Tuesday, January 30, 2007 by: M.T. Whitney, citizen journalist
(Natural News) The waters off the Los AngelesCounty coast still possess high levels of DDT contamination, according to a recent report.
The report, released by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, shows that the pesticide, which companies dumped into the water soon after it was banned from use in the United States, is still found with high levels in fish caught near the Los Angeles area. DDT, banned from use in the United States at the end of 1972, is considered a toxic substance by the EPA, and the federal agency associates it with an increased risk of liver cancer. It also can affect the human reproductive and nervous systems, and is toxic to many animals, especially aquatic life.
In a survey of DDT levels in fish conducted in 2002, the EPA found that the amount of DDT in fish caught off the Los AngelesCounty coast had not decreased much from the last survey in the late 1980s. In comparison, fish caught off the adjacent OrangeCounty coast and north of the Redondo Beach Pier had lower levels of DDT.
"Since 1985, fish consumption advisories and health warnings have been posted in southern California because of elevated DDT and PCB levels," one report on the EPA's web site says.
The major source of DDT in the ocean comes from DDT manufacturing chemical plants in the area that dumped DDT into the local wastewater systems. These sewers then lead to the ocean.
One company, Montrose Chemical Corp., is estimated to have released more than 2,000 tons of DDT between 1947 and 1971, reported the Associated Press. Montrose ceased manufacture of DDT in 1983, ten years after it was banned in the United States.
In 2000, the EPA reached a $73 million lawsuit settlement with four companies that owned DDT manufacturing plants in Los AngelesCounty.
The EPA estimates that between 1942 up to its ban in 1972, approximately 675,000 tons of DDT have been applied or sprayed in the United States.
Since the 1970, most industrialized countries have banned the use of DDT. However, many scientists have rallied against a proposed worldwide ban on DDT, arguing that the insecticide can play an important role in fighting malaria. In September 2006, the World Health Organization recommended using DDT indoors as one of three methods to fight it.
Malaria, although eradicated from North America and Europe, kills between 1 and 3 million people each year.
THE recent oil spill off Changi coast - following a collision of two large vessels - was relatively small compared with the massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico. However, in Singapore, there remains the concern that accidents at sea on a larger scale could pose a threat to our economy and security if we are unable to handle it effectively in a short time. We do not have a large coastline and it does not take many tonnes of oil to blanket all of the southern coastline if the currents and weather conditions aid the spread of a spill. Ideally, we should be able to contain an oil spill and remove the oil from the sea where the accident occurred before it spreads over a larger area, where it will be relatively more difficult and take a longer time to clean up. I hope the relevant authorities will take cognizance of the threat of a large oil spill and be ready for any such eventuality. Ng Wai Tong
The Port of Singapore is the collective facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade handling functions in Singapore's harbors and which handle Singapore's shipping. Singapore is currently the world's busiest port in terms of total shipping tonnage, it also transships a fifth of the world's shipping containers as the world's busiest container port, half of the world's annual supply of crude oil, and is the world's busiest transshipment port. It was also the busiest port in terms of total cargo tonnage handled until 2005, when it was surpassed by the Port of Shanghai.
In the late 13th century, Singapore was established on the north bank of the Singapore River around which was called the Old Harbor. It was the only port in the southern part of the Strait of Malaccaservicing ships and traders in that region, competing with other ports along the coast of the Malacca Strait such as Jambi, Kota Cina, Lambri, Semudra, Palembang, South Kedah and Tamiang.First, it made available products that were in demand by international markets including top-quality hornbill casques, lakawood and cotton. These were unique in terms of their quality. Secondly, Singapore acted like a gateway into the regional and international economic system for its immediate region. Singapore was the main source of foreign products to the region.
By the 15th century, although Singapore had dropped to an international trading port due to the ascendance of the Malacca Sultanate, trade still occured. Singapore provided other regional ports with local products demanded by international markets. For example, blackwoodwas exported from Singapore to Malacca, and was purchased by Chinese traders and shipped to China for making furniture. In the early 17th century, Singapore's main settlement and its port were destroyed. After this, there was no settlement or port at Singapore.Not until 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles established a new settlement and international port for britain.
1819–1963
By attracting traders to the new port, Raffles directed that land along the banks of the Singapore River.By the 1830s, Singapore had overtaken Batavia as the centre of the Chinese junk trade, and also become the centre of English country trade, in Southeast Asia. This was because Southeast Asian traders preferred the free port of Singapore. Singapore had also supplanted Tanjung Pinang as the export gateway for the gambier and pepper industry of the Riau–Lingga Archipelago by the 1830s, and South Johor by the 1840s. It became the centre of the Teochew trade in marine produce and rice.
As maritime trade increased in the 19th century, Singapore became a key port of call for sailing and steam vessels in their passage along Asian sea routes. From the 1840s, Singapore became an coaling station for steam shipping networks that were forming. Towards the late 19th century, Singapore became a staple port. Roads and railways were constructed to transport primary materials such as crude oil, rubber and tin from the Malay Peninsula to Singapore to be processed into staple products. It is then shipped to Britain and other international markets. Through out the colonial period, the port of Singapore had the mosgt important role.
Since 1963
Singapore cannot be part of the British Empire when it merged with Malaysia in 1963. The processing in Singapore of raw materials extracted in the Peninsula was drastically reduced.
Since Singapore's full independence in 1965, it had to compete with other ports in the region to attract shipping and trade at its port. It has done so by developing an export-oriented economy based on value-added manufacturing. It gets raw or partially-manufactured products from regional, global markets and exports value-added products back to these markets through market access agreements.
Keppel Harbor is now home to three container terminals. Other terminals were built in Jurong and Pasir Panjang as well as in Sembawang in the north.
In the 1990s the Port became more famous and overtook Yokohama, andsingapore became the busiest port for shipping tonnage.
ECOMONY OF SINGAPORE
The economy of Singapore is a developed country and highly developed state capitalist mixed economy. It has an open business environment, relatively corruption-free and transparent, stable prices, and one of the highest per capita gross domestic products in the world. Exportsin electronics and chemicals and services provide the main source of revenue for the economy, which allows it to purchase natural resources and raw goods that it does not have. Singapore relys on an extended concept of entrepot trade, by purchasing raw goods and refining them for re-export, s Singapore also has a strategic port making it more competitive than many of its neighbors to carry out entrepot activities. The singapore's port is the busiest in the world.
On 14 February 2007, the government said that the economic growth for the whole year of 2006 was 7.9%, higher than what they orginally expected 7.7%.Unemployment rate is around 2.2% as on 20th Feb 2009.
TRADE, INVESTMENT
Despite its small size, Singapore is currently the fifteenth-largest trading partner of the United States. Singapore's principal exports are petroleum products, food/beverages, chemicals, textile/garments, electronic components, telecommunication apparatus, and transport equipment. Singapore's main imports are aircraft, crude oil and petroleum products, electronic components, radio and television receivers/parts, motor vehicles, chemicals, food/beverages, iron/steel, and textile yarns/fabrics.
The government also has encouraged firms to invest outside Singapore, with the country's total direct investments abroad reaching $39 billion by the end of 1998.
For toxic products which contains harmful chemicals such as paints, automobile oil, polishes and cleaning products should be stored and disposed off properly and never to be disposed off in toilets or sinks.
Recycling should be practiced as far as possible and non- degradable products such as tampons, sanitary napkins, and diapers as they are factors most likely to cause damage to the sewage systems and end up at litters at beaches.
Using natural fertilizers and pesticides as far as possible and not overuse them or over-water gardens and lawns is recommended as this will help in reducing the pollutants that get into water systems due to runoffs.
Automobile oil should be re-used as far as possible. By keeping it well maintained can prevent the leakage of toxic fluids like antifreeze and oil.
Basic steps used to prevent water pollution is by turning off taps when you do not need running water such of which may include brushing teeth as not only does it helps to play a part in conserving water, it also reduces the amount of water needed to be treated.
There are many different types of pollutants that cause water pollution, that affects birds, fish and other marine animals.
Organic matter such as sewage, dead vegetation, and runoff from fields and erosion from shorelines.
This organic matter in rivers, streams and other bodies of water and allows the growth of algae and other aquatic plant life to increase, resulting the oxygen in the water to be used up faster. When the oxygen levels fall, fish and other aquatic organisms have greater difficulty breathing and many do not survive.
Heavy metals from industrial processes.
These are toxic to marine life such as fish and shellfish, which affect the rest of the food chain. Therefore the whole animal communities can be badly affected by this pollutant.
Industrial waste contains many toxic compounds
It damages the health of aquatic animals and their predator. Some of these toxins affect the reproduction of marine life and therefore disrupting the community structure of an aquatic environment.
Microbial pollutants from sewage
It results in infectious diseases infecting aquatic life and terrestrial life through drinking water. This leads to a rise of deaths within an environment.
Sulfate particles from acid rain
It changes the pH of water to become more acidic, damageing the marine life in the rivers and lakes it contaminates. It increases the number of mortalities within an environment.
Suspended particles
They reduce the amount of sunlight passing through the water, disrupting the growth ofplants and micro-organisms. This affects the rest of the aquatic community that relied on these organisms to survive.
Oil spills
The Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989 caused the death of 250,000 sea birds, 2800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles and numerous salmon eggs and plankton. It is approximately twenty years later and oil from this petroleum spill is still killing the area’s marine life.
Plastics and other man made materials
Fish, birds and other marine life can be entangled in these materials, becoming injured and eventually die. Otters, seals, large fish and birds may swallow large pieces of plastic material and tiny marine organisms may consume plastic that has been broken down into small pieces. This causes the digestive systems of these marine creatures to be damaged and death may happen.
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies.
Water pollution affects plants and organisms living in water bodies causes damage tothem, its food cycle and natural biological communities.
Water pollution happens when pollutants are thrown directly or indirectly into water bodies without enough treatment to destroy harmful compounds.
Point source pollution
It is contaminant that goes in a waterway through a pipe or ditch. Examples are discharges from a sewage treatment plant, a factory, or a city storm drain.
Non-point source pollution
It is the diffuse of contamination that does not originate from a single discrete source. It is pollution made of small amounts of contaminants gathered from a big area. Contaminated storm water washed off of parking lots, roads and highways is called urban runoff, which is sometimes included under non-point source pollution. This runoff is channeled into storm drain systems and released through pipes to local surface waters and becomes a point source pollution. But when this contaminated water is not channeledto drains but directly to the ground it becomes a non-point source.
Groundwater pollution
Groundwater pollutions are sometimes called groundwater contamination and is not as easily classified as surface water pollution. A spill of a chemical contaminant on soil which is located away from a water body may not create point source or non-point source pollution, but may contaminate the aquifer below.
Causes of water pollution
The specific contaminants are a wide spectrum of chemicals, pathogens, and physical or sensory changes such as elevated temperature and discoloration. While many of the chemicals and substances that are regulated may be naturally occurring, the concentration is the key in determining what is a natural component of water and a contaminant.
Oxygen-depleting substances may be natural materials, such as plant matter as well as man-made chemicals. Other natural and anthropogenic substances may cause turbidity blocking light, thus disrupting the plant growth and also clogging the gills of fish.
Many of the chemical substances are toxic. Pathogens can produce waterborne diseases in human or animal hosts. Eutrophication is an increase of the concentration of chemical nutrients in an ecosystem to an extent that it increased in the primary productivity. It depends on the degree of eutrophication, if subsequent negative environmental effects like anoxia and severe reduction in the water quality may occur, that affects the aquatic animals and plants.
ill present in fish
