Photos of environmemtal issues

   

We use over 80 billions aluminium (Al) soda cans every year. Recycling aluminium uses only around 5% of the energy and emissions needed to make it from the raw material bauxite. Form environmental and natural resources sustainability point view, we should get every single Al can  recycled and not end them at roadsides.

 

What would modern life be like without plastic? However,  plastic bags, due to biodegrade resistant, can take between 400 to 1,000 years to break down, because of photodegrade.  When breaking down, it contaminates soil and waterways. Nearly 90% of the debris in our oceans is plastic, which causes over 100,000 seabirds, fish, turtles and other marine life deaths every year when animals mistake them for food. Please take care of marine animals and get plastic bags treated appropriately. Here is a good news on Plastic-eating worms may offer solution to mounting waste.

 

Rusty of  the drinking water facility may lead to  excessive metals and a change in the appearance or colour of the drinking water.  Yellow, reddish brown or black water is usually caused by minerals such as iron and manganese. Blue stains in the water may be caused by corrosion of copper.  If you have any concerns about the colour of your water, wait until the water becomes clear before you drink it.

When animal waste in our environment enter, via storm water runoff, can severely harm aquatic environment. Ammonia in manure could be toxic to many aquatic species (e.g., fish) at low levels. Increased amounts of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus can cause nitrification issue – leading to  algal blooms which block waterways and deplete oxygen as they decompose. This can kill fish and other aquatic organisms, devastating the entire aquatic food chain. When contaminants from animal waste seep into underground sources of drinking water, the amount of nitrate in the ground water supply can reach unhealthy levels. The microorganisms found in animal wastes, such as cryptosporidium, can also pose significant public health threats.

When we pay a little bit attention around our streets, we can see used glass bottles everywhere . Recycling glass bottles is one of many  ways we can help reduce pollution and waste.  Compared to making glass from raw materials for the first time, glass produced from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20% and related water pollution by 50%. Recycling glass reduces the space in landfills.

Here is a good news about no smoking within 4 meter, where children are playing, because cigarette smoke contains up to 4, 000 chemicals, most of them are toxic. While most people are aware of the health risks involved in smoking, few seem to realise that cigarette buts are also bad for the environment, which contain hazardous chemicals such as cadmium, arsenic and lead that are partially filtered out during the smoking process.

 

Cigarette butts have become one of our most important litter issues. An estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered worldwide every year. During rainstorm events, wind and rain carry them into the water supply.  The toxic chemicals in buts are then leached into aquatic ecosystems, threatening the quality of the water and marine life.

Cigarette butts, because they are made of  cellulose acetate (a material similar to rayon), can take up to 12 months to break down in freshwater and up to 5 years to break down in seawater. Birds and aquatic animals can mistake the butts as food, resulting in serious digestive problems that may lead to death.

In Morden days, detergents are very widely used in both industrial and domestic premises like soaps and detergents to wash vehicles, clean home, and remove dirt on the floor. There are two kinds of detergents with different characteristics: phosphate-containing detergents and surfactant detergents. The major entry points into our aquatic environment is via sewage works, and stormwater runoff events.

Detergents can have poisonous effects in all types of aquatic life, acute chronic and/or other sublethal, depending their concentrations entering the aquatic environment. Phosphates in detergents can lead to freshwater algal blooms that releases toxins and deplete oxygen in waterways. When the algae decompose, they use up the oxygen available for aquatic life.

Surfactants, or surface-active agents are chemicals that reduce the surface tension of oil and water. Surfactants in detergents are toxic to aquatic life, persist in the environment and break down into additional toxic byproducts. The reduced surface tension of water also makes it easier for aquatic life to absorb pesticides, phenols and other pollutants in the water.