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The most alarming of all man's assaults
upon the environment is the contamination of air, earth, rivers,
and sea with dangerous and even lethal materials. This pollution
is for the most part irrecoverable; the chain of evil it initiates
not only in the world that must support life but in living
tissues is for the most part irreversible. In this now universal
contamination of the environment, chemicals are the sinister
and little-recognized partners of radiation in changing the
very nature of the world--the very nature of its life.
Rachel Carson; Silent Spring (1962)
Humankind has lived with the realities
and effects of pollution for a very long time. There are probably
few people who have not witnessed or been affected by the
waste products of civilization and industrialization.
Life on earth is part of a great and interdependent system.
All living things (organic life) interact with and depend
on the non-living (inorganic) components of the planet: the
oceans, freshwater, the atmosphere, the rocks and the soil.
Of these interdependent systems, the oceans, and atmosphere
are polluted, freshwaters are polluted in many areas and soil
is polluted in some areas.
What is it?
ARIC Atmospheric Research & Information Centre
Although atmospheric pollution can have natural sources,
for example volcanic eruptions, the term is usually used to
refer to the gaseous by-products of man-made processes such
as energy production, waste incineration, transport, deforestation
and agriculture.
What are its effects?
ARIC Atmospheric Research & Information Centre
"Air pollution can result in poor air quality both in
cities and the countryside. Some air pollutants make people
sick, causing breathing problems and increasing the likelihood
of cancer. Others are harmful to plants, animals, and the
ecosystems in which they live".
"Some air pollutants return to Earth in the form of
acid rain which corrodes statues and buildings, damages crops
and forests, and makes lakes and streams unsuitable for fish
and other plant and animal life".
"Man-made air pollution is also changing the Earth's
atmosphere so that it lets in more harmful radiation from
the Sun. Although we have now banned products which can harm
the Earth's ozone layer, ozone holes over Antarctica and the
Arctic still form every year".
"At the same time, mankind is releasing more greenhouse
gases to the atmosphere, preventing heat from escaping back
into space and leading to a rise in global average temperatures.
Global warming will raise sea levels and change climates all
over the world. Some places will become hotter and drier,
others wetter. The incidence of severe storms and flooding
is likely to increase. Global warming will also affect food
supply and increase the spread of tropical disease".
How does atmospheric
pollution affect wildlife?
The National Park Service
The Effects of Air Pollutants on Wildlife and Implications
in Class I Areas
"Metals have been reported to affect the circulatory,
respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems
of animals. Often organs such as the kidney, liver, and brain
are targeted. Entire populations can be affected as metal
contamination can cause changes in birth, growth, and death
rates".
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Air Quality Program
"Air quality is important--not only to our health, but
also to the health of fish and wildlife species and their
habitats. These natural resources can be harmed by the air
pollution emitted by power plants, factories, paper mills,
cars, trucks, and other sources. Air pollutants can have serious
effects on animals, plants, lakes, streams, soils, and visibility
on the millions of acres managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS)".
What is it?
Water pollution is a term that encompasses the pollution
of saltwater, freshwaters and groundwater. It can result from
point sources (e.g. leakage from storage tanks and accidental
spills, like an oil spill at sea) or non-point sources (e.g.
runoff). Water can also be polluted with debris.
Ground Water Pollution:
Environment Canada
Management of Water
"Groundwater contaminants come from two categories of
sources: point sources and distributed, or non-point source.
Landfills, leaking gasoline storage tanks, leaking septic
tanks, and accidental spills are examples of point sources.
Infiltration from farm land treated with pesticides and fertilizers
is an example of a non-point source".
"Most toxic chemicals are discharged directly into our
waterways as waste, but many also enter the water after everyday
use in the home, agriculture and industry. They constantly
change the chemical composition of our waters. One way is
seepage: the chemicals soak through the earth into the groundwater
from waste disposal sites and agricultural lands, for example.
Another way is runoff: the chemicals are washed into bodies
of water from the land where they were used or spilled, or
from the air into which they were emitted".
Non-point Source Pollution:
EPA
Office of Water
"Non-point source (NPS) pollution, unlike pollution from
industrial and sewage treatment plants, comes from many diffuse
sources. NPS pollution is caused by rainfall or snowmelt moving
over and through the ground. As the runoff moves, it picks
up and carries away natural and human-made pollutants, finally
depositing them into lakes, rivers, wetlands, coastal waters,
and even our underground sources of drinking water. These
pollutants include:
- Excess fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides from
agricultural lands and residential areas;
- Oil, grease, and toxic chemicals from urban runoff and
energy production;
- Sediment from improperly managed construction sites, crop
and forest lands, and eroding streambanks;
- Salt from irrigation practices and acid drainage from
abandoned mines;
- Bacteria and nutrients from livestock, pet wastes, and
faulty septic systems;
Atmospheric deposition and hydromodification are also sources
of nonpoint source pollution".
Debris:
Government of Tasmania
Department of Primary Industries
"Floating plastic and other solids are not only ugly
but also harmful. They may suffocate or choke birds, animals
and fish and reduce the amount of light and oxygen available
to aquatic life. Plastic rubbish is not biodegradable and
persists for a long time in the environment".
How does water
pollution affect wildlife?
Falklands Conservation
Effects of Marine Debris on Wildlife
"Entanglement can either constrict growth and circulation,
causing eventual slow death, or trap marine animals within
large debris, leading to asphyxiation, starvation or predation.
At the very best it increases their drag coefficient through
the water, and animals simply starve due to their inability
to catch prey".
"Ingestion also has a wide range of lethal or sub-lethal
effects. Physical damage can occur to the digestive tract,
or mechanical blockage of the digestive system which leads
to starvation and death. Some man made plastics may also be
a source of toxic pollutants, which can be gradually released
as the animal attempts to break it down. All of these effects
in turn lead to a reduced ability to reproduce successfully,
catch prey and avoid predation. In the natural environment,
this leads to certain death".
University of Texas
Global Contamination, Wildlife Health and Biotechnology
Biotech
"Not all of the pollutants that threaten our wildlife
and wilderness ecosystems are complex synthetic compounds
like the PCBs, dioxins and organochlorine pesticides. Radioactive
elements and heavy metals like lead, mercury, cadmium and
arsenic also contaminate waterways and soils. In North America,
migratory birds are poisoned by ingesting lead from gunshot,
fishing sinkers, and old paint chips in the environment. Some
metals are toxic in their elemental form; others become more
toxic when they are chemically reduced in nature. For example,
the mercury used for mining gold in the Amazon River Basin
changes to a highly toxic form, methyl mercury, which accumulates
in fish and wildlife".
"Environmental contaminants such as dioxin and lead
are known to produce an astounding spectrum of damage to fish
and wildlife. Chronic, low-level exposure to these toxic pollutants
causes reduced fertility and hatching rates, birth defects,
malformed genital organs, retarded growth, cancer, anemia,
metabolic abnormalities, poor immune responses and neurological
abnormalities. There is mounting scientific evidence that
organic pollutants and some heavy metals interfere with the
endocrine system of fetuses and young animals. Substances
with these effects are called endocrine disruptors. Many pollutants
with widespread global distribution are suspected to cause
endocrine disruption".
Atmospheric Pollution
General - Effects Monitor Newsletter, Emergencies, Environmental
Assessment, Pollution Data, Recycling
Air Pollution - Air and Toxics Issues Section, Acid Rain,
Air Quality, Greenhouse Gases, Ozone, Smog, General
The information website of ARIC (The Atmosphere, Climate and
Environment Information Programme (United Kingdom), is one
of the best information sources on the internet. The Encyclopedia
is a one-stop source of information, for younger and older
users alike, on a range of atmospheric issues, including air
quality, acid rain, global warming and ozone depletion.
The Effects of Air Pollutants on Wildlife and Implications
in Class I Areas
Global Contamination, Wildlife Health and Biotechnology Biotech
Air Quality Program. Air quality is important--not only to
our health, but also to the health of fish and wildlife species
and their habitats. These natural resources can be harmed
by the air pollution emitted by power plants, factories, paper
mills, cars, trucks, and other sources. Air pollutants can
have serious effects on animals, plants, lakes, streams, soils,
and visibility on the millions of acres managed by the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
Water Pollution
The Management of Water: water pollution link (in French and
English)
EPA's Office of Water Website offers information on water
pollution: What Is NPS Pollution; NPS Categories; Clean Water
Act; Coastal Zone Act; Publications and Information Resources;
Information for Students and Administrators.
Falklands Conservation monitors and protects the exceptional
wildlife heritage of the Falkland Islands. The Islands are
one of the last great wilderness sites on Earth and form a
unique bridge between the Antarctic and South American continent.
Wildlife section: read about marine debris
Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment website.
Sink and Drain Pollution: topics included Bacteria and oxygen
depletion; Nutrients and algal blooms; Oil and water; Household
poisons; Toilet cleaners; Heavy metals; Solids and plastics
(marine debris).
Non-point source pollution, commonly called runoff pollution,
can make river and ocean water unsafe for humans and wildlife.
Many of our most scenic national parks were set aside as sanctuaries
from human activity and harm, but today, many suffer from
the effects of pollution. Originating both inside and outside
park boundaries, pollution harms ecosystem health, wildlife,
water, and the scenic vistas many park visitors seek.
Pollution Paralysis II: Code Red for Watersheds: download
report. Report summary: Our nation's waters are in trouble:
A "dead zone" the size of New Jersey stretches from
the mouth of the Mississippi River hundreds of miles into
the Gulf of Mexico. Deadly blooms of algae kill fish and sicken
people along the Eastern seaboard, from North Carolina to
Maryland. Mercury-contaminated rain falls from the sky into
the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, making fish unsafe to
eat. Sediments choke rivers in the Pacific Northwest, endangering
once-plentiful wild salmon.
United Kingdom : wildlife and conservation. The sea also suffers
from pollution by rubbish accidentally or deliberately discharged
from land or from ships or pleasure craft. It is estimated
that 1 million seabirds world-wide die each year from entanglement
or swallowing rubbish, especially plastic. In recent years
RSPB has helped bring about major improvements to reduce these
risks to seabirds and other marine life.
Global Contamination, Wildlife Health and Biotechnology Biotech
Environmental Pollution Publisher
Elsevier Science
Environmental Pollution is an international journal that
addresses issues relevant to the nature, distribution and
ecological effects of all types and forms of chemical pollutants
in air, soil and water. The Editors welcome articles based
on original research, findings from re-examination and interpretation
of existing data and reviews of important issues. In addition,
the journal also publishes articles on new methods of detection,
study and remediation of environmental pollutants. Issues
2000 to present. Online ordering, good abstracts. Subscription.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC)
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is dedicated to furthering
scientific knowledge and disseminating information on environmental
toxicology and chemistry, including the application of these
sciences to risk assessment. The journal is divided into three
sections, each with its own editors: Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Toxicology, and Hazard / Risk Assessment. Interdisciplinary
in scope, the journal includes integrative studies involving
components of classical toxicology, physiology, biology, microbiology,
organic, environmental and analytical chemistry, anatomy,
genetics, ecology, soil, water, atmospheric sciences, and
economics. Subscription.
Froglog
Newsletter of the Declining Amphibian Populations. Task Force
of the World Conservation Union's Survival Commission.
Ocean Links Newsletter
The Guardian Newsletter
Sierra Club Newsletter
EcoConnections
Center for the Environment online magazine
National Wildlife Federation
International Wildlife is a benefit of membership. NWF's
website includes interesting online articles.
New Scientist
Online Magazine
The Ecologist
Established in 1970, The Ecologist is the world's longest
running environmental magazine. Last year saw not only its
30th anniversary, but also its re-launch. The magazine is
read in over 150 countries by people with an interest in environmental,
social and economic issues. The new-look Ecologist covers
a range of topical and general subjects and opens new areas
of debate on everything from science and technology to the
impacts of globalisation on jobs, health and the environment.
The Ecologist is a non-profit making magazine and is edited
by Zac Goldsmith. Searchable archives with full-text articles.
An Appalachian Tragedy:Air Pollution and Tree Death in the Eastern Forest of North America
by Harvard Ayers (Editor), Jenny Hager (Editor), Charles E. Little (Editor)
Hardcover: 240 pages
Sierra Club Books
ISBN:0871569760
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Aquatic Pollution:An Introductory Text
by Edward A. Laws
Hardcover: 672 pages; 3rd Edition
John Wiley & Sons
ISBN:0471348759
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Atmospheric Pollution:History, Science, and Regulation
by Mark Z. Jacobson
288 Pages; 140 color plates
Cambridge University Press
ISBN:0521811716
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Global Aquatic and Atmospheric Environment:
by Donat-Peter Hader, Har Darshan Kumar
Hardcover: 393 pages
Springer Verlag
ISBN:3540653694
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Environmental Contaminants in Wildlife:Interpreting Tissue Concentrations (Setac Special Publications Series)
by W. Nelson Beyer (Editor), Gary H. Heinz (Editor), Amy W. Redmon-Norwood, Amy W. Redman (Editor)
Hardcover: 512 pages
Lewis Publishers, Inc.
ISBN:156670071X
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Into Thin Air:The Problem of Air Pollution (Science & Society)
by J. S. Kidd, Renee A. Kidd
Hardcover: 134 pages
Facts on File, Inc.
ISBN:0816035857
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Pollution:Problems & Solutions
by the National Wildlife Federation
Paperback: 96 pages; Rev&Exp edition
McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing
ISBN:0070471053
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Silent Spring:
by Rachel Carson, Albert Gore, Jr.
Paperback: 368 pages
Mariner Books
ISBN:0395683297
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The Holy Order of Water:Healing the Earth's Waters and Ourselves
by William E. Marks
Paperback: 256 pages
Bell Pond Books
ISBN:088010483X
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Water:The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource
by Marq De Villiers
Paperback: 368 pages
Mariner Books
ISBN:0618127445
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Wildlife Toxicology:
by Tony J. Peterle
Hardcover
John Wiley & Sons
ISBN:0471290211
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