The practical problems of disposing of toxic wastes are causing increasing concern. Suggest the reasons for this and consider possible remedies.
The macabre aftermath of the tragedy of Bhopal in India may not capture headlines today, but gruesome memories of it remain and nightmares continue to haunt the victims. Bhopal is a classic example of massive leakage of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC), but indiscriminate disposal of toxic wastes over a long period of time is bound to affect life. Bhopal illustrates the view that, however foolproof an installation or factory is against leakage and pollution, error is possible. Admittedly, pollution and the threat oftoxic-gas wastes are created by man in his bid for industrialisation and technological progress. Toxicity is the price we pay for progress. Man’s ingenuity and resourcefulness have helped him adopt measures to contain the problem created by toxic wastes, but pollution continues to be a universal problem. A test carried out in Bayertown in the U.S.A., some five miles away from the Limerick nuclear-power plant, provided the stunning news that the environment was radon-tainted. Radon is produced by the radioactive breakdown of uranium. It can flow for miles underground and it has long been recognised as a health hazard. The gas disperses quickly outdoors, but indoors it can reach a deadly level of concentration. It is reported that there are other toxic air pollutants that pose a threat in the average home where they are produced by common household products and building materials. The discovery at Bayertown emphasises the practical problems of disposing of toxic wastes. The ever-present danger of gaseous discharge from factories is underscored by a mishap in Basel, Switzerland. A huge cloud of fetid gas and smoke is said to have spread to neighbouring France and West Germany.Exposure to toxic wastes can affect ourhealth.Toxic wastes can affect man through marine organisms and fish.
For nearly a century and a quarter after the indusstrial revolution began in Britain, environmental problems were non-issues. The intellectual community believed in continuous human progress through maximisation of technological innovation and increased exploitation of natural resources. But today we have become conscious of the toxic effects of the wastes that come out of our factories and pollute both air and water. We have done enormous damage to our environment and have upset the ecological balance through indiscriminate use of technology. We have virtually ‘poisoned’ our environment and live a highly unhygienic life by our own scientific standards.
The increasing concern which we have begun to feel nowadays for the disposal of these toxic wastes is primarily due to the fact that these toxic wastes can easily and imperceptibly find their way in small quantities into our system and poison us, and make us fall a prey to hitherto unknown ailments. For instance, in 1958, unexplained neurological disorders ranging from madness and paralysis to loss of speech, vision and emotion control afflicted the population of a village in Japan. It took six years to discover that the offender was a chemical plant which had been dumping mercury waste into the sea since the 1940s. The mercury found its way into the human body through marine organisms and fish.
Originally when factories and industrial establishments came up, they were located in well-populated areas. Products were the only concern of the " manufacturers as these brought in profits. Little attention was paid to the disposal of toxic wastes; no" adequate precautions were taken. But now when people clamour for environmental protection and the prevention of air and water pollution, the manufacturers who are concerned with only profits show great reluctance in diverting their resources to equip the factories with the necessary machinery for the disposal of toxic wastes. So, one of the problems is recalcitrance or obstinate reluctance on the part of the manufacturers to change their attitude. The industrialists and even multi-national companies are hesitant to tackle the problem of disposing of toxic wastes.
Even when individual factories resort to the disposal of toxic wastes by dumping them in the ocean, the air we breathe and the water we drink are being steadily polluted. Car fumes, smoke from chimneys and factories, trains and aeroplanes continue to pollute the atmosphere. Oils and chemicals from factories and ships add toxins to the rivers and seas, which become ‘garbage-stores’ of
all human and man-made wastes. As a result, every metropolis has air and water pollution problems. It is said that a traveller approaching Chicago by air on some days will see pinkish grey layers of smoke hanging over the city. Nearing Nagoya, the famed bullet train of Japan runs into what seems to be an inverted bowl of black air. The city is embedded in its polluted air. The biggest problem is how to control or stop the pollution of air and water caused by the fine particles carried into the air from smokestacks and exhaust pipes and the water vapour and particles emitted by supersonic and other aircraft.
Factories that might pose the toxic threat can be located in areas far away from human habitation. But this may not be a commercially viable proposition, fortheindustrialist has to take into consideration other factors relating to production. Even if factories are located in such areas, there is still the danger of leakage, and toxic substances being carried to areas of residence by wind. We are caught in a vicious circle. We are for industrialisation and technological innovation. We know that technological advancement is necessary for the progress and prosperity of a country. But we also know that the price we pay for industrialisation is heavy because we are poisoning ourselves slowly. If there are no industries there will be no toxicity in the atmosphere. But then there will be no prosperity either.
Human ingenuity seems inadequate to cope with the problems posed by the toxic wastes of our own creation. This is perhaps a curse of the technological age in which we live. Yet we may think of possible remedies. Anti-pollution measures should be adopted by every country, even'though these'measures are very costly. One of the things that should be immediately enforced is that all factories and establishments that have poisonous wastes to dispose of should have the necessary machinery for disposal of such wastes. No factory should be given a licence to function unless systems for monitoring pollution control and protective equipment are provided for. Also, governments should see to it that water and air pollution boards are set up with authority to shut down plants that do not abide by the regulations regarding the disposal of toxic wastes. Strict supervision of and control over the industrial establishments can be exercised by the pollution control boards. This will be a remedy for the lethargy of the manufacturers who are indifferent to anti-pollution measures. Perhaps better handling of wastes through a process of recycling is another possible remedy. But this is costly and full of problems.
What is important in tackling the problems concerning the disposal of toxic wastes is that the governments should have adequate and appropriate regulations to see that toxic wastes are either disposed of in such a way that they do not affect the health of the general population or recycled or reprocessed chemically so that they cease to be poisonous and harmful.
For nearly a century and a quarter after the indusstrial revolution began in Britain, environmental problems were non-issues. The intellectual community believed in continuous human progress through maximisation of technological innovation and increased exploitation of natural resources. But today we have become conscious of the toxic effects of the wastes that come out of our factories and pollute both air and water. We have done enormous damage to our environment and have upset the ecological balance through indiscriminate use of technology. We have virtually ‘poisoned’ our environment and live a highly unhygienic life by our own scientific standards.
The increasing concern which we have begun to feel nowadays for the disposal of these toxic wastes is primarily due to the fact that these toxic wastes can easily and imperceptibly find their way in small quantities into our system and poison us, and make us fall a prey to hitherto unknown ailments. For instance, in 1958, unexplained neurological disorders ranging from madness and paralysis to loss of speech, vision and emotion control afflicted the population of a village in Japan. It took six years to discover that the offender was a chemical plant which had been dumping mercury waste into the sea since the 1940s. The mercury found its way into the human body through marine organisms and fish.
Originally when factories and industrial establishments came up, they were located in well-populated areas. Products were the only concern of the " manufacturers as these brought in profits. Little attention was paid to the disposal of toxic wastes; no" adequate precautions were taken. But now when people clamour for environmental protection and the prevention of air and water pollution, the manufacturers who are concerned with only profits show great reluctance in diverting their resources to equip the factories with the necessary machinery for the disposal of toxic wastes. So, one of the problems is recalcitrance or obstinate reluctance on the part of the manufacturers to change their attitude. The industrialists and even multi-national companies are hesitant to tackle the problem of disposing of toxic wastes.
Even when individual factories resort to the disposal of toxic wastes by dumping them in the ocean, the air we breathe and the water we drink are being steadily polluted. Car fumes, smoke from chimneys and factories, trains and aeroplanes continue to pollute the atmosphere. Oils and chemicals from factories and ships add toxins to the rivers and seas, which become ‘garbage-stores’ of
all human and man-made wastes. As a result, every metropolis has air and water pollution problems. It is said that a traveller approaching Chicago by air on some days will see pinkish grey layers of smoke hanging over the city. Nearing Nagoya, the famed bullet train of Japan runs into what seems to be an inverted bowl of black air. The city is embedded in its polluted air. The biggest problem is how to control or stop the pollution of air and water caused by the fine particles carried into the air from smokestacks and exhaust pipes and the water vapour and particles emitted by supersonic and other aircraft.
Factories that might pose the toxic threat can be located in areas far away from human habitation. But this may not be a commercially viable proposition, fortheindustrialist has to take into consideration other factors relating to production. Even if factories are located in such areas, there is still the danger of leakage, and toxic substances being carried to areas of residence by wind. We are caught in a vicious circle. We are for industrialisation and technological innovation. We know that technological advancement is necessary for the progress and prosperity of a country. But we also know that the price we pay for industrialisation is heavy because we are poisoning ourselves slowly. If there are no industries there will be no toxicity in the atmosphere. But then there will be no prosperity either.
Human ingenuity seems inadequate to cope with the problems posed by the toxic wastes of our own creation. This is perhaps a curse of the technological age in which we live. Yet we may think of possible remedies. Anti-pollution measures should be adopted by every country, even'though these'measures are very costly. One of the things that should be immediately enforced is that all factories and establishments that have poisonous wastes to dispose of should have the necessary machinery for disposal of such wastes. No factory should be given a licence to function unless systems for monitoring pollution control and protective equipment are provided for. Also, governments should see to it that water and air pollution boards are set up with authority to shut down plants that do not abide by the regulations regarding the disposal of toxic wastes. Strict supervision of and control over the industrial establishments can be exercised by the pollution control boards. This will be a remedy for the lethargy of the manufacturers who are indifferent to anti-pollution measures. Perhaps better handling of wastes through a process of recycling is another possible remedy. But this is costly and full of problems.
What is important in tackling the problems concerning the disposal of toxic wastes is that the governments should have adequate and appropriate regulations to see that toxic wastes are either disposed of in such a way that they do not affect the health of the general population or recycled or reprocessed chemically so that they cease to be poisonous and harmful.
The practical problems of disposing of toxic wastes are causing increasing concern. Suggest the reasons for this and consider possible remedies.
Reviewed by Jame Collins
on
1:23 AM
Rating:
Reviewed by Jame Collins
on
1:23 AM
Rating:
No comments: