Ecosystem Toxic Chemical Threat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ecosystem Toxic Chemical Threat - Essay ExampleSECTION two interrogation1. Is this an Acute or Chronic Environmental Threat? The presence of heavy metals in our environment causes chronic hazards to aquatic life and environment. This is because the metals ar accumulative poisons that affect their health adversely when they expose or remove them frequently for a longer period of time. Similarly, it has a long-term effect on the environment through with(predicate) constant emissions or discharge to soil, water and surface depending on the source of the contaminants, level and duration of pic (Palmer 121) Question 2 Is this a systemic (ecosystem) or Targeted Species Threat? Heavy metals are majorly released into the environment for the most part by manmade activities such as industrial processing and discharge from sewage plants and agricultural activities. This makes it to be much hazardous to both environment and aquatic life, hence, attracting deep concern globally on its m itigation options and control. Question 3 How likely is it that the chemical will be discharged in sufficient amount to do serious harm? The rate at which wastes from the industries and agricultural or sewage plants are releasing their soil discharges having lethal heavy metals into aquatic environment is astonishingly high. Given that these activities are manmade and owing to steady improver of global population, the rate at which these activities takes place also increases, generating sufficient amount of deadly heavy metals into shipboard soldier ecosystem that can result into negative impact on the lives of aquatic population. Question 4 How severe are the consequences of the potential exposure? Potential exposure to heavy metals has adverse effects to aquatic life. For example, presence of certificate of deposit in the ecosystem and in aquatic environment poses adverse effect to both the environment and the aquatic life. harmonize to UNEP (2002), it is recognized as one of t he most lethal hazardous water contaminants and could be harmful at every level in ranging from organism to cell elements. The harmful value for fish falls in spite of appearance the acceptable limit range of 0.5 ?g/dm3 to 21.1 mg/dm3. Given that this heavy metal has a chronic effect, its accumulative contamination effects can cause detrimental disturbance to aquatic life and the ecosystem. For example, in the case of fish, its effects range from abnormal behavior in fish metabolism, movement behavior to anorexia. gum elastic and Health Agency (OSHA) clarifies that it is a prospective aquatic carcinogen and is highly linked with anomalous functioning of the aquatic blood cell system. Based on its effects, both the species of chromium are connected to DNA malfunctions of the aquatic animal upon exposure. Similarly, long term accumulation of chromium in the marine environment has adversely stirred the aquatic life in this ecosystem. Chromium majorly exist in both Cr (III) and Cr (V I) oxidisation states. Chromium (VI) is considered to be more disastrous to aquatic life compared to the former ion Cr 3+. This is because it is right away soluble and mobile in aquatic environment. Question 5 How wide spread is the ecological curse - How many ecosystems and/or species are threatened by the expected exposure? According to Environmental egis Agency (EPA) report released in 2004, this group of