Toxic waste enters the environment through different avenues by intentional, accidental and indirect means. These waste products can cause serious human health and environmental effects, depending upon the contaminants' toxicity. Increasing human populations increase the generation and risk of more hazardous waste in the environment. Human activities cause much of this toxic waste.
Significance
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, Americans generated over 46 million tons of hazardous waste in 2007, with Louisiana and Texas producing the greatest amounts. Industries are a major source of these pollutants. Agricultural practices release toxic waste such as pesticides and bacteria into the environment through runoff. The EPA reports that runoff is the leading cause of water pollution. However, American households also generate a significant amount of toxic waste. The EPA estimates that Americans produce 1.6 million tons of household hazardous waste each year.
Types
The EPA began regulating toxic waste with the passage of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976. The EPA classifies hazardous waste based on several criteria, which can give you an indication of how they are created. Industrial practices produce some toxic waste, such as solvents and pesticides, which the EPA specifically lists. The EPA also includes wastes that pose human health and environmental impacts based on characteristics such as ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity.
Means
Toxic wastes enter the environment often through non-compliance with environmental laws. In fiscal year 2009, the EPA identified 387 new environmental crime cases. Some cases involved equipment that did not meet EPA standards. Other times, pollutants were directly released into the environment. Households are also guilty of improper disposal. While the EPA does not regulate household hazardous wastes, items such as electronics, mercury-containing items and medical waste often end up in landfills.
Indirect Means
Chemical reactions in the environment create some toxic wastes. For example, sulfur dioxide from industrial emissions creates acid rain by combining with moisture in the air. It then acidifies lakes, causing plant and fish die-offs. Likewise, bacteria in water convert mercury to its toxic form, methylmercury, which can accumulate in fish and cause neurological impairment of developing fetuses when eaten by pregnant women.
Prevention/Solution
Prevention is paramount in order to reduce the effects of toxic waste. Prevention begins with compliance. Compliance with environmental laws is imperative along with continued enforcement by the EPA and other regulatory agencies. At home, you can prevent hazardous waste from entering the environment by following recommended disposal methods for any household hazardous waste in your home. Recycling used engine oil and batteries, for example, is one way you can control toxic wastes. Any contribution you make helps the environment.
References
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: National Analysis
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Protecting Water Quality from Agricultural Runoff
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Household Hazardous Waste
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Hazardous Wastes - Waste Types
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Compliance and Enforcement Annual Results 2009 Fiscal Year
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