Water Supply
Penetration of toxic substances into underground and surface water sources and surface water bodies occurs due to the accumulation of waste dumps in or near the water source. Moisture seeps through the soil into groundwater, and then into surface water bodies, from which water is drawn for drinking and other needs of the population. The use of contaminated water can lead to intoxication of the body, outbreaks of intestinal infection and other infectious diseases. It also pollutes the river or sea water locally and will infect or even kill fish, waterplants and or corals.
Soil
Soil pollution with hazardous organic and inorganic compounds makes it unsuitable for further use for economic purposes. The process of decomposition of solid waste is gradually going on and in the soil there is not only an accumulation of hazardous chemicals, but also infection by pathogenic (pathogenic) microflora. From the soil, toxic substances and pathogenic microorganisms can again penetrate into groundwater and into the human body.
The state of the environment is one of the determining factors in the state of public health. From the environment we draw the resources we need for every day functioning - air, water, food. The unsatisfactory quality of these resources can immediately, or after some time, provoke a deterioration in our well-being, the development of various diseases, and even death.
Therefore, it is so important to monitor all changes in the
environment, because even the smallest and imperceptible failings
for the average person can lead to disruption of the natural
balance and the emergence of processes dangerous to the health of
the population.
To a large extent, this issue relates to landfills or so-called
landfills. Their harmful effects are not limited only to an
unpleasant odor, it is much more versatile and dangerous than it
seems at first glance. From landfills, the pollution process goes
in several directions at once:
Atmosphere
Emissions of gases contributing to the development of the greenhouse effect into the atmosphere are a visually imperceptible but quite serious problem created by solid waste landfills. As a result of the process of "fermentation" of garbage caused by the bacteria living in it, the so-called landfill gas is formed. It mainly consists of methane, carbon dioxide and other gaseous impurities in small quantities and, getting into the atmosphere, contributes to the destruction of the ozone layer. Eliminating this problem is simple if you collect landfill gas and use it as an alternative fuel for energy needs.
Flora and Fauna
The aggravation of the sanitary and epidemiological situation of the area and the uncontrolled development of pathogens are due to the fact that garbage contains a large number of available organic substances - the main source of nutrition for many bacteria, including pathogenic and parasitic organisms. Animals living in a landfill, such as dogs, birds, rodents, become carriers of dangerous diseases - plague, tetanus, gangrene, cholera, all kinds of helminth infections and many others. This can lead to serious outbreaks of disease and an exacerbation of the epidemiological situation that is dangerous to public health. Due to environmental pollution from landfills, the risks of cancerous tumors also increase.
The Solution
The solution to the problem of landfills is the creation of a
cyclical economy, when waste is disposed of as raw materials for
industry. However, in this case, we still face the fact that not
all waste can be reused. We are forced to store most of them at the
same landfill.
At The Blueconomy Initiative, together with our technical partners
we constantly study the impact of waste on people's lives and find
opportunities to eliminate or at least significantly reduce this
impact.