Causes and effects of Land Pollution

What is the topic all about ?
The issue is all about land pollution. It is the destruction of Earth’s land surfaces through misuse of land resources by human activities and misuse of the soil by poor agricultural practices, mineral exploitation, industrial waste dumping and indiscriminate disposal of urban wastes. It includes the soil pollution and waste disposal. http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/sci_ed/grade10/ecology/conservation/poll.htm It is significant to study because we’re going to tackle about the factors that causes it and the results into our society. How it is harmful for all of us that can be possible to cause us problems to our health because the effects includes carrying diseases.
Where does the problem came from?
The roots of this problem came from the people’s behavior towards waste. The Resources, Environment and Economics Center for Studies, Inc.’s (REECS) 2002 study on household waste management systems and the attitudes and behavior of the communities in two barangays in Metro Manila ( Bennagen, Nepomuceno, Covar, 2002) showed that:

1. Waste management is still perceived by many as the responsibility of government.
2. Public participation in waste management, especially in segregation at source, remains limited.
3. More extensive awareness- raising activities and training on ecological waste management are needed, together with stricter enforcement of the Law and local ordinances must be observed.
4. There is lack of community empowerment and political will to resolve the problem.

Recognizing the importance of the environment’s immediate recovery and effects of improper waste management to the Philippines, there is a need for understanding and reformation of attitudes and concern towards the protection of environment. The impending garbage crisis can be prevented if we only practice waste segregation at source, recycling, and composting as what the law requires. An intensive social marketing program has to be established on a long-term scale within a barangay – the smallest unit of the local government.
Global Situation At present , around 80% of municipal solid wastes in the world is disposed of through landfills.
People around the world produce different amounts of municipal wastes. In general, people in the industrialized nations produce larger amounts of wastes per person.
For instance , an average American citizen discards about a 32 kg of wastes a day where as a person from lower income countries produces less than one pound of wastes per day. But many landfills are rapidly reaching capacity levels and many have actually closed. The united states for example had about 20,000 landfills in 1978. By 1998 , the number has dropped to about 6000 and by 1993 another 3000 were close.
But many landfills are rapidly reaching capacity levels and many have actually closed.
The United States for example had about 20,000 landfills in 1978. By 1988, the number has dropped to about 6,000 and by 1993, another 3000 were closed.
Sources: Pollock, “ Mining Urban wastes: The potential for recycling” worldwatch paper 76
National Situation
In the Philippines, most towns dispose of their wastes through landfills, but a high percentage is disposed of through the seas, rivers, creeks, and streams by unconcerned and ignorant individuals.
Source: Environmental Science for Philippine Schools; Author: Melecio C. Deauna
The Philippines is looming with garbage problems despite the passage of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or the Republic Act (RA) 9003.
2007 first quarter data from the National Solid Waste Management Commission shows that there are 677 open dumpsites, 343 controlled dumps, and 21 landfills in the country. An additional 307 dump sites are subject for closure or rehabilitation plans but without definite schedules for enforcement. About 215 additional landfills are being proposed to be set up nationwide.
Environmentalists stress that Republic Act 9003 calls for the adoption of the best environmental practices in ecological waste management and explicitly excludes waste incineration as an ecological option. These polluting disposal facilities are major sources of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere which adds to global warming.
Landfills and open dumps, according to studies, account for 34 percent of human-related methane emissions to the atmosphere, a global warming gas that has 23 times more heat-trapping power than carbon dioxide. These landfills and open dumps are illegal under RA 9003. http://imagineechoprojectswaste.blogspot.com/ Local Situation
Metro Manila, where a large amount of garbage is collected daily, used to dump its wastes in the smokey mountain in Tondo, Manila. This is an open pit where garbage is burned, making it a source of population. Human scavengers pick up garbage that can be sold and recycled. To many families, this is a source of income. But they pay a very high price in terms of health deterioration.
In a report published by a medical team from the University of the Philippines, College of Public Health, It was noted that a majority of the 974 child scavengers aged 7 to 15 suffers from very high levels of lead in their blood. Much higher than the tolerable limit set by WHO , which is 20 micrograms per deciliters of blood.
As a result of, many of them have slow mental development and slow reflexes. It was also found out that a majority of these children harbor Ascaris and trichuris, both harmful parasites found in intentines.

According to the article of BBC news as they conducted a quick guide about Manila slum life as part of their urban planet series. they travelled to the Philippines where about 20 million people live in slums.
One tenth of slum dwellers live in the capital MANILA, in neighbourhoods like this one in the Tondo district.
The united nations says many of them lack adequate water, housing, sanitation, education, health, and employment.
They inteviewed some dwellers and complaining about their houses gets flooded easily with trashes and wastes.
Sources: Pollock, “ Mining Urban wastes: The potential for recycling” worldwatch paper 76
What is wrong in the present system of your topic?
The main errors occurring in the present system about Land Pollution is the individual ones who were eager to achieve something good for them but extremely harmful for mother nature which causes exploitation of land. Some people have no concern for nature of doing the opposite by means of improper disposing of wastes. There are numerous establishments which is the reason of rapid growth population that is more prone to filth stuff.
What is your objective of conducting this research?
We aim to conduct this research to show the consequences of improper way of consumption to our Mother Nature. We want to enlighten their minds to realize the right usage of everything around us so we may not abuse and spoil the limited amount that Nature can supply us.
We would like to manifest the good outcome if we are going to widen ourselves to be more responsible towards wastes.