TOXIC CHEMICALS MADELINE ROBERTS

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Cornelius Charles
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1 TOXIC CHEMICALS MADELINE ROBERTS

3 Sources of impact: Not only do the toxic chemicals that surround us every day effect our health, but they also contribute a great deal to global warming while destroying some of the most important ecosystems, including oceans and seas around the world.

4 Sources of impact Toxic pollution occurs when synthetic chemicals are discharged or natural chemicals accumulate to toxic levels in the environment, causing reductions in wildlife numbers, degrading ecosystem functions and threatening human health. (SeaWeb.org)

5 Why is this happening? There are many reasons why toxic chemicals have continued to over populate oceans and seas around the world. Some of these include: Commercial boating Excessive oil drilling Dumping of sewage Using the ocean as a landfill Dumping of chemicals

7 Why is this happening? Among the many naturally-occurring substances involved are certain metals (such as mercury, lead, chromium) and petroleum. Synthetic, or humanmade, chemicals include, among others, pesticides, PCBs and dioxins. A large group of these, known collectively as persistent organic pollutants, or POPs, are complex compound-all containing hydrogen and carbon and many containing chlorine-that persist unchanged in the environment for long periods. Human activities are also responsible for environmental contamination by radioactive substances, some of which are natural and some synthetic. (SeaWeb.org)

8 Why Is This happening? There are also many daily tasks that contribute to the pollution of oceans such as: Using chemically composed cleaning supplies Using chemicals in gardens Driving Littering

9 Why is this Happening?: cleaning and gardening supplies By using household cleaning, disinfecting, and pesticides on a regular basis, we are greatly increasing the amount of toxic substances that ultimately get flushed back into the oceans and seas. This most commonly happens when these products are flushed down streets or absorbed into soil that eventually, secretes into the water that connects with streams. Most of these streams lead to open bodies of water which eventually connect back up with a ocean, thus, releasing the toxic chemicals embedded in the water throughout the ocean.

10 Why is this Happening?: driving and emissions Emissions from cars, trucks, construction sites, as well as buildings and other machinery, also contributes to the collection of toxic pollutants with in the ocean. These chemicals that are released into the atmosphere are dispersed by rain and other variations of weather throughout the surface of the ocean. Water molecules then absorb these chemicals introducing them into currents that continue to disperse them throughout the ocean.

11 Why is this happening?: littering The breakdown of trash can also leave a detrimental effect on the oceans as well. When trash like plastic bottles and containers, as well as the coloring and dyes used to create wrappers and labels decompose, the chemical composition can change drastically, releasing the chemical compounds that hold together many of these objects. The dyes from the wrappers can also secrete chemical compounds that build up, making them toxic.

13 Abiotic Factors: When toxic chemicals are introduced into ocean waters, these chemicals often times are so extreme that they can change the chemical composition of the water.

14 Abiotic Factors: All of the following can be changed from these chemicals: Salinity Temperature Light

15 Biotic Factors: mercury Mercury, for example, not only causes harm to much of the marine wild life, but it is know that if a human ingests a marine animal, that of which has a high mercury content or has been contaminated by mercury, then the methyl mercury can cause birth defects as well as nervous system damage among humans.

16 Biotic Factors: dioxins Dioxins are another extremely harmful chemical that is often found among marine life. According to the Smithsonian Institution, Dioxins and related compounds degrade slowly and are very toxic to marine life. They cause genetic chromosomal aberrations in marine life and are suspected of causing cancer in humans. (NASA)

17 Biotic Factors: PCB s and PAH s PCB s and PAH s are two other toxic materials, found in the ocean. PCB s have been linked to developmental and reproductive problems in some marine species, where as PAH s have been reported to cause genetic and chromosomal problems in most marine life that is exposed to it.

18 Biotic Factors: One of the main concerns of these toxic chemical based materials, according to the Smithsonian Institution, is: Metals and slowly degrading chemicals threaten inland and coastal waters. Toxic materials settle into sea-floor sediments where they accumulate as hazards to organisms that live in and feed on bottom muds. Eventually, long-lasting chemicals may enter the food web and contaminate the fish and shellfish we eat.

19 Any Laws Governing This Issue? Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) 1976 (original) Regulates the chemicals that are introduced Many campaigns against toxic chemicals in the oceans and seas of the world

20 Responses: Can it be fixed? How? Overall there are quite a few ways that we can help reduce and even begin to solve this problem. Like most global issues making the public, especially consumers, more aware of the less harmful chemicals and house hold items that can be used to reduce the amount of toxins being produced in the first place. Regulations on pollution that is created by business as well as cars and other construction vehicles, is another way to help reduce the amount of carbon emissions and other chemicals that eventually reaches the ocean.

21 Responses: Can it be fixed? How? In respect to pollution that comes from within the ocean from fishing boats and deep sea drilling, regulations and experiments to produce more environmentally friendly chemical compositions, such as flame retardants, oil, and gas that are leaked from boats, should be in full effect as well as funded, by government and private companies.

22 Responses: Can it be fixed? How? Harsher punishments should also come to those companies who refuse to follow specific protocol and insist on cutting corners, which leads to careless amounts of chemicals being dumped into oceans. Fines could easily be raised and for every company that is clearly contributing to the increase of chemicals in the ocean. They should also have to fund experimental trials that could potentially reduce or even stop the damage that toxic chemicals do to the ecosystems with in the ocean.

23 "SeaWeb - Ocean Briefing Book." SeaWeb - Ocean Briefing Book. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov < p>. Works Cited: Barnes-Svarney, Patricia L. The New York Public Library Science Desk Reference. New York: Macmillan USA, Print. "Cleanups." Ocean Planet:perils-toxic Materials. NASA, n.d. Web. 26 Nov < /peril_toxins.html>. "The Ocean." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Nov <

Toxic Chemicals vs. The World s Marine Environments. Julia Hemp Ms. Brown Period 3 Marine Biology Honors 3 December 2012

Toxic Chemicals vs. The World s Marine Environments Julia Hemp Ms. Brown Period 3 Marine Biology Honors 3 December 2012 Table of Contents I. Toxic Chemical Pollution: 1) History 2) Definition 3) Types