Abuse Me And You’ll See Pollution

Abuse Me And You’ll See

Group 9- III-St. Charles
MEMBERS:
Kyle Somera
Kajaana Sibal
Abdullah Sharief
Marc Sabatin
Elbert Renand Orgil

Introduction
Elements are very helpful in our daily
lives. They make our lives easier because
people have developed ways to make
these elements useful to us gradually
through time . But we don’t know that we
are already abusing the products the
elements have given to us. The improper
use and improper disposal of these
elements results to these threats that
affect us and our environment.

Beryllium (Be)

Beryllium Boron Aluminum Sulfur Cadmium Barium Platinum Mercury Lead Uranium

Usefulness
Beryllium can be used as X-ray tubes and lightweight
component of military equipment and in the aerospace
industry. It is used in high-speed aircraft, missiles, space
vehicles and communication satellites and beryllium
mirrors can be used in telescopes.

How it usually improperly disposed and can pollute the
Beryllium is
is Abused
land and small bodies of water which can affect the
organisms living in there. Factories that produce metals and
power plants that combust coal and oil are some of the major
causes of beryllium pollution.


Harmful Effects on Harmful Effects on the
Humans Environment
Intake of beryllium can:
-damage the lungs and cause pneumonia. Humans add beryllium through
-Berylliosis, (damages lung and other production of metal and combustion
organs, such as the heart) of coal and oil. In water, chemicals
-Chronic Beryllium Disease(allergic will react with beryllium, causing it to
reactions, cause a person to be seriously ill, become insoluble. This is a good
weakness, tiredness and breathing thing, because the water-insoluble
problems, blueness of hands and feet, and form of beryllium can cause much less
can cause their death.) harm to organisms than the water-
-increase the chances of cancer soluble form.
development and DNA damage.


Boron (B)


Usefulness for fiberglass, cleaning agents
Boron is used as insulation
like detergents, and component for glass and ceramic
production. Boron is sometimes used as insecticides and
as a magnet in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI),
cellular phones, and CD and DVD players.

How it is Abused
Boron is abused when it is not disposed properly. It can
contaminate bodies of water and the soil when it is not
disposed properly. Boron is usually found in cleaning agents
and we know that water is used to wash it then that water
with boron will end in small bodies of water.


Humans Environment
Intake of large amounts of Boron can: Plants absorb boron from the ground
-infect the stomach, liver, kidneys and and through plant-consuming animals
brains it can end up in food chains. Boron
-can eventually lead to death has been found in animal tissue, but it
When exposure to small amounts of boron is not likely to accumulate.
takes place
When animals absorb large amounts
-irritation of the nose, throat or eyes may of boron over a relatively long period
occur of time through food or drinking water
the male reproductive organs will be
Boron does not accumulate within the affected. When animals are exposed
tissues of animals. to boron during pregnancy their
offspring may suffer from birth defects
or delayed development.
Furthermore, animals are likely to
suffer from nose irritation when they
breathe in boron.


Aluminum (Al)


Usefulness
Aluminum can be used in Electrical
transmission lines, packaging (cans, foil, etc.)
and it has many uses in transport and
construction industry for its unbeatable strength
to weight ratio.

How it is Abused
Aluminum is abused by overusing it. We see
aluminium almost everywhere. Because of human’s
carelessness, it is usually improperly disposed which
leads to the contamination of bodies of water and
the soil we use to plant the food we eat.


Humans Environment
Long lasting uptakes of significant Aluminum may accumulate in plants
concentrations of aluminum can lead to and cause health problems for
serious health effects, such as: animals that consume these plants.

- Damage to the central nervous system Due to reactions of aluminum ions
- Dementia with proteins in the gills of fish and the
- Loss of memory embryo's of frogs the number of
- Listlessness organisms in some bodies of water
- Severe trembling decline. The consequences for birds
that consume contaminated fish are
Aluminum is a risk in certain working eggshell thinning and chicks with low
environments, such as mines, where it can birth-weights.
be found in water. People that work in
factories where aluminum is applied during There are strong indications that
production processes may endure lung aluminum can damage the roots of
problems when they breathe in aluminum trees when it is located in
dust. Aluminum can cause problems for groundwater.
kidney patients when it enters the body
during kidney dialyses.


Sulfur (S)


Usefulness to sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is
Most sulfur is converted
extremely important to many industries around the world.
It is used in the manufacture of fertilizer, oil refining,
processing wastewater, lead-acid batteries in cars, mineral
extraction, removing rust from iron, making nylon and
producing hydrochloric acid. Sulfur can be used as a
pesticide and fungicide. Sulfur is also one component of
gunpowder.

How it is Abused
Sulfur when abused can pollute our soil, food, and our water.
It is caused by the improper disposal of Sulfur that is mainly used
In pesticide and fungicide.


Humans Environment
Globally sulphuric substances can have Sulfur can be found in the air in many
the following effects on human health: different forms. The damaging effects
of sulfur with animals :
- Neurological effects and behavioural -irritations of the eyes and the throat
changes -brain damage, through
- Disturbance of blood circulation malfunctioning of the hypothalamus,
- Heart damage -damage to the nervous system
- Effects on eyes and eyesight -serious vascular damage in veins of
- Reproductive failure the brains, the heart and the kidneys.
- Damage to immune systems -cause fatal damage and congenital
- Stomach and gastrointestinal disorder effects
- Damage to liver and kidney functions -Mothers can even carry sulfur
- Hearing defects poisoning over to their children
- Disturbance of the hormonal metabolism through mother milk.
- Dermatological effects -sulfur can damage the internal
- Suffocation and lung embolism enzyme systems of animals.


Cadmium (Cd)


Usefulness
It's principal uses include: protective plating for steel,
stabilizers for polyvinyl chloride, pigments in plastics and
glasses, electrode material in nickel-cadmium batteries,
and as a component of various alloys Because it is used
as a pigment, it is often found in plastic toys and food
containers.

How itare usually found in plastic materials and fertilizers
Cadmium
is Abused
that when not moderately used or not disposed properly may
pollute soil and our water. This may then affect the organisms
living in the place contaminated by the cadmium.


Humans Environment
Cadmium accumulates in kidneys, where it Part of the cadmium ends up in the soil after
damages filtering mechanisms. This causes the fertilizer is applied. Soils that are acidified
the excretion of essential proteins and sugars enhance the cadmium uptake by plants. This is
from the body and further kidney damage. It a potential danger to the animals that are
takes a very long time before cadmium that dependent upon the plants for survival.
has accumulated in kidneys is excreted from Cadmium can accumulate in their bodies,
a human body. especially when they eat multiple plants. Cows
may have large amounts of cadmium in their
Other health effects that can be caused by kidneys due to this.
cadmium are:
In aquatic ecosystems cadmium can bio
- Diarrhoea, stomach pains and severe accumulate in mussels, oysters, shrimps,
vomiting lobsters and fish.
- Bone fracture Animals eating or drinking cadmium
- Reproductive failure and possibly even sometimes get
infertility -high blood-pressures l
- Damage to the central nervous system
-iver disease
- Damage to the immune system
- Psychological disorders -nerve or brain damage.
- Possibly DNA damage or cancer
development


Barium (Ba)


Usefulness in making rubber, pyrotechnics and
Barium is usually used
as weighting agent in oil well drilling fluids. It can be also
used as rat poison, bleaches, dyes, fireworks, ceramics
glasses, and as a coating for the digestive tract when
taking x-ray pictures of the body. barium coating will be
illuminated on the X-ray allowing for the diagnoses of
certain abnormalities in the stomach, esophagus,
intestines, or colon.

Howbarium that are improperly disposed by factories have
Excess
it is Abused
already contaminated small bodies of water. Improper
disposal of barium leads to catastrophic effects.


Humans Environment
The uptake of very large amounts of Some barium compounds that are
barium that are water-soluble may cause released during industrial processes
-paralysis dissolve easily in water and are found
-death in lakes, rivers, and streams. When fish
and other aquatic organisms absorb
Small amounts of water-soluble barium the barium compounds, barium will
may cause a person to experience accumulate in their bodies.
-breathing difficulties
-increased blood pressures
-heart rhythm changes
-stomach irritation
-muscle weakness
-changes in nerve reflexes
-swelling of brains and liver
-kidney and heart damage.


Platinum (Pt)


Usefulness
Platinum is mainly used in jewellery and as Auto Catalyts.
Auto catalysts converts harmful emissions into harmless
carbon dioxide and water. Platinum is now also used in
our hard disks that used for storing our computer files.
Platinum bonds are often applied as a medicine to cure
cancer.

How it is Abused
Platinum is abused when its overly used. Platinum is
abused since it is needed or a component in production
of different materials such as hard disks.


Humans Environment
Platinum as a metal is not very dangerous, It can cause serious health
but platinum salts can cause several health conditions in the working place
effects, such as: environment. What the effects of
platinum on animals and the
- DNA alterations environment may be has not yet
- Cancer been researched very extensively.
- Allergic reactions of the skin and the The only thing we know is that
mucous membrane platinum will accumulate in the
- Damage to organs, such as intestines, roots of plants after uptake.
kidneys and bone marrow Whether eating platinum-
- Hearing damage containing plant roots can do any
harm to animals and humans, is
Finally, a danger of platinum is that it can not yet clear.
cause potentiating of the toxicity of other
dangerous chemicals in the human body.


Mercury (Hg)


Usefulness used
Metallic mercury is in a variety of household
products, such as barometers, thermometers and
fluorescent light bulbs. The mercury in these devices is
trapped and usually does not cause any health
problems. However, when a thermometer will break a
significantly high exposure to mercury through breathing
will occur for a short period of time while it vaporizes.

How it used Abused bulbs, thermometers, and
Mercury is
is fluorescent light
barometers that usually after its service are improperly
disposed which may lead to its breakage which results to the
release of mercury inside these items.


Humans Environment
Mercury has a number of effects on Once mercury has reached
humans, that can all of them be simplified surface waters or soils
into the following main effects: microorganisms can convert it to
methyl mercury, a substance that
- Disruption of the nervous system can be absorbed quickly by most
- Damage to brain functions organisms and is known to cause
- DNA damage and chromosomal nerve damage. As a The effects
damage that mercury has on animals are
- Allergic reactions -kidneys damage
- Negative reproductive effects( sperm -stomach disruption
damage, birth defects and miscarriages) -damage to intestines
- kidney damage -reproductive failure
-lung and eye irritation -DNA alteration.

Damaged brain functions can cause
degradation of learning abilities,
personality changes, tremors, vision
changes, deafness, muscle in coordination
and memory loss. Chromosomal damage is
known to cause mongolism.

Lead (Pb)


Usefulness
Lead is a soft metal that has known many applications over
the years. It has been used widely since 5000 BC for
application in metal products, cables and pipelines, but also
in paints and pesticides. Lead is one out of four metals that
have the most damaging effects on human health. Foods
such as fruit, vegetables, meats, grains, seafood, soft drinks
and wine may contain significant amounts of lead.
Cigarette smoke also contains small amounts of lead.

How it is Abused
Lead can be found in pesticides that when not moderately
used can pollute the soil and even the food we eat.
Paints that contain lead are usually not disposed
properly that leads to the pollution of small bodies of
water.


Humans Environment
Lead can enter (drinking) water through Not only leaded gasoline causes
corrosion of pipes. Lead fulfils no essential lead concentrations in the
function in the human body, it can merely do environment to rise. Other human
harm after uptake from food, air or water. activities, such as fuel combustion,
industrial processes and solid waste
Lead can cause several unwanted effects, such combustion, also contribute.
as: Lead can end up in water and soils
- Disruption of the biosynthesis of haemoglobin through corrosion of leaded
and anaemia pipelines in a water transporting
- A rise in blood pressure system and through corrosion of
- Kidney damage leaded paints. Lead accumulates in
- Miscarriages and subtle abortions
the bodies of water organisms and
soil organisms. These will experience
- Disruption of nervous systems
health effects from lead poisoning.
- Brain damage
Soil functions are disturbed by lead
- Declined fertility of men through sperm damage intervention, especially near
- Diminished learning abilities of children highways and farmlands, where
- Behavioural disruptions of children, such as extreme concentrations may be
aggression, impulsive behavior and hyperactivity present and can contaminate our
food.
Lead can enter a fetus through the placenta of
the mother. Because of this it can cause serious
damage to the nervous system and the brains of
unborn children.


Uranium (U)


Usefulness
Uranium is used to fuel the nuclear fission
reactor in nuclear power plants. It can
also be used to power nuclear powered
submarines and ships.

How it is Abused
When Uranium is not properly placed or
disposed may pose a threat to the
community. It is human activities tha
actually make Uranium a threat.


Humans Environment
People that live near hazardous waste Water containing low amounts of uranium
sites, people that live near mines, is usually safe to drink. Because of its
nature, uranium is not likely to accumulate
people that work in the phosphate in fish or vegetables and uranium that is
industry, people that eat crops grown absorbed will be eliminated quickly
on contaminated soil or people that through human waste.
drink water from a uranium waste
disposal point may experience a The compounds in the soil will combine
with other compounds, which can stay in
higher exposure than other people. the soil for years. Uranium concentrations
Chemical effects may occur after the often do not exceed normal ranges for
uptake of large amounts of uranium uncontaminated soil.
and these can cause health effects
such as kidney disease. Plants absorb uranium through their roots
and store it there. Root vegetables such
as radishes may contain higher than usual
concentrations of uranium as a result. But
when the vegetables are washed the
uranium will be removed.


Conclusion
Elements have many uses and it
should be used responsibly and with
proper knowledge about the element. I
have learned that we all benefit from
these elements but if we don’t know how
to use them properly then it will result to
consequences that can affect us and our
environment. Use of the elements should
come with responsibility to avoid the
“abuse” of the element.

Abuse Me And You’ll See Pollution

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