Questions for Discussion-
- If the government continues to ignore the dump sites and neglect putting regulations on these sites, what do you think will happen to the areas surrounding the dump sites?
- In the name of science, is researching new areas worth the chance of releasing toxins into the environment causing bioaccumulation and further into bioaccumulation, putting animals on top of the food chain at risk?
- What else can be done to protect the environment from the continued trauma caused by the release of toxins into ecosystems as a result of human actions?
Introduction to Topic and Core Concern-
Waste and Toxins is the biggest and most widely known environmental problem today. If you were to conduct a survey of the American public, most, if not all, people would say that the most pressing environmental concern is pollution in the form of human waste and toxic chemicals and materials being released into environments all over the world. This leads us to the core concern, one of vital importance to the environmental health of the world as a whole.
Core Concern in Question Format-
What is happening to environments being negatively affected by human activities, what are the effects of those activities, and what can be done or is being done to stop it?
Will McLaughlin-
West Virginia Chemical Spill Exposes a New Risk to Water From Coal
By: Dina Cappiello and Seth Borenstein
http://www.wunderground.com/news/west-virginia-chemical-spill-exposes-new-risk-water-coal-20140118
Summary-
Chemical spills happen all the time,but they are never as bad as this massive leak of contaminants in West Virginia. Dennis Lemley, a research biologist, wonders why nobody has taken a stand for the cause of stopping this recent surplus of contaminations. Coal has polluted many environments throughout recent years. To solve this atmospheric pollution, coal-burning facilities are now instituting systems promising “clean coal.” However, clean coal means clean atmosphere but dirtier water. Coal ash deposit sites in North Carolina have recently been threatening the drinking water for Charlotte, North Carolina, but no signs of cancer-causing arsenic have yet been found. The recent chemical spills have been brought to light by the large one in West Virginia. The reason that this has flown under the radar for so long is that in the 1990’s, the EPA put into place regulations that restricted the amount of coal pollution that can go into the atmosphere. However, there were no restrictions on the amount of river pollutants. Just in recent years has that been restricted by the EPA. These are so recent, however, that enforcement still has not been instituted fully. Most mones have not yet even been inspected. These pollutants that go into rivers turn them into the equivalent of an underwater desert, with only the “water rats” able to survive. Some 12,000 river miles are affected in this way, with some pollutants being introduced by mines abandoned for over one hundred years.
1) The major claim made in this story is that while recent restrictions have been put into place, more regulation of river pollution from coal ash must happen. While the atmosphere is cleaner as a result of clean coal movements, all of that debris has been put into rivers instead, and the rivers have most definitely been showing the effects.
2) The authors present many different pieces of evidence to support his claims. He cited University of Maryland environmental sciences professor Margaret Palmer for quotes describing the conditions of coal ash polluted rivers. Many pieces of information were cited as being taken directly from the EPA. It also cited three studies from various universities, as well as the professors and experts behind them, like Michael Hendryx from Indiana University.
3) The source does influence the content of the article in an obvious way; it provides the information required for the authors to get points across. However, the information does not control the message that the authors are trying to convey. Just the opposite; the sources merely provide the information that support the message. The authors did a great job of using the information, and not letting the information use them.
4) The information in the report affects me personally. My step brother goes to college in UNC Charlotte, and they lately have had various citywide emergency situations because of flaws in the sanitation of the drinking water for the city. If the rivers feeding Charlotte drinking water are not cleaned up soon, he may be exposed to cancer-causing arsenic that could affect him later in life.
5) This ties into the current topic in class in multiple ways. The topic of this article is one of previously unknown methods of pollution that have been going on under our noses for hundreds of years, ever since the introduction of coal power. It is just now being realized by experts everywhere that the levels of arsenic in rivers and some drinking water are shooting up because of coal ash dump sites.
6) In response to this article, it has made me realize the true danger that the coal ash pollution puts us in as a whole, especially in North Carolina. The drinking water consumed by people everywhere is being tainted with arsenic, and the scary thing is this. We are just now finding out about this, yet it has been going on for over one hundred years at least.
This applies to our core concern simply because it represents another instance of waste and toxins being released into the environment as a result of harmful human practices. Our core concern is that environments all over are being affected by pollution, and this is yet another example of a type of pollution that needs to be controlled.
Madi McGroarty-
PHOTOGRAPH BY NORBERT WU, SCIENCE FACTION/ CORBIS:
Summary:
In Antarctica scientists living in research bases are producing wastewater that is toxic to the native plant and animals. A toxic flame retardant used for insulation, building material, and research equipment called Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) is a huge factor in the toxicology of the Antarctica. Scientists took samples from dust, sewage sludge, and wildlife tissue from around the bases looking for HBCD. The tests showed that the wastewater containing sewage, HBCD, organic and inorganic material, silt, pathogens, and pharmaceuticals spilled into the McMurdo Sound. HBCD is found everywhere in everything but is most densely found near the source of the wastewater. Although, scientists are surprised by how high amount of HBCD are in this relatively unpopulated region versus even urbanized areas of the United States.
It is currently unknown how the HBCD exactly effects the wildlife, but in rodents and fish the chemical has been shown to cause thyroid problems disrupting their metabolism and brain development. The levels found in larger animals has not shown any health problems so far. Scientists suspect the cold weather may prevent HBCD from degrading because it is stored in fat of animals so the chemicals may linger and cause ongoing problems later in the future. No protocol has been established to stop or reduce the use of this toxic chemical in the Antarctic.
This affects the environment because this harmful chemical bioaccumulated in the animals of the Antarctic like penguins. By having this chemical in penguins it can go up the food chain into leopard seals and eventually into the local inuits. This waste problem of the Antarctic affects me personally because I penguins and the environment.
Doral Kasper-
Toxic Waste ‘Major Global Threat’
By: Siva Parameswaran
Over the years, toxic waste buildup has become so harmful that toxic wastes pose as much of a threat as diseases like malaria and tuberculosis. The study on the effects of toxic waste was studied in more than 3,000 sites in 49 countries. Toxic chemicals are being released into the air, water and soil onto sites were children play. These chemicals pose high risk threats for children, but the government doesn’t do anything to regulate the chemical wastes in places that are e-waste dumping yards. Agbobloshie in Accra, Ghana is the highest toxic threat to human life. It imports 215,000 tons of second hand consumer electronics, and on top of that generates 129,000 tons of e-waste every year. This dumping yard causes serious environmental issues to those living near the site.
Agbobloshie ranks higher than Chernobyl in toxic risk to human life studies. Chernobyl ranks second. Heavy metals are so difficult to remove from the soil that the only solution is to seal the contamination and physically move people away from the site.
23% of deaths in developing countries are due to environmental factors like pollution. 80% of regularly reported illnesses are because of the environmental risk factors of those sites in high risk areas. E-waste dumping yards pose threats to tens of thousands of women and children.
In North Carolina, the e-waste dump yards are relatively small compared to the ones in Ghana or Ukraine, but they still pose a threat. Continuous buildup is going to raise the toxicity creating chronic problems in one’s health. As the waste continues to build up, it will create serious environmental hazards. My aunt is actually currently living in Ukraine, and the environment is very degraded and the area around her is breaking down because of the dumpsite.
Our core concern is with increasing waste buildup, the impacts are going to hit hard creating chronic effects on the environment. On our current unit, we are analyzing risks, and we need someplace to dump our wastes. In the short term, dump yards work and is a solution, but in the long term, these dump yards are slowly degrading the area around it.
Nathan Lee-
Toxic Waste Site May Cause Health Problems Millions
By: Erin Wayman
<https://www.sciencenews.org/article/toxic-waste-sites-may-cause-health-problems-millions>.
Summary:
Researchers and scientists are concerned of the health threats that may be presented by living near toxic waste site in three developing countries. Researchers analyzed 373 toxic waste sites in India, Indonesia, and the Philippines. About 8.6 million people live near these toxic waste sites and are at risk of exposure to hazardous materials. The World Health Organization made a comparison between malaria and the outside air pollution caused by the toxic waste site in the three developing countries. The combined population of the three countries is about 1.6 billion people. They reported that malaria caused the loss of 725,000 healthy years, while the outdoor air pollution caused almost 1.5 million healthy years. In 2010, researchers found traces of lead and hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen, that accounted for more than 99 percent of the lost healthy years.
Toxic waste sites could be harmful to the environment and the population that is near the waste site. This information does not really relate to me personally. However, if there is no change to prevent the hazardous materials from the toxic waste sites, then it is possible for the hazardous materials to travel to areas near me either by air or water. Also, if more toxic waste sites are built in areas near me, then there is a higher chance to be affected by the same hazardous material as the three developing countries.
This information on toxic waste sites relates to the topic of we are learning in APES. The unit talks about what hazardous chemicals there are and the effects of the chemicals. It talks about the risks and what steps that researchers and scientists take to analyze and manage the situation. This relates to the information because researchers and scientists analyzed toxic waste sites in the three developing countries to research the threats it can present to the population. It also talks about the risk of being exposed to the hazardous materials that the population must face.
Works Cited
Holland, Jennifer S. "Antarctic Research Bases Spew Toxic Wastes Into Environment." National
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Parameswaran, Siva. "Toxic Waste 'major Global Threat'" BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar.
2014. <http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24994209>.
Wayman, Erin. "Toxic Waste Sites May Cause Health Problems for Millions." Science News.
N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014. <https://www.sciencenews.org/article/toxic-waste-sites-may-cause-health-problems-millions>.
"West Virginia Chemical Spill Exposes a New Risk to Water From Coal." Weather Wunderground. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Mar. 2014. <http://www.wunderground.com/news/west-virginia-chemical-spill-exposes-new-risk-water-coal-20140118>.
