IBDP ESS 1.5 - Pollution by Fabiana Pereira https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2 Summaries of pollution stories en-us 2023-09-26 11:51:47 UTC 2023-09-29 06:49:57 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f333.png Dirty lies: how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721274837 Volkswagen cars were found to have 3-4 times the alleged amount of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in their diesel models. Increased exposure to NOx emissions can cause heart problems, dementia, and respiratory issues, as well as cause global warming and climate change. While the emissions caused by diesel and petrol cars today are significantly less than cars in the 1970s, they are still a major factor in increasing global temperatures. Electric cars are seen as the solution, however, they are not a cure-all as tires and brakes still give off small, toxic particles as they're driven -jane]]> 2023-09-26 13:40:37 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721274837 England Say goodbye to free plastic bags. https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721288223 English residents are forced to pay 5p in sales tax when they want to purchase a single-use plastic bag.  According to the government, 8.5bn thin-gauge plastic bags were used last year by customers of UK supermarkets alone. That is down from the all-time peak of 12bn in 2006, but still amounts to more than 23m a day. This article was written 7 years. - Poppy ]]> 2023-09-26 13:47:28 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721288223 Chemical pollution causes brain damage in polar bears https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721291059 Polar bears have been experiencing brain damage due to chemical pollution in the arctic. Scientists have even warned that it can affect humans.

Pollutants: perfluorinated compounds
Sources: They have arrived via the atmosphere and may be originally from industrial emissions such as those from electronic and semiconductor manufacture as well as improper waste disposal.

It is Non-Point source, Chronic pollution and although there is evidence of the compounds decomposing it is incomplete and doesn't result in complete mineralisation.

]]> 2023-09-26 13:48:57 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721291059 brain damage in polar bears https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721296753 Polar bears are getting brain damage from chemicals used in textiles, which is negatively impacting their ability to find food, as it affects their hormonal system. Non point source pollution. Persistent. Chronic. marla]]> 2023-09-26 13:51:51 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721296753 China air pollution far worse than expected https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721297590 More than 80% of Chinese people are regularly exposed to pollution that is far above safe levels.

Main, most dangerous pollutant: PM2.5
Others: Ozone, CO2, nitrogen oxides

Combustion of fossil fuels: cars, industry, coal power plants

Impacts: Respiratory diseases, boom in facemask sales

Non-point 
Persistent 
Chronic ]]> 2023-09-26 13:52:20 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721297590 Chemical Pollution is causing brain damage to polar bears https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721302210  Man made chemicals end up in the food chain and cause brain damage to polar bears. This impacts their behaviour and their ability to survive. These chemicals can also affect the people that stay there. It is a disruption of enzymes that are affecting the brain.
Scientists discovered this by examining dead polar bears' brains. Polar bears have much higher concentrations of these substances in their brains than humans.

]]> 2023-09-26 13:54:42 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721302210 Photochemical smog creeps back on hot, still days https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721310254
Photochemical oxidants require strong sunshine to develop and are less likely to condense into smog if there is a breeze to disperse them, the smog typically occurs on a hot summer day when the sky is clear and there is little wind.


]]> 2023-09-26 13:58:27 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721310254 Heavy metal poisoning in Scotland's beached whales https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721311379 The article discusses the issue of heavy metal poisoning in Scotland's beached whales. It highlights the alarming prevalence of heavy metals like cadmium and lead in the bodies of stranded whales along the Scottish coast. These metals are believed to be causing various health problems in marine life, including whales, and are linked to industrial pollution in the region. The article underscores the need for further research and environmental regulations to address this concerning issue and protect Scotland's marine ecosystem and the whales that inhabit it.]]> 2023-09-26 13:59:01 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721311379 Far more microplastics floating in oceans than thought https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721475545  Although we are roughly aware of the fact that the amount of plastic ending up in the oceans is extremely large, we do not know the shape or location of all the plastic. Majority of the plastic found further out at sea is microscopic, compared to bigger single use plastic products. A study done showed that these microplastics made up around only 1% of plastics entering oceans. The amount of microplastics is believed to be 93,000 to 236,000 tonnes, 37 times larger than earlier estimates. These numbers are more reliable because they take into account different sampling conditions, and how to work in those conditions to get more honest results. Although these results show a lot about microplastics in the ocean, they only make up a small percentage of plastic in the ocean. It proves much harder to count the rest of the plastic in the ocean because we are not sure where they are. As well as the severity of plastics impact due to its ability to have a multitude of different shapes and sizes.
The pollutants : Bio-plastics, single use plastics.
The source : The source of the bio-plastics is from humans, mainly in the form of domestic waste.
The impacts : They cause an array of different threats towards sea life, due to the diverse sizes and shapes of the plastics. Mostly, these plastics lead to injuries, indigestion of plastics or death. We do not fully understand the impact of plastics in the oceans, because we do not know the location of all of these plastics on the oceanic ecosystems.
Point or Non-point Source Pollution : Non-point source pollution 
Persistent or Biodegradable : Persistent organic pollution (POPs)
Acute or Chronic : Chronic pollution
- Colette]]> 2023-09-26 15:23:53 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721475545 Polar bears and brain toxins https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721727613 What's going on?
Toxic chemicals are accumulating up the taxonomic ranks and negatively affecting polar bears.

How?
Compounds that have been used to treat industrial and commercial products such as textiles have been found to be disturbing certain enzymes in the polar bears' brains.

This reduces the animal's already slim chances of survival in an increasingly hostile environment - the toxins can deteriorate the polar bears' food-finding abilities by knocking their hormones out of balance.

Additionally, there exists a risk of even wider consequences as polar bears are an apex predator, and their extinction could wreak havoc on the extended environment. josh]]> 2023-09-26 17:51:07 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721727613 Microplastics and synthetic particles ingested by deep-sea amphipods in six of the deepest marine ecosystems on Earth https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721904720

Summary: man-made fibers, microplastics being the most prominent are being ingested by lysianassoid amphipods at the deepest location of all the Earth's oceans. The physical impacts that happen in shallower waters in which marine life has ingested these fibers are likely to happen in these hadal environments (hadal means 6000 meters below). As they are ingesting these plastics we do not know what their baselines are and now will never know as they have been contaminated before we have had the chance to study them. It is highly likely that now every marin ecosystem has been affected by microplastics

The pollutants: Plastics, microplastics, man-made fibers, organic pollutants

The sources: a potential source was a dracon from the hadal vehicles, sewages, airborne transport

The impacts: at an ecosystem level on the physical and toxicological impacts of microplastic ingestion still remain unclear, 

Non point source polution. Persistent. Chronic pollution

]]> 2023-09-26 19:53:03 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2721904720 Dirty lies: how the car industry hid the truth about diesel emissions https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2723144385 Summary - Emissions from diesels cars is causing high levels of pollution
Pollutants - carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides
Sources - complete/incomplete combustion of diesel, reactants reacting at high temperatures
Impacts - Air, water, and soil pollution
Point or Non Point Source - Point Source
Persistent or Biodegradable - Persistent
Acute or Chronic - Chronic

]]> 2023-09-27 13:48:03 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2723144385 Brazilian mine disaster threatens river and sea with toxic mud https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2725650901 The Fundão dam collapse, which resulted in the flow of toxic mud and iron-ore residue into the Rio Doce, produced a significant environmental disaster in Brazil, which is discussed in the article. The local environment is severely impacted by this pollution, particularly for marine life and threatened species like leatherback turtles. Businesses in the area that depend on fishing and tourism have suffered major losses as a result of the disaster. Despite reaction measures, such as the placement of safety barriers, the long-term ecological and financial effects are unknown. Critics claim that given the severity of the damage, the compensation provided by the concerned mining firms is insufficient.

- Oleksii ]]> 2023-09-29 06:45:32 UTC https://padlet.com/fpereira12/mfq7hwmxstvolig2/wish/2725650901