3 definitions by Danny Anonymous
Syracuse Water Baby is an informal term applied by physicians to Syracuse residents exposed to contaminated drinking water resulting from the large-scale pollution of Lake Onondaga, which subsequently bled into the water table and clean tap water supplied from Lake Skaneateles.
Once considered "America's most polluted lake", dumping of industrial waste and raw sewage into Onondaga was at its peak from 1975 to 1980. It's believed most infants, young children, and pregnant mothers exposed to the region's drinking water during this period will have suffered some type of adverse effect(s) to cognitive and intellectual development resulting from toxic contaminants, with these effects continuing into adulthood. Syracuse Water Babies often suffer behavioral confusion, psychiatric disorders, and lowered intelligence quotient caused by developmental impairment. Physical effects are uncommon.
Despite significant legal action and cleanup of the lake itself since the period, reportage, discussion and litigation regarding the physiological aspects (which still affect thousands of Syracuse natives) was largely suppressed amidst the corrupt political landscape of the Eighties and Nineties, with alleged payoffs of officials at local and state levels.
Once considered "America's most polluted lake", dumping of industrial waste and raw sewage into Onondaga was at its peak from 1975 to 1980. It's believed most infants, young children, and pregnant mothers exposed to the region's drinking water during this period will have suffered some type of adverse effect(s) to cognitive and intellectual development resulting from toxic contaminants, with these effects continuing into adulthood. Syracuse Water Babies often suffer behavioral confusion, psychiatric disorders, and lowered intelligence quotient caused by developmental impairment. Physical effects are uncommon.
Despite significant legal action and cleanup of the lake itself since the period, reportage, discussion and litigation regarding the physiological aspects (which still affect thousands of Syracuse natives) was largely suppressed amidst the corrupt political landscape of the Eighties and Nineties, with alleged payoffs of officials at local and state levels.
Dr. Francis glanced at the nurse as his patient described symptoms in line with childhood chemical exposure. When the patient left, the nurse said "Is that another one?" and Dr. Francis nodded, "Yes, he's a Syracuse Water Baby . And it could have all been avoided if the pediatricians had been more alert."
by Danny Anonymous May 29, 2020
Nickname given by employees to the effects felt after working in DuPont P.F.O.A. storage tanks. Medical conditions caused by PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), a product used in the manufacture of teflon by DuPont, include birth defects, kidney cancer, testicular cancer, thyroid disease, pre-eclampsia, and ulcerative colitis. 70,000 people living near the plant in Parkersburg, West Virginia regularly drank water tainted with the chemical known to be poisonous by DuPont - facts covered up at local, city and state levels, including the Parkersburg EPA. If not for the tenacity of local farmer Wilbur Tennant and lawyer Robert Bilott the case would not have been exposed.
Fred came home from work sick again — fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting — after working in one of the PFOA storage tanks. It happens all the time at the DuPont plant. His wife says the men at the plant call it ‘‘Teflon Flu.’’ Don't worry about it, he'll be fine.
by Danny Anonymous November 28, 2020
The lingering, long-term damage caused to an area by chemical contamination at the hands of a major corporation.
Made famous by the movie "Erin Brockovich", the town of Hinkley, California suffered large scale contamination of its drinking water with hexavalent chromium, a lethal chemical known to cause cancer and damage the respiratory system, kidneys, liver, skin and eyes. In 1996 the residents of Hinkley were awarded the largest settlement payout in history from PG&E, but many left the area afterwards, fearing continued deception at the hands of the company. It's now largely a ghost town - that's the Hinkley Effect.
by Danny Anonymous September 28, 2020