Monthly Archives: April 2010

Should I Have My Water Tested? Part II: What Tests Should I Request?

Posted on April 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

As yesterday’s post informed us, routine water testing for a few of the most common contaminants is recommended if your water supply comes from a private well, even if your water appears clear and tastes good.  Below you will find information about a few different water tests that you might want to consider.

Bacteria*:  This test provides a general assessment of the bacterial safety of your water. It is recommended that your well be tested for bacteria every year.  The water will be analyzed for total and fecal coliform.  The coliform group of bacteria is the indicator most widely used by public health officials to determine the safety of the water.  Fecal coliform bacteria are a serious health concern.  If present, the water should not be used for drinking or cooking.  Total coliform in the water indicate that other potential disease causing organisms may be present and are, therefore a health concern.  A bacterial test should be done if:

  • Your well is newly drilled.
  • Your well has been repaired or the pump replaced.
  • Any household member suffers from recurring bouts of gastrointestinal illness.
  • An infant lives in the home.
  • A person with a chronic illness that compromises the immune system lives in the home.
  • Your well water has never been tested.
  • You wish to monitor the performance of home water treatment devices.

Inorganic:  The parameters tested for include:  alkalinity, arsenic, calcium, chloride, copper, fluoride, iron, hardness, magnesium, manganese, lead, pH, and zinc.  These parameters can impact health or affect the quality or taste of the water.  The results of the tests are reviewed by the state toxicologist.  This test should be done if:

  • Your well is newly drilled.
  • Your water has an objectionable taste.
  • Your water is cloudy or discolored.
  • Your plumbing fixtures or pipes have a scaly residue or corrosion.
  • You notice stained plumbing fixtures or laundry.

Nitrates/Nitrites:  Nitrates or Nitrites in the water can be very dangerous.   Excessive levels can cause methemoglobinemia, or “blue baby syndrome”.  Boiling the water can increase the concentration of the nitrates or nitrites.  Sources of nitrate are fertilizer, animal waste and sewage.  This test should be done if:

  • A household member is pregnant.
  • An infant lives in or spends time in the household.
  • A household member suffers from severe heart or lung disease.
  • Your well is located near a farm field, animal barn (including chicken house) or feed lot.
  • Your well is located within 100 feet of a septic system, particularly an old system or one that has failed.

Sulfur Bacteria:  This test is recommended if:

  • Your water has a “rotten egg” or sulfur odor.  If this odor is present, the test is actually unnecessary because the odor indicates that treatment (super chlorination) is needed.
  • Your water has a bitter taste.
  • Your plumbing has pipe corrosion problems and yellow or black stains on fixtures.

Iron Bacteria:  This test is recommended if:

  • You notice a slimy build-up in the toilet tank.
  • Your water has a reddish-brown tinge or an oil-like sheen on the surface.
  • Your water has a musty, oily or “cucumber” odor.

Pesticide**:  You should request this test if:

  • Your well is near areas of intensive agriculture.
  • Your well is located within 50 feet of a termite-treated building foundation.

Petroleum**:  Petroleum products contain volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds.   You should request this test if:

  • Your well is located near an underground storage tank (UST). 
  • Your well is located near a business that has an UST or is industrial in nature.
  • Your well is located near a landfill.

*A bacteria test is recommended in addition to any other water testing you request if you have not had one done within the previous 12 months.

**These tests require prior authorization from the Environmental Health Division at 542-8208.

Share

→ Leave a comment

Posted in General, Services, Uncategorized

Tagged , ,

Should I Have My Water Tested?

Posted on April 28, 2010 | Leave a comment

If your water supply comes from a private well, you are responsible for assuring that it is safe.  Routine testing for a few of the most common contaminants is recommended, even if your water appears clear and tastes good.  Regular testing is valuable because it establishes a record of your well’s water quality. 

The Chatham County Public Health Department’s Division of Environmental Health offers water sampling services.  Upon receiving an application and the applicable fee, a representative of the Division will make an appointment to collect your water sample(s).  These samples are sent to the North Carolina Public Health Laboratory for analysis.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog for information about a few specific water tests you might be interested in requesting.

Share

→ Leave a comment

Posted in General, Services

Tagged , ,

Take the Bite Out of Ticks

Posted on April 19, 2010 | Leave a comment

Living in Chatham County, most people who garden, play, or work outside will eventually encounter ticks.  Ticks are arachnids that can attach to humans and animals and transmit disease organisms that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichiosis, Southern Tick Associated Rash Illiness (STARI) and Lyme Disease.  These diseases can be treated if detected early; however, if untreated they can lead to long term illnesses and, in some cases, death.  Luckily, there are simple steps to follow to prevent ticks from attaching to your body:

  • Use Tick Repellent.  The Centers for Disease Control recommends using a repellent with 30% DEET (on skin or clothing) or permethrin (only on clothing) to help deter ticks from attaching to the skin or clothing.
  • Dress for Ticks. When walking in the woods, wear light colored clothing, long sleeves, and long pants.  Put your pants legs into your socks.
  • Check yourself, your kids, and your animals for ticks when returning from being outdoors.  Be especially watchful around the waist, the groin, and the neck.
  • Don’t forget to check your clothing as well for ticks.

If you do find a tick remove it immediately taking the following steps:

Use fine tipped tweezers and protect hands with a tissue or gloves to avoid contact with tick fluids.

  • Grab the tick close to the skin.  Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.
  • Gently pull straight up until all parts of the tick are removed.  After removing the tick, wash your hands with soap and water (or waterless alcohol-based hand rubs when soap is not available).
  • Clean the tick bite with an antiseptic such as iodine scrub, rubbing alcohol, or water containing detergents.
  • Identify the tick, if possible then dispose of it. You may save the tick in case you later start having symptoms of disease and need to know what kind of tick bit you. Put the tick in a clean, dry jar, small plastic bag, or other sealed container and keep it in the freezer. Identification of the tick may help your provider diagnose and treat your symptoms. If you do not have any symptoms of disease after 1 month, you can discard the tick.
  • Remember to document the date that the attached tick was found and where it was located on the body.

If you experience headache, fever, chills, aches, pains, or rash within 30 days of removing the tick, consult a physician immediately.  The physician will prescribe an antibiotic to treat the infection; he should also take a blood serum test if he suspects that you have a tick-borne illness.  The antibiotics should act quickly to relieve the symptoms and combat the disease causing organisms. 

For more information about ticks and tick borne illnesses please visit http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/tick-borne/.

Share

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Health Information

Tagged , , ,

It’s STD Awareness Month!

Posted on April 16, 2010 | Leave a comment

April is Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) Awareness Month, an annual observance to raise public awareness about the impact of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) on the lives of Americans.  STD Awareness Month also brings attention to the importance of preventing, testing for, and treating STDs. April gives an opportunity to normalize routine STD testing and conversations about sexual health.

In 2007, Chatham County reported a total of 131 cases of sexually transmitted diseases. Chlamydia claimed a total of 85 cases of the 131 STD cases, while gonorrhea claimed 45 cases and Syphilis claimed 1 case. Every year there are more than 19 million new cases of STDS in the U.S. By age 25, an estimated one in two sexually active young people will get an STD.

If you think it can’t happen to you…think again! Since STDs often show no symptoms, many of those infected don’t know it. The only way to know if you and your partner are free of STDS is to get tested.

If interested in getting tested, The Chatham County Public Health Department’s  Siler City clinic provides free STD and HIV/AIDS testing every day.   The Chatham County Public Health Department’s Pittsboro clinic provides free STD and HIV/AIDS testing on Tuesdays each week beginning at 1:30pm. Call today to make an appointment. 

For more information on STDs, HIV/AIDS screening, call 919-742-5641 (Siler City) or 919-542-8220 (Pittsboro) or visit our website at www.chathamnc.org/teenhealth.

Click here  to view more information on STDs and how it affects you from www.GYTnow.org  Click here  to go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site on STDs.

Share

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Health Information, Health Observances, Services

Tagged , , ,

Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution

Posted on April 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

Jamie Oliver has hit the  U.S. to start
a revolution. What type of revolution? Food!

Jamie Oliver, a world-renowned chef and the author of nine cookbooks, has come to the U.S. to get viewers to take a stand on the way America eats at home, school, and at work. 

Jamie hails from England and did a similar project in the United Kingdom. His work ended up helping overhaul the U.K. school lunch program to make it healthier. He decided to come to this country because of America’s increasing rates of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. 

Where did he start? In Huntington, West Virginia. Huntington was called the unhealthiest city in the United States by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in late 2008. Nearly half of its adult population is obese. Jamie is hoping the revolution starts in Huntington and moves across the country.

The show, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution   premiered on ABC on March 26th and will run for 6 episodes.  It airs at 8:00 on Friday nights.  If you missed the earlier episodes, you can view them at here. Jamie has had many ups and downs on the show trying to make Huntington a healthier place.

Many of the strategies Jamie has been using to combat obesity on the program are used in public health. Jamie has visited the local radio station and talked to the newspaper and local TV station about what he is trying to accomplish. At the health department, we let the public know about our programs, services and health information through various forms of media like the Chatham News, WNCA, and through our website  and blog.

Jamie has been working at multiple levels to create a Healthier Huntington. He has worked with individuals, families, organizations like schools and churches, the community, and is trying to pass a healthier lunch policy at the local elementary school. In public health this is an example of using the Socioecological Model to address health issues.

Let’s take obesity as an example.  At the individual level, the health department offers one-on-one nutritional counseling to help individuals eat healthier and clinical services to measure weight, height and other indicators of obesity. To help families get healthier, the health department once had a FIT Families grant that supported the whole family working together to eat more nutritiously and be more physically active.

At the organizational level, the health department’s LIGHT (Living in God’s Holy Temple) Way program is working with local churches to establish health ministries to make it easier for parishioners to live a healthy lifestyle.

Team FIT, a Healthy Chatham Task Force working on obesity prevention and the health department’s School Health Program are partnering with Chatham County Schools to create healthier environments for students and staff through wellness programs, education, and policy changes. The health department regularly teams up with various agencies, local governments, community leaders, and organizations to bring about change in the community.

At the public policy level, the health department proposes policies and environmental changes that reinforce healthy behaviors. In the last couple of years, the health department, through grant funds, has built a new park for young children in Goldston, bought shade canopies and new playground equipment for a Pittsboro park to allow families to be active together, installed trails in various areas in the county, and adopted a healthy foods policy for at all health department events.  This policy has been adopted by several other local organizations.

Did Jamie make a difference in Huntington using public health principles? You’ll have to tune in to find out!

Share

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Health Information, Programs, Public Health News, Services

Tagged , ,