The Relationship Between Waste and the Environment
The environment is significantly affected by waste. The impact of waste depends on its composition as well as disposal practices. The disposal of toxic substances on the surface of the earth as well as in the atmosphere has a significant impact on environmental well-being. This cause and effect essay examines the relationship between waste and the environment. It is worth noting that if the waste is well disposed of through legal ways, it can have little or no adverse effects on the environment.
Causes of Illegal Waste Disposal
One of the main reasons why people dispose of toxic materials into the environment through illegal ways is due to ignorance, (Welch 17). Ignorant people are not aware of the consequences of their acts. They do not consider the effects of their actions on both humanity and the environment. Ignorance results from selfishness since such people fail to examine the impact of their actions on others.
Laziness prohibits people from following the right rules for waste disposal. In most cases, they dispose of their waste products unwisely with the assumption that one indisposed properly trash have a minimal effect on the environment. Such people are too lazy to find bins for their garbage. Finally, greed is a major factor which leads to improper waste disposal practices. Instead of incurring the cost of proper waste disposal, greedy people opt to forego it.
Effects of Waste on Environment
Chemicals Contaminating Soil
Whenever toxic wastelands on the surface of the earth, the chemicals leach into the soil and contaminate it. This has harmful effects on the plants which grow on the soil as well as the animals and human beings who consume them, (Choi et al. 779). Animals who come into contact with contaminated soil can also suffer due to the chemical composition. Contaminated soil is tough to treat, and in most cases, it has to be dug up from the area.
Spilling and burying hazardous waste in the soil leads to contamination. Ideally, everyone would prefer to have all plastics, paper, metal, and glass recycled so that it can get back to the consumer as a new product but is not what takes place. With increased industrialization, solvents, petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals and other elements are being processed in large numbers in the industries; whenever the waste products from such industries are incorrectly left on the earth's surface the lead to soil pollution. For instance, plastic water bottles release a carcinogen which is capable of causing liver dysfunction and reproductive issues when they break down after disposal.
Surface Water
Improperly disposed chemicals can run down to the nearby water bodies such as rivers and lakes. The high levels of chemicals in surface water endanger the lives of the habitats as well as other animals which drink it. This is because water is a significant solvent which can contain multiple dissolved chemicals from the soil as well as spillages. During rainfall, solvent chemicals seep into water bodies such as nearby ponds, fountains, lakes, among others. This makes it clear that even drinking water is susceptible to the negative consequences of water pollution.
Air Pollution
Air pollution takes place through evaporation of chemicals from waste, especially in open-air dumps. Most waste and trash from households and industries is disposed of through incinerators which increase the probability of air pollution. The release of toxic substances into the atmosphere through evaporation mostly leads to acid rain which is harmful to mother nature. One of the most dangerous greenhouse gases is methane which is released as substances waste away, (Van et al. 242). Methane leads to global warming and can also explode if ignited.
It is worth noting that most products are made with chemicals in today's world. Whenever such substances are improperly disposed of the chemicals, do not just disappear. They continue reacting hence releasing gases into the atmosphere. Most people feel hopeless whenever they hear news about the ozone layer because they think they cannot make the necessary changes and get it back to its original status. One of the best ways in which humanity can take care of the environment is through environmentally sustainable waste disposal.
Air pollution takes place whenever plastics and papers are burned at landfills. This causes landfill gas which when accumulated lead to ozone layer depletion. Scholars have consistently confirmed that the presence of chemicals such as dioxin in the air makes it unfit for human and animal consumption. Improper waste disposal plays a significant role in global warning through air pollution.
Severe Climatic Conditions
According to Arancon et al. (142), decomposing waste produces greenhouse gases which have a significant impact on weather conditions. They are the primary cause of extreme weather conditions which are not only harmful to animals and human beings but also plants. There have been repeated experiences of storms, severe hail storms, typhoons, and increased atmospheric temperatures.
Conclusion
Waste disposal has significant impacts on the environment. The leading causes of improper waste disposal are ignorance, laziness, and greed. Illegal waste disposal has the following effects on the environment: soil contamination, water contamination, air pollution, and severe climatic conditions. Waste management is the responsibility of every human being since they all suffer from fundamental ways due to the failure to do so.
Works Cited
Arancon, Norman Q., et al. "Effects of vermicomposts produced from food waste on the growth and yields of greenhouse peppers." Bioresource Technology 93.2 (2004): 139-144.
Choi, Yun-Wang, et al. "Effects of waste PET bottles aggregate on the properties of concrete." Cement and concrete research 35.4 (2005): 776-781
Van Zwieten, Lꎬ, et al. "Effects of biochar from slow pyrolysis of papermill waste on agronomic performance and soil fertility." Plant and soil 327.1-2 (2010): 235-246.
Welch, Eugene B. Ecological effects of waste water: Applied limnology and pollutant effects. CRC Press, 2002.
