Effect on Rising Sea Levels and Health and Diseases - Research Paper Example

Effect on rising sea levels and health and diseases. Abstract The change in sea-level rise is one of the mostly acknowledged results of change in global climate. The rise in sea-level has impacts on the environment as well as the human life. The oceans levels will also continue to rise and increase in size irrespective of any climatic change measures that any government puts in place. Mankind therefore needs to adjust to the sea-level rise so as to leave in areas that are regularly affected. Despite the fact that global warming may bring with it localized benefits, like reduced number of deaths during the winter seasons majorly in temperate climates and increased food production in certain areas, the general health effects of a changing climate are adversely negative. Below is diagram indicating changes in climatic changes over time. Rise in sea levels causes a rise in the incidence of malaria and other related fevers attack. A rise in sea level will lead to the spread of the mentioned diseases other health problems in several ways. When sea-level rises, the shallow water bodies are deepened hence causing them to stagnate. The warm and stagnant water are good grounds for breeding of the disease-bearing mosquitoes (George 38). This then makes malaria and other fever like the dengue fever to spread fast through emerging into new areas and also by returning to areas where malaria had been in control. Dengue infection has also been on the rise every year because of the rise in sea-level worldwide. The people affected by the disease are hospitalized each year. Its indicated that the sea-level rise in the Gulf of Mexico has also provided the breeding grounds for the dengue fever and this in turn is a health risk to the United States (Finkl 23). The rise in sea-level is also a threat in that it acts as a reservoir of diseases viruses as well as bacteria. This is because new and more extensive groups of people are exposed to the disease causing agents. Cholera outbreaks are generally linked with drinking or using unpurified river water for bathing. Cholera also appears to be connected with the climate as well as temperature. The bacterium which causes cholera has a stage in its cycle where it depends on the copepods as the host organism. Copepods are very small animal or a zooplankton. A research indicates that seasonal change in weather and seasonal change in ocean currents have adverse effects on the growth of copepods. As a result, it’s believed that when ocean parameters like plankton’s blooms and temperature are measured, favorable conditions necessary for the development of the bacteria will not be available. This therefore makes the rate at which cholera spreads reduced. Cholera outbreaks usually increase in immediately after sea-surface temperature and the sea-surface height are at their maximum. Thus, the rise in sea- level, in connection with changes in sea temperature and sea currents, could promote the spread of cholera. Furthermore, the rise in sea-level leads to contamination of drinking water supplies. Therefore rise sea-level leads to rise in temperature which in turn makes the human population more vulnerable to the bacteria that causes cholera hence increasing the incidence of the disease (Craig 533). Contaminated sea water is believed to be the source of the rapidly toxic algae blooms that are experienced. There are several factors which promote the growth of the marine algae. Some of the factors include rise in temperature, oceanic properties and other nutrients from agricultural produce. The algae produce very dangerous chemicals and when the algae are in large numbers, they toxins they produce affect human beings as well as animals. At one point, the sea lions in California died when marine algae produced a chemical known as the domoic acid. As the sea-level rises, these public health threats are transmitted to the inland population hence increasing the chance or rate of new infection (Forres 123). Another factor which causes a rise in sea-levels is the melting of polar ice. When the ice at the Polar Regions melt, the potential for long dominant strains of influenza get exposed. The influenza can also be transported the migratory birds. Melting therefore exposes the human race to strains of flu like the virus which led to death of several people in 1918. This was a flu pandemic which was spread by the birds and the melting ice (Robin 23). The human immunity against this disease died out just after the attack. This therefore shows melting of the ice can expose the human population to very long forgotten illnesses. When this is known, it could be used to help in developing inoculation strategies to prevent future attack (Mendelsohn 153). Below is a diagram showing the rise in sea level projection. Sea Level Rise Projections Relative to Year 2000 for Washington, Oregon, and northern California Year Projection (in inches) Range (in inches) 2030 +2.6 -2 to +9 2050 +6.5 -1 to +19 2100 +24 The rise in sea-level also causes floods which also have adverse effects on the living organisms. The floods affect chemical plants, contaminated sites, petroleum refining facilities and many more. Commercial establishments also direct their wastes to the water bodies. This means that whenever, the water level rises, there are so many chemical impurities which surrounds the living organisms. The soils where food crops are grown are thereby going to be affected a great deal. Chemical compounds which are added in preservation of materials like creosote, arsenic and pentachlorophenol also find their way into the flooded water. This does not only cause health risks to the residents of a particular city but also to the emergency response workers who come to rescue those in havoc. In most cases, the floods do not recede easily. It takes some time before drying up completely. This again worsens the spread of toxic substances and contagions (Craig 536). Arsenic compound is very dangerous to human beings and is always linked with cancer. Several scientific studies and many reviews by the National Academy of Sciences have proved that arsenic as a compound can cause cancer to skin and even lungs. It can cause some other cancers to human therefore no amount is allowed to get into contact with the skin. The soils contamination will also be high when sea-levels rises and floods are experienced. In spite of the slow progress and several uncertainties, climatic changes that relate to the rise in sea-levels occur. It’s also appearing to be happening at a very fast rate than expected. This in turn brings with it quite a number of health problems to humans. The people affected are not only those who stay close but also who stay far. The rise of sea-levels therefore has quite a number of effects on health and diseases. Some of the diseases related with rise on sea-levels are malaria, dengue, cholera cancer and many more health risks. Works Cited Finkl, Charles W.. Coastal hazards. Dordrecht: Springer, 2013. Print. Macdonald, George. The epidemiology and control of malaria. London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1957. Print. Mendelsohn, Robert O.. Global warming and the American economy a regional assessment of climate change impacts. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar, 2001. Print. Robin, Kundis C. A Public Health Perspective on Sea-Level Rise: Starting Points for Climate Change Adaptation. 15.521 (2010). Understanding sea-level rise and variability: summary statement from the World Climate Research Programme Workshop : Paris, France, 6-9 June 2006..Geneva: World Climate Research Programme, 2006. Print. Read More