Without realizing it, hazardous waste is all around us. Various kinds of waste can contaminate water, soil, and the air we breathe, and can have a negative impact on health.
Waste can be found anywhere. Starting from household, office, industrial waste, or vehicle fumes on the highway. The sad thing is, because it's "normal" we meet, often this problem is no longer taken seriously. For example, when we pass or even live in the vicinity of a landfill, we may only be bothered by the unpleasant smell and take it lightly, when in fact there is a hidden danger lurking in our health.
Air Waste
Air waste can cause air pollution. Smoke and particulates are two types of air waste that can endanger health. Especially particulates, because they are in the form of fine particles, making them difficult to see with the naked eye. Without us knowing it, particulates can be inhaled and cause dangerous diseases.
Particulates come from diesel engine exhaust, wood burning, and coal-fired power plants. While the smoke waste generally comes from small vehicles.
Smoke or particulate waste in this air pollution can cause various health impacts, such as:
- Lung disorders, heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes. These diseases are often found in areas with high levels of air pollution.
- In pregnant women, it can harm the fetus in the womb. For example, it affects the brain development of the fetus, so it has the possibility of having ADHD or better known as hyperactivity.
Waste Final Disposal Site (TPA)
Not only does it smell bad, this landfill also has long-term effects, including:
- It has the potential to trigger certain types of cancer, fetal defects, premature babies, or babies born with low body weight. However, the location of residence is not the only factor that can be the cause. It is still unclear whether these conditions are related to the toxic chemicals found in the landfill.
- Water pollution caused by landfill waste can have a negative impact on health. Residents living around the landfill are at risk of hepatitis, cholera, giardiasis, and hepatitis blue baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia), due to consuming polluted water. Even some substances, such as benzene, which is known to be carcinogenic or can cause cancer, can also contaminate water around landfill sites.
Ladd to water
Wastewater is water that has been polluted by anthropogenic agents. Waste that pollutes water can come from human waste, septic tank disposal, factory waste disposal, wastewater from washing residues, and much more.
Water that has been contaminated with this waste can cause various diseases, such as:
- Diarrhea, when consuming water contaminated with bacteria or parasites. Severe diarrhea can lead to death.
- Methemoglobinemia or disease blue baby sydrome, when consuming drinking water contaminated with nitrates, or high in nitrate content.
- Infectious diseases, such as hepatitis A, cholera, and giardiasis, when drinking water contaminated with bacteria and viruses.
- Kidney disease, liver disease, and the risk of birth defects.
Whether visible or invisible, waste still has a bad impact on health. It may not be felt immediately, but it will have negative effects in the long run. In order to reduce or even eliminate the threat of danger from waste, proper waste management and awareness are needed to maintain environmental cleanliness.
