Health Threats From Environmental Pollutants - Research Paper Example

Health Threats From Environmental Pollutants Pollution has become a well entrenched facet of modern life. Scientists have time and again warned that temperatures will keep on increasing and that the earth will become hotter, unless drastic measures are employed to reduce global warming. The proliferation of tropical diseases, general increase in health problems, floods and droughts of greater severity, and more polluted water and air will befall mankind on account of global warming. In addition, several dangers due to the worsening climate, such as rise in the sea level, enhanced flooding and presence of storms of greater severity are likely to ensue on account of global warming (Natural Resources Defense Council). The world’s weather has tended to become unpredictable, on account of global warming. Evaporation of sea water has increased and this has resulted in droughts in some regions, and increased rains in other areas. Such unpredictable climatic changes have posed a threat to the economic well being of the developing countries. The rapid nature of these climatic changes has generally caught mankind on the wrong foot (Victor). Food production has been adversely affected, and the sudden and unpredictable changes in the climate have increased the mortality rate amongst those who dwell in coastal areas. It is the principal objective of the Kyoto agreement to countenance these challenges. This agreement endeavors to engender better cooperation between countries, in order to reduce global warming. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the Kyoto agreement is just an initial, though significant, step in this direction and several such agreements have to be implemented (Victor). There are several factors that contribute to water pollution. There are direct and indirect contamination sources, which act as contributory causes for water contamination. For instance, the effluents from industries and factories directly contribute to water contamination. Chemical treatment plants and chemical production units are major water pollutants. These are termed as direct contamination sources. In urban areas, such direct sources contaminate drinking water. Therefore, many countries have taken stringent measures to prevent drinking water pollution. The governments of developed nations have enacted several legislations to prevent industries and factories from discharging their chemical effluents into water sources. Despite these steps, water contamination still continues in most countries (Rubin). Water is chiefly contaminated by the activities of humans. As such, humans are the direct and principal contaminators of the environment as well as water. The discharge of wastes by industries and factories constitute the chief sources of air and water contamination. Other sources that contaminate water and the environment include raw sewage, chemical emissions and fertilizers. Pollution poses a severe threat to the existence of humans and other living creatures. Life on the earth is dependent on safe drinking water. Moreover, the availability of drinking water resources is only three percent. If these sources are contaminated, then life will be endangered. Water is the vital essence of life, and if there is no safe water, there can be no life (Pollution). Air pollution is no more a local problem, and it has assumed global proportions. The industrialization of the last two centuries has contributed to such pollution. The rapid industrialization called for the burning of fossil fuels, like coal, in order to produce power. It also resulted in the advent of several new, chemical processes. The industrial sector is the chief producer of smoke and other greenhouse gases. These emissions are the principal contributors to air pollution. Several nations had attempted to initiate measures to control the emissions in the nineteenth century. However, the proliferation of industrialization did not stop at global level. Consequently, air pollution has remained at dangerous levels (Pollution. In Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd). Many industries use the internal combustion engines, which further aggravates the problem. Consequently, the formation of urban smog has emerged as a major problem. Such smog results in acid rain. For instance, the problem of acid rain is greater in the northeast US and northwest Europe. In these regions, the rate of emission of sulfur and nitrogen oxides has increased. These gases cause rains to be acidic. Such rain water increases the acidity of the water in lakes and other water sources. The principal targets of acid rains are the forests (Pollution. In Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd). However, the exact cause for acid rain has not yet been identified. This makes it difficult to enact stringent measures against pollutants. Chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs are used in refrigerators and aerosols. The emission of these CFCs into the higher altitudes of the atmosphere depletes the concentration of ozone. The Sun rays release chlorine from the CFCs, which is extremely efficient in destroying ozone in the atmosphere. This situation is worsened by the process of global warming, which is another major threat to the earth (Pollution. In Bloomsbury Guide to Human Thought. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Ltd). A species that is threatened with extinction either in part or whole is referred to as an endangered species. There are several causes for the extinction of species such as the destruction of habitat; invasive species; pollution; and over exploitation. The most common threat to the extinction of a species is the destruction of habitat. This problem is evident throughout the world. The survival of species is mainly dependent on natural factors such as breeding sites, nutrients for growth, physical characteristics of the place, natural occurrences of flooding and fires. These are the fundamental requirements for the well – being of a particular species. Humans change the course of all these factors, degrade them and destroy habitats. As the human population increased, many forests were destroyed to make way for residential areas. The forests are the natural habitat of many species around the world (Endangered species. In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill). In tropical lands, the diversity of species is the highest. As such threat to a species is greater in tropical lands. There are many reasons for this and some of them are, forests in these areas are destroyed at a much higher rate than in other parts of the world. Several of these species depend on trees that are more than two hundred years of age. Agriculture has been instrumental in the clearing of forests (Endangered species. In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill). This has caused the destruction of the habitat. For instance, the vast prairies of the US have been transformed into agricultural land. These tall grass prairies were the habitat of a number of unique species. The building of houses and mining have destroyed large tracts of forest land. As such, these activities have destroyed the natural habitat of many species (Endangered species. In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill). In arid regions, water development programs have destroyed the habitat of many species. The construction of major dams changed the course of water flow and temperature of rivers. Moreover, they have obstructed the movement of species through water streams. Agriculture requires copious supply of water, which has to be supplied from water sources after significantly reducing the water level of such resources. This has endangered aquatic life, because aquatic species require abundant water (Endangered species. In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill). Another threat to a species comes in the form of invasion by a non – native species. Such invasion brings about change to the original habitat, in order to suit to the invading species. Native species would no longer be able to survive under such altered conditions. Nearly half of the endangered species in the US, are adversely affected by non – native invasive species (Endangered species. In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill). Rainforests are complex environments that took millions of years to evolve. They have a major influence on the renewability of the environment. They constitute the natural habitat for a large variety of animal and plant species, and are responsible for the survival and well – being of humans on the globe. Rainforests provide vital resources, like food supplies, clothing, shelter, spices, raw materials for industries, and medicines (Rainforest facts). Tropical rainforests have the most delicate survival systems. Their abilities are interdependent on other systems, and if one system is changed or destroyed, then the whole rainforest could cease to exist. Human intervention had begun to destroy rainforests during the last century. Large scale deforestation had destroyed the fragile system of the rain forest. As a result, several adverse effects have taken place including air and water pollution, erosion of nutrients from the soil, spread of epidemics like malaria, increased release of carbon dioxide, the eviction of native indigenous Indian tribes, and the damage to biodiversity. Several types of plants and animals have become extinct, and any further reduction in rainforests, will result in lesser rainfall and oxygen in the atmosphere (Rainforest facts). The sun, which is at a distance of 150 million kilometers, from the earth has been termed as the best energy source. Nevertheless, mankind has become dependent on fossil fuels, to the extent that 85% of the energy needs are met by these fuels. Alternatives to fossil fuels are many and some of these are nuclear power, biofuels, geothermal and wind power (Petit). Undoubtedly, all energy requirements can be addressed by solar energy. On account of thermonuclear fusion, hydrogen is converted to helium, with the release of tremendous amounts of energy. The amount of energy that is received by the earth’s surface is approximately 120, 000 trillion watts. This is a huge amount of energy and in one hour the earth receives energy that is the equivalent of the energy consumed by the entire earth’s population in a year (Petit). The amount of solar energy incident upon the earth can be estimated from the fact that a 400 square kilometer grid of solar cells could meet all the power requirements of the US. If the environment is to be protected from further damage, it would be most appropriate to focus on solar energy. There is no pollution involved, as is the case with conventional energy sources, especially fossil fuels. All said and done, it would be futile to opt for any other energy source, other than solar energy. The earth’s atmosphere may not be able to withstand any further pollution (Petit). The energy needs of the US are colossal. Oil has to be principally imported from the Middle East, and there have been a number of efforts to find oil on US soil. Huge deposits of oil were discovered in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). Attempts by the oil companies to procure this oil met with stiff resistance. While this struggle was in full swing, the Exxon Valdez oil spill took place (Shogren). All attempts to commence oil exploration met with failure. This initiative was given a new lease of life by the then US President Ronald Reagan. All the same, his objective was defeated. Till date, despite serious attempts by the oil conglomerates and their representatives, there has been no oil exploration. The ANWR is replete with wildlife and represents nature at its best. Except for a Reagan or a Bush, no President has been in favor of destroying it by permitting oil exploration (Shogren). The demand for sport – utility – vehicles (SUVs) is increasing. Several manufacturers have brought out new models of SUVs like the Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Blazer, GMC Jimmy and Jeep Wagoneer. This trend is evident to a much greater extent in the US and Japan. In 1965, the Toyota Company introduced its model, the Land Cruiser in the American market. Its sales were the highest in the SUV category in those times. Since then the production of SUVs has increased in the US, Canada, and Australia. The largest number of such vehicles was produced during the 1990s. There are several reasons for the rapid growth of SUV sales, such as the interest of buyers for large spaced cabins, height, and safety (Feature: the Cradle and Grave of the SUV). Another advantage of the SUVs is that they can be utilized for towing purposes. Their capacity for accommodating passengers is superior to that of other vans or trucks. In terms of transporting a family, the SUV has no parallel. As such, it has emerged as the vehicle of choice (Feature: the Cradle and Grave of the SUV). Destruction of the habitat of wildlife and failure to safeguard fish constitutes undesirable environmental impact. The problem is compounded by watershed absence and inadequate protection of water quality. The obvious remedy for this situation is the adoption of a proper course of action by the counties, which have jurisdiction over the major part of land use planning. Some of the counties have curbed habitat damage by promoting open space and large parcel zoning. In addition, these counties have disallowed development on slopes that are unstable or steep, stream setbacks, floodplains, wetlands and meadows. Damage to watershed can be minimized by enacting stringent grading, lot split and subdivision ordinances. Revegetation as a means of erosion control has great significance. It is essential for wildlife and fish professionals to cooperate with the local government and ensure that greater importance is accorded to the welfare of fish and wildlife (Gerstung). The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required some basic modifications to be made to the extant law. These changes make it necessary to consider the cost of implementation, while establishing standards relating to air quality. These changes were proposed under the pretext of transforming the Clean Air Act. The latter act recommends the standards of air quality on the basis of the effect of a pollutant on public health. The approach is scientific and unrelated to considerations based on implementation costs (Environment New York). Amongst pollutants in the air, ozone is especially virulent. It burns up airways and lungs, which leads to a number of adverse effects that vary between cough to asthma attacks. The severity of ozone’s effect is such that at times, it can even prove to be fatal. People afflicted with pulmonary diseases, children and older people are especially susceptible to the adverse effects of ozone (Environment New York). The Clean Air Act enjoins upon the EPA to implement standards of air quality that ensure adequate leeway, in respect of safety relating to public health. Despite the deadly effect of ozone on humans, several industries had lobbied with great vigor to engender a dilution in the standards of protection against such pollution (Environment New York). The EPA enacts regulations, in respect of drinking water standards. The aim of these laws is to limit drinking water contaminants levels. These initiatives fall under the ambit of the Safe Drinking Water Act, which employs a multi pronged approach to provide safe drinking water. Some of the measures implemented by this act are the evaluation and protection of the sources of potable water, affording adequate protection to water collection mechanisms and wells, ensuring that only competent operators are permitted to treat water, and providing necessary information regarding the quality of drinking water to the public (US Environmental Protection Agency). Tap water in the US has been rendered safe and fit for consumption, due to the unflagging efforts of the states, drinking water utilities, communities, citizens, tribes and the EPA. The EPA has delegated the responsibility of ensuring drinking water standards to tribes and states (US Environmental Protection Agency). The EPA is required to ascertain the suitability and nature of a standard for a contaminant, in accordance with the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act. As such, a detailed technological assessment is necessary. Such evaluation should include incidence in the environment, effect of exposure and consequent impairment of health, uncovering by analytical procedures, technical viability, and the effect of relevant laws on public health, economy and water systems. Thus the EPA has to first, recognize problems relating to drinking water; second, institute priorities and finally, set appropriate standards (US Environmental Protection Agency). The environment is harmed, all over the world, on account of pollution. Air and water pollution proves to be hazardous to life on earth. Deforestation destroys the habitat and endangers wildlife. Moreover, the activity of drilling for oil affects aquatic life. However, if oil drilling is done with great care and under strict supervision, there is practically no harm to the environment. Thus it can be surmised that global warming, indiscriminate deforestation, and pollution are wreaking havoc on the environment. If this situation is not controlled, the very existence of mankind is in danger of extinction. Works Cited Endangered species. In McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 2004. 24 April 2009 . Environment New York. Environment America denounces EPA's smog and Clean Air Act announcements. 12 March 2008. 24 April 2009 . Feature: the Cradle and Grave of the SUV. 16 June 2008. 24 April 2009 . Gerstung, Eric R. Land Development and Fish and Wildlife Protection. 1973. 24 April 2009 Read More