), hard waste, medical waste and even body art -- all in the name of protecting us from health dangers that are conducive to physical harm, toxicity and communicable diseases. I am now curious to see what other counties offer.


Contra Costa County
Environmental Health Services Report
By Fernando Diaz

I still can't figure out why I'm sitting on this couch right now and not sitting in front of the County Supervisors office protesting the amount of pollutants they are allowing to be spread throughout Contra Costa County. It is completely shocking that I am living in one of the top 10% dirtiest counties in America. There are gas and oil companies surrounding me and it's truly unbelievable. Companies like Tesoro, Chevron, Shell and other gas companies are polluting the county at a consistent rate and all the environmental justice data tells us that minority and low income residents are much more likely to be impacted by this, and that is truly sad. Fortunately the lead issues are pretty low at 1% yet 2800 homes are still at high-risk of lead poisoning.

There are 3 superfunds in my county, Superfund is the name given to the environmental program established to address abandoned hazardous waste sites in all aspects. One of the superfunds is the Naval Base in Concord and it seems as if they will be just be cleaning up solid waste and chemicals. It's kinda neat to know places like that won't stay untouched, but that there is someone to address those particular matters for the well-being of the public.

The air is also surprisingly clean, with good or moderate air quality at 80% and 20%, respectively. The water though, is a different story -- ranking worst in the country. 

The site is very helpful and informative and I shared it with my friends on facebook as well so they can learn more.

Watch Jane Hoolihan, Toxicologist, previously at Environmental Working Group - My Reaction

Today I woke up and went through my usual routine of shower, brushing my teeth and putting on cologne. But it was different this time, suddenly I felt as if all I was doing was hurting my body while performing these tasks that I have been used to my whole life.  The video truly changes your perception of the things going on around you and how harmful chemical compounds exist in almost everything we use or come in contact with. Knowing that companies have relatively free reign when adding chemicals to their products is a bit scary. And to learn that chemicals are already being induced into children before they're born is even scarier.

I feel that much more research must be done for this cause. I've always felt relatively knowledgeable about environmental health issues but I've already realized I haven't even scratched the surface. Doing so could possible open up a pandora's box of health risks associated with many common chemicals found in our everyday products similar to what we have learned about BPA's.

We would be remiss not to explore these concerns further as a country and environmental health should no longer take a back seat to other issues in our country. This is something that affects us all.  And as usual, poor people and minorities take the worst of it.

Fernando Diaz: Household Products

Product 1: Lysol Brand All Purpose Cleaner, Lemon Scent-Old

Main Concerns: Eye Contact: Causes eye irritation. Skin Contact: May cause skin damage. Inhilation: None expected. Ingestion: May be harmful if swallowed.

Reaction: No real surprise here. I pretty much grew up knowing that anything under the sink is considered bad for my health. Whenever I tried to open up the cabinets under the sink my mother would scold me and tell me all that stuff was bad and only used for cleaning. So i stayed away from that, and from cleaning. Apologies to my wife. It's mama's fault.

Product 2: Ajax with Bleach Powder Cleanser

Main Concerns: Eye contact: Causes eye irritation on direct contact. Skin contact: May cause skin irritation upon prolonged contact. Inhalation: No adverse effects due to inhalation are expected. Ingestion: May be harmful if swallowed in large quantities.

Reaction: Again no surprises. At this point of my life i pretty much expect anything under the sink to be poisonous enough to take down a horse. If i had a child though, I may rethink this whole thing.

Fernando Diaz: Personal Care Products Ingredients

Product 1: Suave Skin Therapy Moisturizing Lotion

Main Concerns: 

• Fragrance Components include risks such as immunotoxicity, severe allergic reactions to skin, and potential effects on the reproductive system.
• Demithicon as an ingredient is known to cause organ failure.
• Glycerin as an ingredient may be derived from animal fat.

My Reaction:

The fragrance components of the lotion I have been using every day for the past 10+ years has a high-risk of compromising my immune system which i was honestly shocked by! Who would of thought that this silky, smooth skin of mine may have been messing with my immune system!  Not only that, it also has negative effects on the reproductive health system which is of great concern to me since my wife uses it as well and we plan on having a baby in the future and cannot imagine that being an issue due to the lotion we have been using.  I also found out that there may be animal fat being used in the Glycerin ingredient in my lotion, disgusting!  And though minimal, the thought of Demithicon causing me organ failure is just downright scary! I am never using this lotion again!

Product 2: Caress Silkening Body Bars, White Peach & Silky Orange Blossom

Main Concerns:

• Fragrance Components include risks such as immunotoxicity and severe allergic reactions to skin.
• BHT as an ingredient is known to cause risk of cancer, immunotoxicity, and is also used to preserve food products.

My Reaction:

CANCER?! How is this even legal? Again, the efforts to maintain my child-like skin have once again been misled. I would certainly rather have dry skin after a shower then a giant tumor growing in my head which was shown in a study done with rodents using this product. BHT is also used to preserve food products and can compromise your immune system as well. This is very concerning to me as I use this product twice a day and have actually grown very fond of it. No more!