Top 10 Environmental Health Hazards

Introduction

Environmental health hazards are the result not only of man’s misuse of land but also due to solid waste disposal. Solid wastes are dumped into the ocean or open grounds; mining wastes are produced at the rate of millions of tons a day; slag heaps and mill tiling accumulate near processing operations and industrial refuse contaminates streams and lakes.

History

The article presents 10 top environmental health hazards caused by human actions.

1] Automobiles – Vehicles are mainly responsible for more than 80 percent of air pollution. The major pollutants released from automobiles, locomotives, aircrafts etc. include carbon monoxide, unburnt hydrocarbons and nitrogen monoxide.

Air pollution is also caused by the gaseous and volatile hydrocarbons such as methane, acetylene and ethylene. Some hydrocarbons, like ethylene, undergo chemical reactions in the presence of sunlight and nitrogen oxide form photochemical oxidants that are harmful.

2] Industries – The smoke coming out from industries contain small particles of dust, carbon, metals, other solids, liquids and radioactive materials which get mixed in smoke and pollute the air.

The burning of sulphur in coal or heavy oil in thermal power plants release sulphur dioxide in the air. Sulphur dioxide combines with oxygen and water to form sulphuric acid in the atmosphere which causes environmental health hazards. It also produces acid rain.

3] Burning of garbage – This pollutes the atmosphere by emitting gases like carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and particulate matter such as dust, smoke etc.

4] Household detergents and sewage - Used water gets flushed out through drains and poured into rivers or lakes. Many detergents and fertilizers contain phosphates. When phosphates are discharged into waterways, their remnants promote rapid growth of algae. This interferes with fishing, navigation and irrigation.

5] Radioactive waste – During nuclear tests, radioactive dust may encircle the globe at high altitudes and it comes down to the earth as rain. Eventually, some of the radioactive materials percolate down into ground water reservoirs or enter into streams and rivers contaminating water and in turn causes environmental health hazards.

Features

6] Pesticide waste – Pesticides are used to control pests and weeds on farms. They contaminate the soil. Pesticide residues change the chemical properties of soil and accumulate on the soil permanently and introduce these toxic materials into plant products.

7] Atomic reactor and nuclear fuels – In a nuclear power establishment, both fuel elements and coolants are sources of radiation pollution. Radioactive wastes from atomic reactors are hazardous to living organisms. Even if radioactive wastes are buried underground they may escape into the surroundings. Inert gases escape as vapors and pollute the environment.

8] Biomedical Waste – Hospital wastes contain organic materials, chemicals, metal needles, plastic etc. Dumping of domestic sewage and hospital organic wastes contaminate the soil with pathogens that affect human health.

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