Flood aftermath: toxic sludge

A report at the link below says that runoff from sewage plants, gas stations and other sites turns water toxic.

As floodwaters begin to recede in some of the most devastated parts of the Midwest, residents there are shifting their focus toward recovery.

In hundreds of homes, a layer of toxic sludge has covered everything, brought into the houses after floodwaters ran through gas stations, paint stores, sewage plants and farms that house fertilizer and pesticides. Its pungent smell is the least of homeowners' problems.

"We found some elevated levels of bacteria, e-coli, and some industrial chemicals, some motor oil and diesel fuel," said Michael Wichman, Associate Director of Environmental Health at the University of Iowa, where the sludge was tested.

More of the story here.