Toxic materials from electronic waste can significantly harm both the environment and human health. Lead, in particular, can cause neurological damage. Hazardous waste has enormous impacts on the environment. Air, soil, water and wildlife health are all affected by the amounts of hazardous waste generated every day by business and industry.
Regulations exist to help us dispose of it properly, but contamination still occurs all the time. In fact, the U. Environmental Protection Agency EPA recorded voluntary disclosure and certified corrections of violations at more than 1, facilities in The main danger in the short term is water pollution.
The chemicals that are disposed of into our waterways make streams, rivers, lakes and aquifers unsafe to use for drinking or agricultural purposes. Animals and plants sicken and die when they drink from these waters, and human health in areas downstream may be affected. The river, which is a tributary of the Kenawha River, occurred upstream from a West Virginia American Water intake, treatment and distribution center.
Nearly , residents were without access to clean water for nearly a week. Long-term effects include signs of mutation in animals, cancer and other diseases in humans, trash in our waterways and green spaces, and the destruction of many natural resources.
Populations of insects such as bees, which are crucial to preserving the fertility of plant life, are dying off faster than they can repopulate due to human pollution. Another long-term impact of hazardous waste is the danger it poses to our water table. Chemicals can soak through soil and enter underground aquifers. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer. Please click here to see any active alerts. Emergency response efforts must consider the health and ecological hazards of a hazardous substance release.
These hazards impact emergency responders and effected communities. In some cases, hazardous substances may irritate the skin or eyes, make it difficult to breathe, cause headaches and nausea, or result in other types of illness. Environmental engineers use a variety of techniques to remediate sites, including removing barrels, tanks, or soil for safe disposal; lining and capping pits; installing drainage systems; and seeding beneficial plants or bacteria to absorb or breakdown toxic materials.
Once the work is complete, monitoring and scheduled reviews are conducted to ensure that the area remains safe. Eventually, the site can be considered for reuse. See how close you live to a Superfund site. The Superfund program was launched in response to a series of high-profile toxic waste cases in the s. All rights reserved. Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London Love them or hate them, there's no denying their growing numbers have added an explosion of color to the city's streets.
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Chemicals can move through air, soil, and water. They can also be on plants or animals, and can get into the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. The different ways a person can come into contact with hazardous chemicals are called exposure pathways. There are three basic exposure pathways: inhalation, ingestion, and skin contact.
Inhalation is breathing or inhaling into the lungs. Ingestion is taking something in by mouth. Skin contact occurs when something comes in direct contact with the skin. Ingestion can be a secondary exposure pathway after skin contact has occurred, if you put your hands in your mouth and transfer the chemical from your hands to your mouth. The Environmental Protection Agency EPA has developed informational summaries on selected chemicals to describe how people might be exposed to these chemicals and how exposure to them might affect their health.
The summaries also explain what happens to the chemicals in the environment, who regulates them, and whom to contact for additional information. Exposure can occur when people drink contaminated groundwater or surface water, or accidentally ingest it while swimming or showering.
Direct skin contact also is an exposure pathway that occurs during activities like swimming and showering. Soil, Sediment, or Dust. People can be exposed to hazardous chemicals in soil, sediment, or dust if they accidentally ingest it, breathe it in, or have direct skin contact. Children are highly susceptible to these exposure pathways. In their daily activities, children have a tendency to have frequent hand-to-mouth contact and introduce non-food items into their mouths.
For more information about hazardous substances, view the EPA webpages.
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