:: Have you considered? ::

Have you considered?

Have you considered the route your rubbish takes
once you have placed it in the dustbin? For a
majority of us it’s a case of out of sight - out of
mind, but the correct disposal of waste and plastics
is quickly becoming an issue the world over.

Chemicals from domestic, agricultural and industrial
waste are often washed away by the rain, absorbed
by the soil and find their way into our rivers and streams. These rivers and streams feed our
animals and crops, supply water to our homes and eventually find their way back into our bodies.
So it’s a bit of an alarming thought that certain elements of the plastic bag you just disposed of will end up back in your house and back in your body.

Some of the main culprits we have in our waters are called Persistent Organic Pollutants, more commonly known as POPs. They are undetectable because they are tasteless, soluble and smell-free.
Many POPs were widely used during the boom in industrial production after World War II, when thousands of synthetic chemicals were introduced into commercial use. Many of these chemicals proved beneficial in pest and disease control, crop production, and industry. These same chemicals, however, have had unforeseen effects on human health and the environment, effects that we are now just beginning to be aware of.

Studies have linked POPs exposures to declines, diseases, or abnormalities in a number of wildlife species, including certain kinds of fish, birds, and mammals. Wildlife also can act as guards or gatekeepers for human health: abnormalities or declines detected in wildlife populations can sound
an early warning bell for people. Behavioral abnormalities and birth defects in fish, birds, and mammals in and around the Great Lakes, for example, led scientists to investigate POPs exposures
in human populations.

In people, reproductive, developmental behavioral, neurologic, endocrine, and immunologic adverse health effects have been linked to POPs. People are mainly exposed to POPs through contaminated foods. Less common exposure routes include drinking contaminated water and direct contact with the chemicals. In people and other mammals alike, POPs can be transferred through the placenta to developing offspring.

So, what is the solution? The solution is to reduce the amount of POPs in the body; however this is not an easy task because there are no short term measures to remove them totally and immediately.
We are exposed to many harmful chemicals on a daily basis, and fortunately they are relatively low doses, however if we do not take the appropriate steps to dispose of our waste carefully then the results will become more damaging and obvious.

POPs usage was banned in Malaysia in the late 1990.

Reference: The United States Environmental Protection Agency

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