The July 4th holiday brings together families, friends and communities. The day reminds us why our Founding Fathers put their lives on the line to give us the great country we have today. This is a day for gratitude, celebration and relaxation. We hope you take time to enjoy the 4th with your friends and family this week.
Green chemistry is a newer branch of chemistry that focuses on reducing or eliminating hazardous substances. It is achieved by creating products that that breakdown into simpler more biodegradable components that do not create hazardous byproducts. It eliminates the need to dispose, treat or handle waste or hazardous chemicals after the materials have been developed. Green chemistry targets pollution prevention during the design stage of a chemical product or process, and help prevent pollution before it even begins.
Why is green chemistry emerging? Over the past 60-100 years we have seen major advancements in crop protection, medicines and other commercial products. With these advancements we have also seen an increase in pollution that can no longer be ignored. With the inception of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970, regulations were set to protect human and environmental health. Green chemistry actually goes a step further and asks the industry chemists and engineers to designs chemicals, chemical processes and commercial products that avoid the creation of toxic waste.
Green Chemistry is the future of chemistry because it still allows economic growth and opportunities while providing safe and affordable products and services to a growing world-wide population.
Contract Announcement!
The Maine Water Company is a public water utility that currently owns or manages 13 water systems engaged in the collection, treatment, and distribution of potable water for homes, businesses and fire protection service. The Maine Water Company serves more than 32,000 customers throughout the state of Maine and has been serving customers since 1880.
We are happy to announce that we are expanding our relationship with Maine Water to provide new services for mid-coast residents. Starting in June, a daily courier service began shuttling drinking water samples from the Mirror Lake laboratory in Rockport to the A&L laboratory in Auburn and all water testing will be done by A&L. If you have sampling questions or would like us to send out water quality test kit(s) give our lab a call at 207-784-5354.
The winters in New England are long and our lawns can take a beating with the weather. When the nice weather hits adding fertilizers to your lawn is appealing to many in order to achieve that lush green lawn we desire. Did you know that adding fertilizer to your lawn can affect our water quality? Even if you live far from a lake or river, your lawn and household maintenance can affect water quality. This is because everyone lives in a watershed!
What is a watershed? In short, a watershed is a precipitation collector. It is an area of land that drains all the streams and rainfall to a common outlet such as the outflow of a reservoir, mouth of a bay, or any point along a stream channel. It is also the land area where water soaks through the earth filling an underground water supply called an aquifer.
Water is a universal solvent, affected by all that it comes in contact with: the land it passes over, and the soils through which it travels. The important thing about watersheds is: what we do on the land affects water quality for all communities living downstream.
Phosphorus is the nutrient that most influences the growth of algae in lakes. Research has found that just one pound of phosphorus can feed 300-500 pounds of algae in a water body.
Found in lawn fertilizers, manure, as well as in human and other animal waste, phosphorus causes algal blooms and excessive aquatic plant growth when present in high concentrations. While most algae blooms are generally harmless to humans, decomposing algae and weeds take up oxygen in the water that is vital to fish and other animals.
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