Key industries in North Carolina, which has been affected by the storm, could cause public health problems if their waste pollutes flood water. At least seven hog or swine lagoons, which house animal waste and contain bacteria including e.coli and salmonella, are reported to have overflowed. Sediment from such floodwater can also contain antibiotic resistant bacteria due to the heavy use of such drugs in industrial farming. The state Department of Environmental Quality is investigating a number of other possible sources for contamination, according to an email sent out on Monday morning.
Key industries in North Carolina, which has been affected by the storm, could cause public health problems if their waste pollutes flood water. At least seven hog or swine lagoons, which house animal waste and contain bacteria including e.coli and salmonella, are reported to have overflowed. Sediment from such floodwater can also contain antibiotic resistant bacteria due to the heavy use of such drugs in industrial farming. Coal ash, the industrial waste from coal burning power plants, which contains heavy metals including arsenic, lead and mercury, could also enter flood water.