If you are stuck at or near the Gulf Coast BP environmental disaster...simple choice suggestions:
You will need to filter your drinking water. Along with existing pollutants remaining in treated potable water...the Corexit/crude oil pollution brings items such as increased Arsenic and increased amounts of Volatile Organic Compounds diffused into coastal sea-water and migrating into shoreline aquifers and reservoirs. Also, indirectly evaporated into fog or rain clouds.
My preference would be high quality stainless steel, gravity-operated designs--employing ACTIVATED CHARCOAL carbon block filter cartridges.
Forced to eat Gulf Coast fish?... Then at least provide a sample to a pet bird or feline... If the pet absolutely refuses the fish sample--it should be clear warning of dangerously contaminated eating risk.
Water treatment process:
http://doultonusa.com/HTML%20pages/chart.htm (http://doultonusa.com/HTML%20pages/chart.htm)
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Two more simple monitoring ideas to keep in mind...
Develop some familiarity with the overall appearance of your local foliage (particularly looking for uniform "spots", "holes" on all exposed leaves)--this especially if you suspect, or begin to sense something "off" or "odd" related to local precipitation. Leaves eventually deteriorate--but not all plant species will do simultaneously, or collectively within some short space of time or weather event.
Also keep some wide-mouthed (easy to hand-clean/re-use) plain, clear glass jars handy for rain sampling, comparison (to clean water), and photo-documenting (if needed). Turn a larger, perforated (with drain holes) wider plastic container into a hanging support container. This will facilitate safer outside placement of the contained sampling glass jar.
As of this posting (26-Sept.-2010)--contrary to what Obama, the feds, BP or the very controlled American mainstream media--the Gulf of Mexico allowed BP Corexit/crude pollution--and wide-scale environmental damage...is still ongoing.
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