Plastic Pollution in Oceans
Environmental Issues > Oceans Main Page > All Oceans Documents The Basics We're treating the oceans like a trash bin: around 80 percent of marine litter originates on land, and most of that is plastic. Plastic that pollutes our oceans and waterways has severe impacts on our environment and our economy. Seabirds, whales, sea turtles and other marine life are eating marine plastic pollution and dying from choking, intestinal blockage and starvation. Read more » What it Means to You Plastic pollution affects every waterway, sea and ocean in the world. Solutions The most effective way to stop plastic pollution in our oceans is to make sure it never reaches the water in the first place. NRDC is working on three key strategies to curb plastic water pollution in the U.S. and beyond: 1. 2. 3. What You Can Do Marine plastic pollution shows us that we cannot really throw anything "away." 1. 2. 3. Conduct a waste audit and share the information. 4. 5. last revised 3/8/2014
Riverkeepers
China to spend $330 billion to fight water pollution -paper
What are the effects of water pollution
Effects of water pollution. You will notice in the previous pages that water pollution is very harmful to humans, animals and water life. The effects can be catastrophic, depending on the kind of chemicals, concentrations of the pollutants and where there are polluted. Below, we shall see a summary of the effects of water pollution. (Make sure you see the factsheet page for some very unfortunate incidents of water pollution in recent time) The effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in which locations. Many water bodies near urban areas (cities and towns) are highly polluted. Death of aquatic (water) animals The main problem caused by water pollution is that it kills life that depends on these water bodies. Disruption of food-chains Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Diseases Eventually, humans are affected by this process as well.
Wellwood Reef Restoration in the Florida Keys
Reef Restoration Projects Wellwood Reef Restoration Project On August 4, 1984, the M/V Wellwood, a 122-meter freighter ran aground on Molasses Reef within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The total destruction from the grounding included 5,805 square meters of living corals and injury to 75,000 square meters of reef habitat. Learn more about our efforts to rebuild and restore Molasses Reef during the Wellwood Reef restoration project. Columbus Iselin Reef Restoration Project From July through September 1999, the restoration of one of America's most significant coastal barrier coral reefs dating back 4,000 years took place within the boundaries of NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The R/V Columbus Iselin Reef Restoration Project joined NOAA staff and contractors in the difficult job of physical reconstruction of four coral reef spurs damaged in the grounding of the R/V Columbus Iselin.
National Geographic Freshwater 101: Pollution
As technology improves, scientists are able to detect more pollutants, and at smaller concentrations, in Earth’s freshwater bodies. Containing traces of contaminants ranging from birth control pills and sunscreen to pesticides and petroleum, our planet's lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater are often a chemical cocktail. Beyond synthetic pollution, freshwater is also the end point for biological waste, in the form of human sewage, animal excrement, and rainwater runoff flavored by nutrient-rich fertilizers from yards and farms. These nutrients find their way through river systems into seas, sometimes creating coastal ocean zones void of oxygen—and therefore aquatic life—and making the connection between land and sea painfully obvious. In the developed world, regulation has restricted industry and agricultural operations from pouring pollutants into lakes, streams, and rivers. Fast Facts
Environment « Water Pollution Guide
There are many different types of water pollution and all have a different adverse effect on the environment. Heavy metals from industrial processes can accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers. These are toxic to marine life such as fish and shellfish, and can affect the rest of the food chain. This means that entire animal communities can be badly affected by this type of pollutant.Industrial waste often contains many toxic compounds that damage the health of aquatic animals and those who eat them.
Home - World Water Day
WHO/UNICEF's Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation has recently relaunched its website that bene... Ahead of the 2014 Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group, the third biennial Coordination can assist countries take great steps forward when managed effectively to support the development of nat...
Cambodian shoe factory collapse kills 2, injures 7
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — The ceiling of a Cambodian factory that makes Asics sneakers collapsed on workers early Thursday, killing two people and injuring seven, in the latest accident spotlighting the often lethal safety conditions faced by those toiling in the global garment industry. About 50 workers were inside a workroom of the factory south of Phnom Penh when the ceiling caved in, said police officer Khem Pannara. He said heavy iron equipment stored on a mezzanine above them appeared to have caused the collapse. Two bodies were pulled from the wreckage and seven people were injured, he said. Rescuers picked through rubble for several hours and after clearing the site said that nobody else was trapped inside. At a clinic where she was being treated for her injuries, worker Kong Thary cried on the telephone as she recounted the collapse. "We were working normally and suddenly several pieces of brick and iron started falling on us," the 25-year-old said. The U.N.'
How Does Water Pollution Endanger Human Health?
One of the greatest dangers to human health is water pollution. After all, people can’t survive without drinking water, and if their freshwater resources are polluted, they can become ill from drinking them. Different types of pollutants affect human health in different ways. Organisms that cause disease are called pathogens. Pathogens include bacteria, viruses, and parasitic organisms that infect humans and cause illness. Some pathogens occur naturally, and others pollute water when human or animal waste washes into the water. Typhoid Cholera Dysentery Polio Hepatitis These illnesses are particularly dangerous for young children; in fact, they account for almost 60 percent of early childhood deaths worldwide. In some cases, organisms rather than the water itself carry pathogens. Scientists seek to stop waterborne pathogens before they can infect humans and cause illness. Metals, such as mercury, iron, and nickel, pollute water as well.
