discuss solid waste disposal and human health risks.

this week we will discuss solid waste disposal and human health risks.

Please write at least TWO full paragraphs (four to five sentences each) that provide an example of the question prompt below. Use your discussion post to bring up new ideas, while also adding to the ideas shared in previous posts. Follow these general guidelines for your discussion post:

1. Introduction: Provide a brief description of your example and at least two ways it has impacted the environment (think both locally and globally).

2. Discussion: Further discuss your example and its environmental impacts; be specific, use outside research, conclude your thoughts, and cite your sources with correctly formatted in-text citations. You should use at least two outside resources (The course textbook does not count as one, though if you do take information from it you must cite it. Do not use Wikipedia as a source).

3. References: Cite your sources (make sure they are correctly formatted).

Once you have completed your discussion post, respond to the discussion post of at least one of your classmates. Was their example valid and are you convinced by their ideas? Explain and support your objections or doubts and/or provide additional relevantinformation. Cite your sources if applicable. Your response should be approximately one paragraph in length.

Your posts will be graded on the following criteria: adding new ideas, well written, outside citations, and contributing to previous discussion.

*Do not attach files. All material must be posted within the space provided.

**Discussion posts less than two full paragraphs will automatically receive a score of zero.

***Acceptable citation styles are APA (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and MLA (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (online citation creator (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.); see plagiarism policy for a description of plagiarism and how to avoid it.

One of my classmate’s response:

“For my discussion post I chose to focus on two common methods of municipal waste disposal, open burning and the disposal of waste via the ocean. These are important methods to be informed about because they have substantial impacts not only on the environment but human health as well. Ocean dumping has led to the mass accumulation of trash in our oceans, which in turn threatens sea life and the environment in which they live. Alternatively, open burning leads to air pollution and the release of carcinogens into the atmosphere. Neighborhoods that are situated in relative proximity to these open burns are exposed to these toxic gases and carcinogens in higher amounts. This in turn can lead to adverse health effects.

Before 1972, ‘ocean dumping’ was widely considered a viable method of waste disposal across the states. Since then congress has passed what is called the Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 (MPRSA) or Ocean Dumping Act which regulates and limits the dumping of waste into the ocean (EPA). The impacts of this era and the continual use of this method of waste disposal has made for disastrous impacts on humans and wildlife alike. The plastics and toxins that are dumped into the ocean act as sponges and pick up other contaminates as they float around. Next, fish and other sea life consume this contaminated waste and we eat the fish which have become contaminated further down the food chain (“Plastics in the Ocean”). The fish industry is a vast industry that sustains a large portion of our food economy, and if we continue to contaminate our oceans with harmful toxins and plastics we will be perpetuating our own self-harm. Though since 1972 many countries around the world have followed suit and implemented similar waste disposal policy as we do here in the US. This means the majority of what is deemed ‘okay’ to dump in the ocean is harmless and has a minimal impact on sea life, our oceans, and human health.

Lastly, open burning (another method of waste disposal) has been known to cause adverse human health impacts similar to ocean dumping. When waste is burned, the combustion releases toxins into the air. This air pollution often contains greenhouse gases which contribute to the warming of the planet. In addition to these greenhouse gases, many harmful carcinogens are also released into the surrounding atmosphere (Kumari). These known carcinogens increase the instance of cancer in individuals who have increased or prolonged exposure. Open burning and ocean dumping make up only two methods of waste disposal in local communities across the US, though their impacts on the environment and human health are great. Informing ourselves about these impacts is the only way we can start to address these problems and eventually move towards more sustainable and healthy alternatives.

“EPA History: Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act (Ocean Dumping Act).” EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, 25 Oct. 2017, www.epa.gov/history/epa-history-marine-protection-research-and-sanctuaries-act-ocean-dumping-act (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Kumari, Kanchan, et al. “Emission from open burning of municipal solid waste in India.” Environmental Technology, 2017, pp. 1–14., doi:10.1080/09593330.2017.1351489.

“Plastics in the Ocean Affecting Human Health.” Case Studies, 14 Nov. 2016,serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/health/case_studies/plastics.html.”

Please give a reply for this discussion from my classmate also.