Category: Pollution

This fact sheet is aimed to inform the reader about the danger that is around groundwater resources and is caused by the impact of agriculture. It will summarize the activities that influence groundwater development, describe the risk, under which groundwater as well as health can be, and analyze the methods of control that can be used to improve the situation and prevent negative consequences.

People have to be aware about the impact of their activities on groundwater and be able to improve the conditions, they live under, and this piece of writing will inform each reader about each detail that will be crucial for groundwater and the activities, which will help to maintain it from pollution.

Groundwater resources and human activities

“Groundwater constitutes 97 per cent of global freshwater and is an important source of drinking-water in many regions of the world” (Schmoll et al. 4). Such explanation of groundwater helps to underline the significance of this component in our everyday life and clear up that the problems, which happen within groundwater, may considerably influence our planet.

Groundwater pollution may lead to disruption of this life to its full extent. Numerous activities have been already taken in order to prevent groundwater pollution, but unfortunately the government of any country is not able to solve this problem and save this planet.

Groundwater is available for many users from different spheres of life, and it turns out to be impossible to forbid them using water and purify it of all undesirable chemicals. Population growth provides increasing of living standards and food demands, this is why the sphere of agriculture develops day by day and requires land for cultivation, irrigation, salinity, and, of course, waterlogging.

All these activities that are primary aimed at improving human lives and feeding populations have negative impact on groundwater and promote groundwater contamination within the shortest period of time. Agriculture is considered to be the main factor of environmental pressure that causes groundwater pollution because of intensive cultivation, inability to control water use, and lack of technologies to purify water.

As a rule, groundwater pollution is caused by three reasons:

• Agriculture activities;
• Industrial activities
• Urban living demands

Agriculture and its essence as the major influential factor in groundwater analysis

Agriculture is a significant user of groundwater in the sense of abstractions and in the incidental sense that implies releasing nitrates and salts as the major pollutants of water (Dosi vii). More than 1,5 billions hectares are cultivated nowadays in order to meet the demands of people and provide them with a chance to feed and exchange goods in order to survive.

About 18 % of this number is irrigated land, and its water usually comes from surface water that is located in reservoirs. In order to support irrigated land, it is necessary to provide considerable amounts of groundwater. This is why abstraction for irrigation is considered to be one of the most important environmental pressure factors.

And the investigations by Llamas and his team prove that the use of groundwater has raised considerably in the last 50 years (Llamas and Custodio 93). Groundwater use is inherent to many ancient civilizations, and its boom was caused by supply-push factors like availability of cheap pumps and development of drilling technologies at the beginning of the 1920 (Molden 395).

Irrigation and waterlogging play a very important role in agriculture and influence groundwater pollution

Unbelievable growth of irrigated agriculture and frequent demand for water requires the use and storing of surface water. Groundwater irrigation started its development at the beginning of the 1900s, but its breakthrough has been achieved in the 1930s, when numerous drilling equipment and technologies became available to people. Irrigation is obligatory “to serve an increasingly productive agriculture, and investments… to adapt yesterday’s systems to tomorrow’s needs” (Molden 353).

Waterlogging takes place in case agricultural land is somewhere over underground layers, where it is hard to reach the necessary amount of water. Such places are characterized by difficulties with percolation of water that may lead to groundwater levels’ rising one day. In order to solve the problems of waterlogging, certain practices have to be taken: source reduction, biological filtering, and reuse of water.

Nitrate and pesticides as one of the principal nutrients that is considerable for groundwater and for health hazards due to their chemical components

Usually, fertilizers are used in order to fasten the growth of plants and gather as much harvest as possible. However, people cannot even guess that the use of any kind of fertilizers lead to dangerous water pollution and the disaster that is waiting for use in future because of groundwater contamination.

Agricultural activities are regarded as the source of nitrate in groundwater. In fact, the leaching of nitrate is a natural process, however, this process usually depends on “the accelerated nitrogen cycle in soil” (Sapek 3) that is considered to be a result of agricultural activities. The risk of pollution by these very nitrates is really high and depends on the interaction that may happen between nitrogen loading and aquifer’s vulnerability.

Definition

Vulnerability comprises the intrinsic properties of the strata separating a saturated aquifer from the land surface which determine the sensitivity of that aquifer to being adversely affected by pollution loads applied at the land surface (Schmoll et al. 202).

The process of groundwater pollution that depends on nitrate and vulnerability with loading interactions take place in several steps. Vulnerability of groundwater depends on soil properties, which influence the depth of the pathway on the Figure1. Within this pathway, water and pollutants move together from the surface (soil) to the receptor, gathering certain damage in groundwater, which have been left before.

Governmental framework to prevent groundwater pollution

In order to prevent the groundwater pollution and not affect the sphere of agriculture that is crucial for human lives, it is necessary to develop a program that will be able to control the use of water on different levels.

1. Government has to work out the legislation policy in order to protect and control groundwater resources. It is obligatory to evaluate the impact of agricultural operations, which are influential for water resources.
2. Groundwater mapping, ground- and surface-water monitoring, watershed models should be developed as well in different regions simultaneously. These activities allow not only to control the use of water but also to analyze what factor and where exactly influence pollution.

REMEMBER!

Each person is able to help his/her own country and land and prevent pollution of groundwater! It is enough to use pesticides or fertilizers on gardens carefully, deal with other chemicals safely, plant native plants in gardens, and finally control the use of chemicals and oil at streets.

1. Mass media has to participate in the activities to inform people about the negative impact of agriculture and possible steps, which may be taken to prevent planet’s pollution.
2. Certain quality standards for water uses have to be settled in order to clean up the most contaminated sites.
3. Encouragement of the agricultural activities that can minimize the negative impact of groundwater, for example waste disposal or hazardous chemicals within transports.

Conclusion

Groundwater is of huge importance to many countries’ development. Its considerable distribution, low costs, and really good quality have already led to productive agricultural irrigation. Many groundwater resources, which aim at meeting human needs and demands for surviving, undergo certain changes day by day, because people create more and more technologies and goods and the use of these sources becomes irreversible.

One of the most frequent source of groundwater pollution is the use of chemicals. Pesticides, fertilizers, and herbicides are considered to be agricultural sources of pollution, and the most terrible point is that this waste is usually washed down with the runoff and cannot be prevented. It is not enough for the government to develop a policy and follow it step be step.

In order to achieve good results and save our planet from a disaster because of groundwater pollution, it is necessary to ask each citizen to participate in the programs concerning prevention of groundwater contamination and be careful with the use of chemicals and other type of waste. If people do not care about the earth they live on, one day, the earth cannot stand human treatment and rebel against all human nation. And it will be a disaster.

Works Cited

Dosi, Cesare. Agricultural Use of Groundwater: Towards Integration between Agricultural Policy and Water Resources Management. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001. Print.

Llamas, Ramon and Custodio, Emilio. Intensive Use of Groundwater – Challenges and Opportunities. The Netherlands: A. A. Balkema Publishers, 2003. Print.

Molden David. Water for food, water for life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. Sterling, VA: International Water Management Institute, 2007. Print.

Sapek, A. “Agricultural Activities as a Source of Nitrates in Groundwater.” In Nitrates in Groundwater: Selected Papers from the European Meeting of the International Association of Hydrodeologists, Wisla, Poland, 4-7 June 2002 by Lidia Razowska-Jaworek and Andrej Sadurski. London: Taylor&Francis Group, 2005.

Schmoll, Howard, Guy, Chilton, John, and Chorus, Ingrid. Protecting Groundwater for Health: Managing the Quality of Drinking-Water Sources. London: World Health Organization, 2006. Print.

Introduction

Transportation has significant impacts on all aspects of human beings. It has substantial socio-economic benefits, and every nation strives to have the best transportation network. All transportation activities are vital since they support the ever-increasing demand for freight and passenger mobility. Notably, road, air, maritime, and rail are the common modes used in shipping. The growth of consignment and travelers’ mobility is associated with the rise of negative impacts of transportation through pollutants. The pollution caused by vehicles hurts the environment as well as people’s well-being.

Cause of Pollution

Tracks, cars, locomotives, buses, and airplanes powered by fossil fuels are the major causes of pollution associated with transportation. Their emissions throughout their lifecycle make air dirt, with adverse effects on humans and the environment. Additionally, the pollutants can be related to fuels’ refining and distribution as well as manufacturing and disposal of cars, buses, trucks, and other means of transportation. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists (2018), heavy-duty vehicles contribute significantly to pollution. Although they have an indispensable role, comprising ferrying of people around cities, picking up trash from residential, hauling goods to stores from manufacturers, and delivering packages every day, they affect public health and the environment. More than 25 % of emissions from the transportation sector come from these vehicles (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018). Therefore, pollutants emitted by different means of transportation need to be controlled to minimize the negative impacts on the ecosystem and public human health.

Types of Pollution and Pollutants

Vehicles, trains, airplanes, and ships are associated with air and noise pollution. The fossil-powered means of transportation emit different pollutants to the environment. Particulate matter such as soot found in vehicle exhaust is one type of contaminant (Environmental Protection Agency, n.d.). These fine particles can primary or secondary pollutants from sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. They are mainly associated with diesel exhaust and pose a threat to human health. Other contaminants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and greenhouse gases (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2018). Vehicles emit such VOCs as acetaldehyde and benzene that react with NOx in the presence of sunlight to form smog. NOx is a primary pollutant, which affects the respiratory system. CO is a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas that blocks oxygen from vital organs when inhaled. SO2 is released into the air by vehicles that use diesel (Napitupulu et al., 2018). All means of transportation, including ships, airplanes, trains, and vehicles, produce greenhouse gases. Indeed, these pollutants are one of the main disadvantages of transportation.

Impacts of Pollution Caused By Transportation

Pollutants emitted by different means of transportation can have direct, indirect, and cumulative effects on the environment and public health. While direct impacts comprise immediate consequences of pollutants such as carbon monoxide and noise emissions, the secondary ones cause problems that cannot openly be linked to the contaminants (Rodrigue, 2020). On the other hand, cumulative effects include both direct and indirect t impacts on the ecosystem and are unpredictable, for example, climate change, which is significantly associated with transportation activities.

Impacts on Environment

The greenhouse effect, which occurs naturally where the earth’s atmosphere partially retains heat, is one of the impacts of pollution caused by transportation. It is associated with such emissions as CO2, nitrous oxide (N2O), methane (CH4), and halocarbons that accumulate in the atmosphere. According to Rodrigue (2020), transportation activities release several millions of greenhouse gases into the air annually, which is approximately 30 % of greenhouse emissions. Some of the gases (N2O) cause depletion of the stratospheric ozone layer, increasing the earth’s surface vulnerability to ultraviolet radiation (Marianna & Mariusz, 2017). The climate change contributed by the emissions is associated with floods because of rising sea levels and harsher operating conditions, negatively affecting transportation (Moretti & Loprencipe, 2018). NOx and SO2 cause acid rain when mixed with cloud water, affecting crops, buildings, and forest coverage. Therefore, climate change’s impact on transportation is indirect and complex.

Particulate matters and gas emissions from marine engines, highway vehicles, aircraft, and locomotives have adverse effects on air quality and are detrimental to human health. These pollutants include carbon monoxide, NOx, lead (Pb), heavy metals (cadmium, copper, chrome, and zinc), volatile components, benzene, and silicon tetrafluoride (SF6) (Matz et al., 2019). However, the level of lead emissions has decreased considerably following the compound’s ban in most countries because of neurotoxic effects on people (National Geographic Staff, 2019). Smog and particulate emissions from vehicle exhaust contaminate the air, increasing skin irritation, respiratory problems, allergies, and eye inflammation (Mackenzie, 2016). Therefore, decreased quality of air caused by transportation pollutants hurts human well-being.

Transportation activities negatively affect the quality of water and cause environmental noise. Vehicles, trains, aircraft, and marine vessels discharge hazardous particulate matters that pollute a hydrographic system. Marine transportation emissions have increased due to the rise in demand for maritime shipping, representing the most critical factor in the transportation sector impacting water quality. The latter is associated with oil spills, ballast waters, waste, and dredging (Rodrigue, 2020). Undeniably, vessels’ operations at ports or sea generate waste, which may contain a high level of bacteria, harming the marine ecosystem when released to the waters. Additionally, some garbage collecting plastic and metals are not biodegradable. The noise emanated from trains, aircrafts, and vehicles as well as operations of the rail yards, airports, and ports, can affect people and animal life. Rodrigue (2020) indicates that the irregular and chaotic sounds associated with the transportation sector increase the risks of cardiovascular ailments. Additionally, ambient noise caused by urban areas’ road transportation impairs property values and the quality of life. Thus, regulating the amount of noise released and water pollutants associated with various means of transportation can ensure a safe environment for humans and animals.

Impacts on Public Health

Pollution caused by transportation causes various health problems and deaths. Particulate matters cause such illnesses as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems, central nervous system and reproductive dysfunctions, and cancer when inhaled. Equally, different pollutants, including SO2, VOCs, NOx, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and dioxins, are harmful to humans. They increase risks for asthma, lung cancer, bronchitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and cutaneous disease (Matz et al., 2019; Manisalidis et al., 2020). Others like carbon monoxide cause direct poisoning, and an individual inhales them at high levels. Moreover, heavy metals like lead are associated with chronic intoxication when absorbed into the body. Contaminated water noise pollution can also lead to various health problems. As a result, the healthcare system’s burden and the cost of treating conditions caused by transportation pollutants increase.

Conclusively, pollution caused by transportation has adverse impacts on the environment and public health. Tracks, cars, locomotives, buses, and airplanes powered by fossil fuels release pollutants throughout their lifecycle. They emit contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), and greenhouse gases, benzene and silicon tetrafluoride (SF6, lead (Pb), and other heavy metals. Development and implementation of policies to control pollution caused by transportation can guarantee a safe environment for both humans and animals.

References

Environmental Protection Agency. (n.d). Smog, soot, and other air pollution from transportation. US Environmental Protection Agency. Web.

Mackenzie, J. (2016). Air Pollution: Everything You Need to Know. Natural Resources Defense Council. Web.

Manisalidis, I., Stavropoulou, E., Stavropoulos, A., & Bezirtzoglou, E. (2020). Environmental and health impacts of air pollution: A review. Frontiers in Public Health, 8(14), 1-13. Web.

Marianna, J., & Mariusz, W. (2017). The study of transport impact on the environment with regard to sustainable development. Vibroengineering PROCEDIA, 13, 285-289. Web.

Matz, C., Egyed, M., Hocking, R., Seenundun, S., Charman, N., & Edmonds, N. (2019). Human health effects of traffic-related air pollution (TRAP): A scoping review protocol. Systematic Reviews, 8(1), 1-5. Web.

Moretti, L., & Loprencipe, G. (2018). Climate Change and Transport Infrastructures: State of the art. Sustainability, 10(11), 1-18. Web.

Napitupulu, B., Ismiyati, I., & Handajani, M. (2018). Analysis of air pollution caused by mass transportation design changes. MATEC Web of Conferences, 195(04021), 1-10. Web.

National Geographic Staff. (2019). The environmental impacts of cars explained. National Geographic. Web.

Rodrigue, J. (2020). The geography of transport systems (5th ed.). Routledge. Web.

Union of Concerned Scientists. (2018). Cars, trucks, buses and air pollution. Union of Concerned Scientists. Web.

Introduction

Pollution refers to the introduction of foreign substances to pure contents. The foreign substances are referred to as pollutants. Water pollution therefore refers to the introduction of pollutants into a water body. The pollutants come from various sources including human wastes, domestic wastes, industrial and agricultural by-products and even floods (Woodford, 2012, p. 1).

This paper takes a step by step analysis of the causes, effects, treatment of polluted waters and finally how humans can strive towards prevention of water pollution through minimization of pollutants disposal into water bodies.

Causes of water pollution

Domestic wastes are a major cause of pollution originating mainly from household facilities such as kitchens and bathrooms. This includes waste water from kitchens resulting from washing of utensils and consisting of foodstuff wastes. The waste water carries with it food left-overs which when released into the sewage systems ends up rotting and releasing toxic substances.

Even the most well designed housing units do not have well-built septic tanks for disposal of such wastes (Donald, 2011, p. 72). However, even with the well built septic tanks, clogging of the pipes does occur causing the pipes to burst releasing their content into the environment. Various other kinds of chemicals result from the use of bathrooms which are either constituents of soaps or detergents used in washing.

Human wastes mainly consist of faecal matter disposed off poorly in the environment. This is a major problem in slums and in rural areas especially in the developing world. Most of these areas do not have proper toilets. The wastes are disposed anyhow in the environment and during heavy rains the wastes are washed off into large water bodies.

Further pollution occurs when these wastes decompose releasing toxic products into water bodies especially large amounts of carbon dioxide which may suffocate aquatic animals (Thompson, 2012, p 1). In slums, there is free flow of sewage in open tunnels even when there are no rains. The sewage from various households coalesces and forms big streams which eventually find their way into water bodies.

Many farmers employ the use of fertilizers to boost their production. However, these fertilizers are inorganic chemicals in nature and not all are utilized by the plants.

The components which are not absorbed by the plants end up accumulating in the soil and during heavy rains they are washed off and flown into water bodies as agricultural run-offs (Freedman, 2009, p. 145). Since these components are inorganic in nature, they are not easily biodegradable thus end up accumulating at the base of the water bodies and become toxic to aquatic life.

Industrial by-products form a major cause of water pollution resulting from several unwanted products which are released during production. These are referred to as by products which may be inorganic chemicals, solid wastes or used water. Most industries use water as either reactant or as coolant or both.

This water is again released into water bodies from which it was initially collected (Thompson, 2012, p. 1). In most cases, industries release hot water which had been used as a coolant and may end up killing young aquatic animals.

Floods which occur as run-offs following heavy down pour of rains. When it rains in highland areas, the floods come down stream with large amounts of wastes ranging from the human, domestic and agricultural wastes. When floods occur after a drought where animals lost their lives, they carry with them the decaying remains of the dead animals. This results in the pollution of the receiving water bodies (Aral, 2010, p. 59).

Global warming can be considered as a secondary cause of pollution as it does not directly cause pollution but only contributes to the occurrence of the other pollutants. With global warming, there are increased incidences of flush floods sweeping people, farms and animals while the green house gases which contribute to global warming also contribute to the occurrence of acid rains. The acid rain pollutes water bodies especially the oceans with adverse effects on aquatic life and the users of such waters.

Effects of water pollution

Spread of water borne diseases where some of the contaminants in water pollutants are disease-causing microorganisms. Most common of these are the cholera causing Vibrio cholerae and typhoid fever causing Salmonella typhus (Haughton & Hunter, 2008, p. 212).

These microorganisms spread and multiply in the water bodies and spread these diseases to many users including animals and humans especially those using river water for consumption. These waters are also carried over long distances where these infections continue to be spread.

Famine may also result from water pollution especially where water pollution causes spread of diseases to both plants and animals causing their deaths (Greis, 2012, p. 21).

In areas where water is polluted with inorganic chemicals which are toxic to plants, there is likelihood of the plants drying up thus less vegetation cover and lack of rains to support agriculture. Crops grown near the water bodies and supplied with water through irrigation are likely not going to produce good harvest and may even fail completely when supplied with polluted water.

Decline of the fishing industry may as well result which mainly depends on fish from major water bodies such as lakes which might be under the threat of pollution. If these water bodies get polluted, they will not be able to support aquatic life which includes that of fish. This would spell doom to the fishing industry (Woodford, 2012, p. 1). The major causes of fish death in their natural habitats has been found to be chemicals released from industries and hot water released by the same industries.

Deterioration of major water bodies occur as chemical wastes and organic pollutants accumulate in the water bodies and they continue decaying and the nutrient levels in lakes rise thus supporting a larger number and variety of vegetation. Algal blooms are likely to come up and cover the major water bodies.

This may mean a death penalty to lakes as growth of vegetation colonizes the waters. The blooms end up suffocating life out of the aquatic animals which eventually become extinct while the waters dry out. This is also evident in Lake Victoria in East Africa where the weed, water hyacinth has colonized large chunks of the lake and covered it completely (Thompson, 2012, p. 1).

It is threatening other forms of life in the lake and even the usual fishing activities have been hampered. The lake is under threat of extinction should the spread of the weed be neglected. However, certain species of fish seem to have benefitted from the weeds invasion of the lake as their population has been reported to be on the rise following consumption of the weed as a food source.

As water sources become depleted due to pollution, more and more people lack adequate water for domestic and commercial use. They end up spending a lot of their resources in obtaining water since water is life. In addition to lack of water for domestic use, polluted water will spread diseases thus more resources will be invested in managing those ailments.

Lastly, the industries which rely heavily on the large water bodies for water will have to spend more on tapping water due to pollution of the existing sources (Freedman, 2009, p. 149). This inflated cost will ultimately be transferred to the consumers. All these effects of water pollution will result in people spending more thus raising the cost of living. This has been experienced in Kenya especially in the Lake Victoria region.

Prevention of water pollution

Since water is life, it is important that it is safeguarded from potential sources of pollutants. This basically will involve getting ways of preventing the pollutants from getting into the water bodies (Imbriaco, 2011, p. 1). All potential pollutants should be treated before they are released into the environment. The strategies which can help ensure this include, but not limited to;

Governments should take the lead in protecting water resources. It is therefore important that governments come up with legislations that will ensure the protection of the environment.

Such legislations would include laws on sanitation in residential areas that ensure people have proper toilets and proper disposal facilities. Implementation of laws on waste treatment by industries before being released into the environment, guidelines on use of fertilizers for agricultural purposes and laws on general environmental conservation should also be put in place (Imbriaco, 2011, p. 1).

Another way of preventing water pollution is the introduction of organic farming where organic manure is used in place of the common inorganic fertilizers. Farmers should be encouraged to embrace this kind of farming which ensures that the manure used is biodegradable and do not end up accumulating in the water bodies once they are washed off by floods (Donald, 2011, p. 84).

Since agricultural wastes are used as source of manure, the raw wastes released into the environment will be few and sometimes none. In addition to cutting operation costs for the farmer, it also helps conserve the environment.

Proper waste management should also be practised where wastes produced from both domestic use and industrial used are disposed appropriately. For domestic waste, household users should dig up compost pits to dispose off their wastes. The organic wastes are allowed to decompose while the inorganic ones are burnt inside the pits (Aral, 2010, p. 52).

On the same note, industries should set up treatment plants for their wastes where the potentially harmful wastes are treated before being released into the environment. Areas without proper sanitation like the slums and rural areas should improve and come up with latrines for proper human waste management.

Treatment of waste water

There are plants which can be built to clean up the already polluted waters. These are composed of wells for decomposition of the organic wastes after which the water is filtered to rid it of the particulate matter then finally treated with chlorine before being released back into the water system (Haughton & Hunter 2008, p. 216). This should be made a requirement for all industries releasing waste water.

Conclusion

Water is a very important part of life and therefore it must be protected as a resource. It is clear that human beings are virtually solely responsible for all almost all sources of pollution (Greis, 2012, p. 21). It is therefore important that each individual takes up responsibility to protect water as a natural resource. The government also needs to ensure legislations are in place and that they are complied with at all times.

Reference List

Aral, M. (2010). Water quality, exposure and health. Springer science and business media. 1 (1), 49 – 68.

Donald, R. (2011). Water pollution. New York: Children’s Press.

Freedman, M. (2009) Ground water. National ground water association. 17 (2), 132 – 170.

Greis, M. (2012). Water hazard: executives must work collaboratively to prevent system contamination. National Centre for Biotechnology Information: U.S. National library of medicine. 42 (6), 1 – 24.

Haughton, G. & Hunter, C. (2008). Sustainable cities. London: Routledge.

Imbriaco, A. (2011). Water pollution issues and solutions. eHow, demand media, Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/solutions-water-pollution-7202971.html

Thompson, R. (2012) Pollution. GreenstudentU.com. Web.

Woodford, C. (2012). Water pollution: an introduction. Explainthatstuff, Retrieved from https://www.explainthatstuff.com/waterpollution.html

Introduction

Human activities are largely attributed to the loss of the planet’s biodiversity. The impact of man on the environment is so enormous since he has facilitated the rate of species extinction a thousand to ten thousand times the normal rate (Derraik, 2002). The extinction of marine life for instance, has been accelerated by waste debris and the global climatic variations.

The twenty first century has been marked by a dramatic technological advancement that has uplifted the standard of living. However, this has also come with a great cost since the materials produced are difficult to dispose without affecting the environment. Plastic bags, household garbage and electronic waste are such products, which have posed a great risk to the environment since the means of disposing them is difficult (Derraik, 2002).

Thesis: Garbage remains are a burning problem that we have to face today. It is close to everyone who lives in the world because we product trash every day. In most of the world, we do one of two things with our ordinary garbage: burn it or bury it. Neither one is good for us or for the environment. Burning garbage in incinerators releases dangerous gases and dust which contribute to global warming and pollute lakes, forests. How to reduce the garbage remains become a big issue for everyone.

Land Pollution

Typical house hold waste contains papers, cardboards, chlorine-bleached plastics, foils, food scraps and batteries (EPA, 2011). Averagely, in the U.S, a single person can produce 3.72 pounds garbage daily, where 40% of 50 million people living in the non-metropolitan region of the nation are estimated to burn their waste (backyard burning), while 63% of the total daily garbage is incinerated in burn barrels. As a result, more than 1.8 billion pounds of garbage from household is incinerated in burn barrels annually (MDEQ, 2005).

According to Hill (2010 p.345), more than ‘500 billion one-time-use plastic bags’ are used annually in the world and end up being littered ubiquitously to comprise waste/misuse. At the same time, plastics are non-biodegradable and burying them only destroys the ecosystem, posing a hazard to marine ecosystems. Plastics are polymeric, highly non-biodegradable and persist for a long time in the natural environments (Hill, 2010).

Electronic wastes/e-waste comprises of discarded electronic appliances such as computers, phones, TV, and fringes. These are hazardous when improperly disposed in landfills or when incinerated. For instance, the Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) present in televisions contains phosphors and lead that contaminates the land and water if improperly disposed, or when there is transfer of the ash from the incinerators. Such landfills contaminate the surrounding soil which in turn contaminates the underground water (MDEQ, 2005).

Air Pollution

Plastics are derivatives of fossils fuels with varied chemical properties hence, complicating the recycling process. Therefore, burning garbage particularly the ones containing plastics, pollute the atmosphere through emission of toxic gases. Many have volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) such as chlorine/bromine that are released on burning and destroy the ozone layer.

Carbon dioxide and monoxide released from burning organic matter also accumulates in the atmosphere. Ultimately, they deplete the ozone layer resulting to global warming, which is the chief facilitator of climate change (MDEQ, 2005).

PVC in particular, releases dioxin upon burning. Dioxin is an organic chemical, which has detrimental health effects when inhaled since they are carcinogenic and bio-accumulative. Incineration emits flue gas that contains hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) such as carbon monoxide and dioxide, nitrogen oxides, benzene, styrene, dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), furans as well as heavy metals like lead, arsenic and mercury, which significantly pollute the environment (MDEQ, 2005).

Burn barrels release smoke containing hydrochloric acid and formaldehyde, which irritates the respiratory system and eyes. Formaldehyde is present in pressed wood and paints. On the other hand, bleached papers and plastics contain chlorine, which releases dioxins when combusted with other garbage at minimal temperatures.

Dioxins cause cancer, immune system dysfunction and birth defects (EPA, 2011). On the same note, statistics from 2002 to 2004 indicates that backyard and barrel burning comprised 57% of the source of furans and dioxins (U.S. Department of Health, 2011; EPA, 2011).

More so, combusting garbage with synthetic materials emits heavy metals that are carcinogenic and implicated with some birth defects. Combusting polystyrene polymers present in foam cups and plastic packaging produce styrene gas that can pass through skin as well as lungs and mucous membranes to cause damage to the central nervous system (U.S. Department of Health, 2011).

Water Pollution

Some plastics and electronic wastes go ahead to breakdown into simpler toxic products that pollute the underground as well as the running water when buried or left to litter in dumpsites. After incineration of electronic wastes and plastics, the ashes finally find their way in rivers and lakes thus posing a hazard to marine life.

Mercury, dioxins, Furans and PCBs bioaccumulate in the ecosystem and therefore, they are transferred through the food chain. When plastics pile together due to poor disposal, they clog drainages and sewers leading to floods, where mosquitoes and other pathogens breed causing poor sanitation with serious health implications (Derraik, 2002).

The ash from incinerators may contain hazardous products, which when buried or placed in the landfills, contaminate the soil. Mostly, they contain heavy metals most of which are carcinogenic e.g. cadmium, lead mercury from batteries as well as chromium and arsenic from treated wood. These accumulate in plants or contaminate ground and running water.

Garbage debris moves to the oceans, killing the marine life such as zooplankton and marine turtles. Garbage discarded in beaches and from ships into the waterways or through fishing nets could ultimately be eaten by marine life, obscuring their digestive systems. Some are strangled, entangled or trapped by the debris causing the organisms to drown/starve, become exposed to predators or unable to hunt their prey.

These are some of deleterious impacts of marine debris facilitated by garbage littering, which jeopardize the existence of these organisms (Derraik, 2002). The ingested plastics also contain polychlorinated biphenyls that are hazardous to invader species. Moreover, the marine ecosystems also face the danger of hypoxia/anoxia, due to garbage debris that imbalance its usual functioning (Derraik, 2002).

Solutions and Recommendations

The economic implications of garbage cannot be ignored since enormous amount of money is spent in clearing and treating the litter, addressing public health concerns and recycling. International legislations and cooperation should be oriented towards conserving the environment through proper disposal of garbage, recycling of plastic and use of alternative packaging that are biodegradable or long lasting bags that can be reused severally.

Moreover, public awareness should be enhanced through education of the wider community through the school curriculum. International relations facilitated by the concept of ‘Thinking globally and acting locally’ significantly address the environmental threat posed by garbage disposal (Derraik, 2002).

Garbage pollution can be managed through recycling measures or banning of plastic bags used in packaging. Alternative ecofriendly means of packaging should be drafted while high taxes should be imposed on the manufacturer and consumers of these plastics. Electronic waste can also be recycled and refurbished. ‘Reduce’, ‘Reuse’ and ‘Recycle’ are the 3Rs that go a long way in handling the issue of garbage.

Pre-cycle entails selecting items that are less packaged or those that can be reused. Reuse of old papers, plastic bags and cans, offering old clothes for charity as well as using a coffee mug rather than disposable cups is crucial. Reduce, refers to minimizing the household garbage through purchasing economy packs and avoiding wastage of papers. Recycling of plastics and papers, cardboards and even e-waste should be upheld (U. S. Department of Health, 2011).

Biodegradable garbage should be left to decompose in a composite pit while the rest should be placed in licensed landfills. To sum it all, backyard burning should be regulated in all countries particularly in the rural regions since it does not only pollute the air but also comprises a significant emission of toxic residue that poses a high risk to the public health and more so, decrease the quality of life.

Burn barrels that facilitate incomplete combustion to emit very toxic compounds should be regulated. Therefore, licensed incinerators with filters and temperatures exceeding 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit to facilitate complete combustion, should be embraced to minimize hazardous emissions.

References

Derraik, J. G. (2002). The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: a review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 44(9), 842-852.

Hill, M. K. (2010). Understanding Environmental Pollution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ). (2005). Backyard Burn Barrels Vs. Municipal Waste Combustors. Web.

U. S. Department of Health. (2011). Does Burning Trash Make it Disappear: Stop Backyard Burning. Web.

United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2011). Outdoor Air – Industry, Business, and Home: Backyard Trash Burning – Additional Information. Web.

Air and water pollutions are the two major pollutions experienced in our day to day activities. Air pollution entails various contaminants in the atmosphere. Air pollution is well known to affect the human health and environment considerably. Air pollution occurs inform of air gases pollutants or particles that can occur either in limited scales such as indoor air pollutants or can happen in large scales and become an international concern. Some of the gases that have been linked with air pollution include carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen oxide among others (Weather Almanac, 2002). The major sources of air pollutants are exhaust fumes from automotive and industrial combustions. The current increased use of petroleum products has enhanced air pollution greatly. On the other hand, water Pollution occurs when a lot of water pollutants such as chemicals or organic matter are added to the water. Water pollution can result during rainy season when the surface runoff carries agricultural chemicals and herbicides to neighboring water bodies. Consequently water pollution results when industries dispose their waste into water bodies (Green Sowers solutions, n.d). Poor sewerage system is also associated with water pollution and especially in the urban areas. Poor sewerage systems, automotive and industrial wastes are the major causes of water and air pollutions in Bangkok, Bangladeshi and Mexico City.

In many cities worldwide air pollution has been an issue of concern for a very long time. Air pollution has been enhanced by the high increase in population in the 21^st century. The Bangkok City the capital city of Thailand is among the cities that have been greatly affected by air pollution as a result of their amplified pollution.Bangkok air pollution is associated with the many vehicles found there. The number of vehicles in Bangkok increased from 600,000 in 1980 to 5,614,294 vehicles by 2007. Nowadays the number of vehicles in Bangkok has greatly augmented since then. The high number of vehicles in the city has greatly promoted air pollution in the area. Similarly in Bangkok City, water pollution is very widespread. This is because the city does not have appropriate sewerage system. This makes domestic wastes being discharged to public drains without first being treated. The household septic tanks that are found in Bangkok have outlets that drain to public canals or drains. Moreover some of the septic tanks found in Bangkok are designed to permit the liquid waste to percolate into the ground. The soil in Bangkok is usually clay soil which has a low permeability order. Similarly, the groundwater table is generally high which results to constant mix of the ground water and the leaching pit. This makes most of underground waters in Bangkok being contaminated because many people use indoor flush latrines that are linked to septic tanks or leaching pits.

In Bangkok domestic waste is more prevalent than the industrial waste. The reason behind the low industrial water pollution in the region is due to good government intervention measures that have been directed towards Bangkok industries. The government encourages industries to establish their plants outside the Bangkok city. The government does so by offering the industries incentives inform of tax brakes and duty exemption (Bangkok’s strategy to tackle air pollution, n.d).

Air and water pollution in Bangladesh is very prevalent. The households in Bangladesh are noted for their extensive use of bio mass for cooking. The fuel causes a lot of indoor pollution that has greatly enhanced the high prevalence of respiratory illness in the area. Bangladesh is known to have high percentage of water supply that rates at 97%. Most of its water supplied comes from underground water which has nowadays faced a lot of scrutiny as it is linked with high arsenic contamination (World Health Organization, n.d).

The Mexico City is renowned by its history of air quality problem. The poor air quality is as a result of its location which is a plateau that is sandwiched between mountains. Despite the many government interventions in Mexico City such as requiring new automobiles being fitted with pollution control devices such as catalytic converters that reduce the content of sulfur of gasoline, the quality of the air in Mexico City is still below the recommended quality. The Mexico City ecology makes the air in the City being characterized by cool ground air that is trapped by a warmer layer of air.

Despite the high pollution that is linked with the Mexico City, the city is well known for its unpolluted water. The city has good sewerage system and very good water treatment and delivery facilities. The water treatment and sewerage systems in Mexico City resemble those systems found in U.S. The water in the city is first treated in concentrated area before being distributed to every household in the region (Michaels, 2009).

Poor sewerage system, high pollution from industries and automobiles are among the major causes of air and water pollutions in Bangkok, Bangladeshi and Mexico City. Thus, respective governments require installing appropriate mechanism to regulate the problem.

List of References

Bangkok’s strategy to tackle air pollution (n.d). Web.

Green Sowers solutions (n.d) Water Pollution. Web.

Michaels, P. (2009). Air Pollution in Mexico. Web.

Weather Almanac. (2002). Air and Water Pollution. Web.

World Health Organization (n.d). Sustainable Development & Healthy Environment. Web.

Introduction

Water pollution is any form of activity that may lead to contamination or addition of pollutants into water body. It is an important issue to the world to put into consideration because human beings need clean water. Other living creatures need good water as well.

Therefore, water is a very important requirement in the daily activities of people, and it is a very useful resource in industries, hospitals, schools and even in food manufacturing companies. This is why clean water is required in all the places to make sure the people and all the living creatures in the planet live a good and healthy life.

Water pollution cases have been increasing in the contemporary world, despite all the efforts to reduce it. Despite all these efforts, the question remains as to what steps the world should take to end this problem of water pollution.

Causes and effects of Water Pollution

Harmful and toxic pollutants cause most cases of water pollution. The pollutants may cause the water to change both its physical or chemical nature by causing mixed reactions with its contents. One of the major pollutants is waste chemicals from manufacturing industries or factories.

Most of these institutions are careless with this matter of water pollution. This is actually a very serious matter because most of the people concerned know the effects of this activity but they end up ignoring it. Moreover, these wastes contain very harmful and toxic chemicals that may cause health problems to human beings and other living creatures in the water body.

Another major pollutant is sewage. Sewage dumped to various water bodies such as rivers, lakes or sea is a direct harm to the nearby occupants, given that it is there main source of water. This will mean that these people will lack clean water and will have one option of drinking the dirty water. The toxic contents of the sewage may also harm or kill aquatic animals present in that particular water body. Indeed, this is a government concern, though it seems that it is being neglected all the time.

Oil spillage to water bodies is another cause of water pollution, as it leads to more harmful effects to the living creatures and human beings around. Oil spillage will definitely affect the health of aquatic organisms, as well as other living things dependent on the water body being polluted. Garbage and other toxic substances are also the other causes of water pollution. All these directly affect human health and the natural environment in the surrounding areas. It is therefore up to the government to put more efforts to reduce these problems.

Possible Solutions for Water Pollution

One of the best solutions to water pollution is the enactment and implementation of rules against those industries and institutions that carelessly dump waste chemicals, garbage, and other toxic pollutants to the water bodies without considering human life and the natural habitat around. The government would need to be very strict on this matter.

People should also avoid dumping litter, household waste, or garbage to water bodies. Individuals should also avoid throwing dirty and harmful substances to their water lines that drain to sewage. Individual farmers must try to use the right amount of fertilizer when applying chemicals, as excess amount of fertilizer may drain to the nearby water body.

Conclusion

Water pollution issues are currently increasing in the world because of neglect of the governments and ignorance of the people. Water pollution issue should not only be issue to the government, but also all the people in the society. Therefore, people should join hands together with the government to reduce this world’s major problem. Nevertheless, water is a very important resource in the world, and it should therefore be kept clean and safe.

Since it is very important to develop in students not only language skills but also to broaden their horizon and make them committed to the environmental issues I decided to use topic “Water and Pollution” in oral developing activity. The following game is based on the activity “The Incredible Journey” (Fredrickson, 1999, p.28). It can be used with students of the Intermediate, Early Advanced and Advanced levels (English-language, 2009, pp. 19-24).

First the teacher draws students’ attention to the two circles, “Water Circle” and “Pollution”, depicted on the board (these circles have common space). It is also necessary to support this chart with pictures of the water circle and different ways of pollution all over the classroom, in order to hint students with ideas. First the teacher asks the students to name the main objects of pollution: air, water, soil, outer space, etc.

This all is written in the circle “Pollution”. Then the teacher asks the students to name the main states of water and define the main “stops” in water cycle (ocean, clouds and air, soil), which is written in the circle “Water Cycle”. After this the teacher suggests to define the points where these two circles meet (ocean, soil, air, etc), which is written in the common space.

After the first brief part the main part of a class follows: the teacher chooses one of the students, and divides the rest of the students into three groups. The teacher explains the essence of the game: a newly born molecule of water is in the ocean starting her way in the water cycle, trying to understand what is going on and to get as much information as possible.

The chosen student becomes a molecule of water, which is given a list of possible questions, for example: What is ocean? What does it consist of? Does it have any problems? How and where does water go further? Are there any deviations in this way? Can pollution prevent molecules from making her way? Of course, the student is encouraged to make his/her own questions.

While Molecule is reading the given questions, the teacher names the group and asks them to make graphic image of their group (e.g. waves, clouds, and an island with a tree). When everything is done (it will take few minutes), the students start their discussion: Molecule asks different questions and the students from the group “Water” must answer them, other groups can also participate in this process.

The teacher takes passive part in this discussion, and takes a part of Mother Nature, which interferes when some difficulties occur: students don’t know the answers, or don’t have any questions. So Molecule leaves group “Water” and passes to the group “Air”, and the discussion continues, as well as with the group “Soil”. In the end Molecule comes back to the group “Water”.

The final part of this activity is making conclusion. Each student must take floor and express his feelings and thought about pollution or water cycle.

The teacher then assesses the students’ work in class: first of all, the teacher should pay attention to the students’ skills in grammar and pronunciation, and then the teacher is to focus on the clarity of students’ expressing their thoughts. The best result show the students who use correct and reach language, express their thoughts in a simple and logic way.

References

English-language Development Standards for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve. (2009). Sacramento: California Department of Education.

Fredrickson, J. (1999) English Language Development Theory and Practices: Background Information for “EE” Providers. Sacramento: California State Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection

Introduction

Road noise is an unwanted sound produced by vehicles. Most of the noise is caused by tires moving on the sidewalk; however, engine noise also contributes, especially when the sound comes from large vehicles such as buses and trucks. Road noise pollution remains one of the most considerable channels of major environmental problems all over the world apart from air pollution. Millions of people are exposed to a high level of noise, which harms the environment and health considering that people perceive noise differently depending on their sensitivity to sound (Ghosh, 2017). Egypt is a very loud country; thus, Cairo was identified as the city suffering most from traffic noise every day and night. Therefore, this paper seeks to determine how new technologies in car engines can reduce traffic noise pollution in Cairo.

Literature Review

The sources chosen for the research describe the problem of noise pollution as a factor influencing Cairo’s citizens’ well-being. The researchers identified this issue to be among the most significant environmental concerns in Egypt since the country has thousands of roads (Owoyemi, Falemara, & Owoyemi, 2016). Moreover, they explained the harmful effect on people’s hearing system, cardiovascular organs and determined that loudness is dangerous for pregnant women (Mohamed, Ezzeldin, & Ismail, 2019). Therefore, the government is trying to settle down this concern to reduce the risk of various ailments emergence.

Analysis of the Problem

The dangerous consequences of public noise have been known since time immemorial, but the past noise problems are nothing compared to the issues of modern society. Traffic noise pollution cannot be called a new phenomenon since Egypt is a state filled with multiple roadways connecting large and small cities. Several studies indicate that for Egypt, the problem of noise, like environmental pollution, is the second-largest among the issues of environmental pollution. Because it is highly detrimental to the natural surroundings, the cities become extremely overflown with different transport kinds. Considering the idea that Egyptian residents are not wealthy, they cannot afford to buy an environmentally sustainable car with an improved engine that does not make noises. Therefore, Cairo’s level of noise was evaluated at 85 decibels on average, while the peak was registered at 95 decibels.

In general, noise is a sign of an increasingly unruly city, crowded far beyond its supposed capacity. Moreover, it affects many individuals’ lives, especially their health, which creates a massive public concern. According to G (2016), noise causes “hearing impairment; effects on speech intelligibility; sleep disturbances; effects on blood pressure, heart rate, and other physiological functions; effects on performance and mental health; behavioral effects and annoyance” (p. 267). Noise negatively affects development due to its direct and indirect impact on life (education, production, economic processes, social aspects, etc.). Moreover, high noise levels become the source of accidents on the roads. The annoying sound produced by car horns, speakers, and audio cameras exposes citizens to mental and physical health impairments which lead to irritability and anxiety. Such interference is considered a violation of the human right to rest peacefully. Besides the above effects, the noise bothers pregnant women, bringing them into an unstable state, accordingly affecting the fetus’s health.

In recent years Egyptian government identified that the noise lever is insanely disturbing. These levels reached the inadmissible limits locally and internationally. Evaluations demonstrated that noise levels in big areas rise to almost 75-85 dB, while the level should not exceed 60 dB during the day, 55 dB in the evening, and 50 dB at night (Mohamed, Ezzeldin, & Ismail, 2019). The high noise level in large cities and capitals is conditioned by the population growth, and industries’ activities, and the lack of proper urban planning.

According to Ahmed Nader, an engineer in BMW, noise pollution poses an enormous challenge to the car industry. Because vehicle manufacturers spend a lot of money developing sustainable transport, their products tend to be less harmful to the environment. Ahmed Nader states that working on the new noise-free engines may take some time because they must be tested and proven reliable. Therefore, he suggested engine renovations such as using sound-deadening materials to solve the problem – “it can save people’s heath until we create a more sustainable car,” he mentioned.

Policy Recommendations

To combat this destructive phenomenon, it is essential to implement new technologies. Apart from lowering volumes, wearing earplugs, and planting trees to reduce disturbing car sounds, it is vital to renovate car engines (Ghosh, 2017). Modern companies can technically reduce engine noise by 5 dB without any insulation panel, even with increased engine power and higher fuel efficiency (Mohamed, Ezzeldin, & Ismail, 2019). Moreover, synthetic oil can be used to reduce friction and leads to better performance output. Sound deadening materials can also filter noise and suppress it. The underbody coating can be a very economical method since it reduces some of the engine’s noise and monitors road noise, tire noise, rust, crashing of stones, and rattle. These additions will significantly reduce the noise level and will also be affordable.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it seems reasonable to state that the issue of traffic noise pollution is rapidly growing in Egypt’s capital Cairo and increasingly impacts public health. The city is filled with loud sounds day and night, which causes significant damage to people’s hearing, cardiovascular, and other systems. Therefore, new engine technologies or existing ones may be helpful in traffic noise pollution, which will less impact Cairo citizens. These innovations include excessive use of synthetic oil, underbody coating, and sound deadening material, which prove their efficiency for mitigating noise pollution.

References

G, E. (2016). Community noise in greater Cairo. Egyptian Journal of Occupational Medicine, 40(2), 267-285. Web.

Ghosh, S. (2017). Urban cities and road traffic noise: Reduction through vegetation. Applied Acoustics, 120, 15-20. Web.

Mohamed, H., Ezzeldin, S., & Ismail, M. (2019). Assessment of fences as noise barriers: A case study in New Cairo, Egypt. International Journal of Sciences: Basic and Applied Research, 48 (7), 172-188

Owoyemi, M., Falemara, B., & Owoyemi, A. (2016). Noise pollution and control in wood mechanical processing wood industries. Preprints, 1-11. Web.

Introduction

Marketing in a crucial strategic practice in organizations; in Porters 4Ps of marketing, promotion is one of tool that form a base for an integrated marketing communication; however when marketers are promoting their products, there are chances that they emit pollutants. This paper discusses four practices with promotional campaigns that cause noise pollution.

What causes noise during the promotional process

• Loud messages on road shows

In aggressive promotions, companies engage in road shows where they show case the kind of products and services they offer, to attract a large population, they have to speak in loud voices using speakers; this causes noise to the surrounding people.

• Illustrated songs

Depending with the angle and type of advertisement that an organization has, there are times that companies come-up with songs that promote their products; when the songs are played, depending with the person who is listening to them they may qualify to be called noise.

• Television and Radio adverts

Depending with the kind of people that a certain television and radio messages land to, they may amount to noise; if people who are not interested hear them or those who have little to care about in the products will find the advert as nuisance. When developing a promotional material, the focus should be on the target market and the segmentation that the company aimed at reaching, so when the information lands to someone outside this circle, then it is noise.

• Electronics billboards

When using electronic billboards, companies create some sounds that are likely to capture the attention of the target customers, for example if the target customer are kinds, the marketers may have some common cartoon say something that attract the child. This amounts to noise and thus an environmental pollution^[1].

Word-of-mouth communication about a product

Nivea beauty products have been marketed to me more than once using word of mouth, what the marketers does, they lay a table in the streets and when they see someone passing, they get to him or her and market the products on a direct word-of-mouth marketing.

When Apple Inc. developed iPhone, their marketers camped in our college compound during inter-college games and one marketer got the chance to market the product to me through the word of mouth. He took his time to advertise for me how the product is superior to others in the market.

At the supermarket, I have also gotten a chance to be sold for using the work of mouth, mostly this happens with electronic where companies like Samsung send their marketers to the stores to sell their products.

When the approach to marketing has been used on me, it has created a relationship with the market, if I don’t by the product on the spot, when I need such a similar products, I find myself contacting the marketer for some advice and sometimes I buy the products.

When using word-of-mouth as a marketing tool, the marketer engages in a dialogue with the potential buyers and explains the strong features of his or her products. On the other hand, the buyer gets a chance to ask questions and seek clarifications on certain areas that he/she thinks were not well understood^[2].

Reference List

1. D Fred, Strategic Management: Concepts and Cases, Pearson Education, New Jersey, 2008.
2. R Kerin & R Peterson, Strategic Marketing Problems: Cases and Comments, Pearson Education, London, 2009.

According to the CSB report, BP failed to “implement or heed all the safety recommendations regarding the blowdown drums before the blast” (CSB, 2005). Earlier reports and safety studies showed that BP was aware of the danger lurking in blowdown drums. From 1991, Amoco had proposed the removal of the blowdown drums that vented into the atmosphere.

However, the company did not implement the proposal due to budget constraints. OSHA had also notified Amoco of the unsafe design of such pressure releasing system. There had been several proposals to change the blowdown drums venting into the atmosphere. However, when BP took over, it remained focused on cost-cutting measures such that any safety recommendations were of limited concerns (CSB, 2005).

Blowdown drums and stack work by accepting “the mixed liquid, and or vapour hydrocarbons from venting relief and blowdown valves during unit upsets or following a unit shutdown” (CSB, 2005). Normally, remnant hydrocarbon vapours separate themselves from the liquid and rise to the top of the stack and escape to the atmosphere.

However, any heavy hydrocarbon vapours cool and fall to the bottom of the blowdown drum for subsequent collection. The problem is that, this system of discharging waste was dangerous according to the industry standards. Instead, the industry standards recommend that companies should discharge any waste direct into a sewer.

BP also knew that the leftovers that pass through the blowdown drum were highly inflammable materials, and thus, the resulting explosion could be extremely dangerous. In addition, blowdown drums are potential sources of hazard. Despite all the recommendations of 1991, 1995, 1997, 2002 and 2004, BP did not take any corrective measures.

The design system of the blowdown drum increased its usages. However, BP failed to carry out necessary changes to the system. Specifically, the company “failed to replace the internal baffles, decommissioning the quench system, and adding more inlets, which possibly reduced its effectiveness” (CSB, 2005).

Most reports have indicated that BP ought to have installed flare systems or closed relief systems. These systems considerably reduce effects of such incidence.

There are a number of reports and recommendations to suggest that BP knew of risks associated with the blowdown drums that vented into the atmosphere. The company also knew that the system was a source of danger to its refinery and the surrounding environment.

For instance, BP Texas City Refinery safety standards of 1977 stated “the industry standards did not permit new blowdown stacks, and BP ought to have connected the blowdown drums to closed systems or flares when the operations of the company outgrew existing facilities, or when it made major modifications to the units” (CSB, 2005).

There were subsequent changes to the blowdown drums since 1986. These changes were major replacements that increased the capacity of the blowdown drum. However, BP did not connect the system to any safe disposal unit like a flare.

There is also evidence that, in the year 2002, BP engineers recommended connection of the discharge from the relief valves to a flare in an effort to conserve the environment. However, the company did not initiate any changes.

BP ought to have implemented a well designed flare system that could contain hazardous discharged liquid in the blowdown drum and burn flammable vapour. This had the potential of eliminating all dangerous discharges into the atmosphere. Flare systems have been effective means of controlling disposal in the oil industry.

Reference List

CSB 2005, BP Texas City: Final Investigation Report, CSB, Texas.

Krauss, C 2010, ‘Oil Spill’s Blow to BP’s Image May Eclipse Costs’, Times, vol.1 no. 1, pp. 1-3.

Murray, B and Trevor, H 2010, ‘BP and Public Issues (Mis)Management’, Ivey Business Journal, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 1-3.