ELA - Paper Examples

How does E-waste Affect Ocean Wildlife

Did you know that already ⅔ of aquatic life is considered to be an endangered species because of e-waste and other human causes? Electronic waste or E-waste for short is causing a big problem in our oceans. E-waste contains toxic chemicals that are harmful to the wildlife in the ocean.

Electronic waste is affecting ocean wildlife by polluting the water, releasing toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, and it affects the food chain.

The first way electronic waste affects Ocean Wildlife is by polluting the water. Electronic waste can release toxic chemicals into the ocean such as lead, mercury, chromium and other toxic substances. According to Belmont, Trading E-waste in landfills can affect marine wildlife as the toxic chemicals in e-waste that doesn’t naturally break down can seep into the environment and contaminate groundwater and if the waste is incinerated, the toxins get absorbed into the atmosphere, causing acid rain or atmospheric fallout. Those same chemicals when “they’re landfilled, incinerated, or dumped into waterways, that they prove most devastating”(Belmont Trading, 2017). This evidence shows that even dumping e-waste in landfills can have a consequence on ocean wildlife.

The second way e-waste affects ocean wildlife is by polluting the atmosphere. According to Green Ewaste Recycling, When e-waste is disposed of a landfill, it is typically incinerated, this process can release hydrocarbons into the atmosphere and pollute the air that humans and animals breathe. Furthermore, when these chemicals are released into the atmosphere, they “can contribute to the greenhouse gas effect, which many scientists think is a leading contributor to global warming”(Green Ewaste Recycling). This evidence is important because even ocean wildlife relies on the air we breathe.

The next way electronic waste affects ocean wildlife is by affecting the food chain. Anything that affects the food chain can be proven to be dangerous because it affects the whole ecosystem. According to Reset, research has found that mercury found in electronic waste is very dangerous because of the process of bioaccumulation, when an animal ingests another organism that has mercury in their body, the concentration of mercury increases and this keeps happening further up the food chain. These chemicals, especially mercury, can really affect the whole entire ecosystem, and “All kinds of animals and organisms may be exposed to mercury, such as an earthworm or a little fish in the river. Larger animals which ingest these organisms, or graze on the plants which grow from contaminated soil are then contaminated as well - and up the food chain it goes”(Zeller). This evidence shows that a chemical can easily contaminate an entire ecosystem.

In conclusion, electronic waste affects ocean wildlife by polluting the water, releasing toxins into the atmosphere and affecting the food chain. Actions that can be taken to combat this problem such as cutting down on electronic waste emissions by recycling and funding initiatives that work to combat this problem.

How are children around the world affected by e-waste? This started in 1988 when Italy illegally dumped 3,500 tons of e-waste on a small town called Koko. Electronic waste is affecting children all over the world because of the harmful effects caused by improper computer and electronic waste recycling, high blood pressure, and kidney damage, and brain and nervous system damage.

  One reason e-waste is bad, is by the harmful effects caused by improper computer & electronic waste recycling,’ “Electronic waste affects nearly every system in the human body because the materials that make up e-waste contain a plethora of toxic components, including mercury, lead, cadmium, polybrominated flame retardants, barium, and lithium”(Green Citizen). This is explaining how e-waste can cause health problems by affecting your different systems as in when the children inhale and touch the toxins that is how it gets in their system and can cause damage.

  Another reason e-waste is bad is high blood pressure and kidney damage, “Electronic scrap components contain harmful elements such as lead, cadmium, or beryllium. Recycling of such e-wastes may increase the risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage in adults” (Positive Negative Effects). This is explaining how e-waste can cause high blood pressure and kidney damage by inhaling the chemicals

  My final reason why e-waste is bad is brain and nervous system damage, "Exposure to lead is particularly severe for children and can result in damage to the brain and nervous system and may result in lifelong behavioral, developmental, and learning problems” (E-Waste & Children: How It Is Harming Future Generations).This evidence explains how e-waste is bad because it can create permanent damage to children’s brain and nervous system by inhaling the toxic fumes.

  Children all around the world are being affected by e-waste by improper computer and electronic, waste recycling, high blood pressure and kidney damage, and brain and nervous system damage. In each of my body paragraphs I explained each one in a different effect. So you can help solve this problem by throwing your e-waste away properly and not giving it to non-responsible sources.

E-waste Effect on Land Animals

  E-waste hurts not only humans but animals, too. Many animals have become extinct because of this and many others are endangered. How E-waste hurts animals you may ask, by making their water undrinkable, making their food scarce or toxic, and even making the air bad to breathe.

   E-waste makes animal’s water toxic. “When electronic waste is thrown away in landfills their toxic materials seep into groundwater, affecting both land and sea animals.” said The Mayer Alloys Corporation, The Electronic Take-Back Coalition also said, “Hazardous materials in e-waste, like lead and mercury, can leach out of landfills into groundwater”. Also according to The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization, there is no known safe level of lead and can lead to problems. The water becomes toxic to the animals and can end up killing the animals if they drink too much and even if they don’t die they will have problems. So the animals either die of dehydration or die from the toxic water, both painful ways to die or are left to live with long-term problems.

   As well as that e-waste makes their food scarce or even worse toxic. “First, e-waste can have a damaging effect on the soil of a region” (Green Ewaste Recycling), According to Green Ewaste Recycling, as e-waste breaks down, it releases toxic heavy metals. When these toxins leach into the soil, they can make it to the plants and trees that are growing from this soil. Thus, these toxins can enter the food supply, and lead to birth defects and a number of other health complications. Also plants tend to not grow as well when the soil is bad. So the plant-eaters have less food and their young are not able to keep up. This takes more time to hurt the ecosystem but it is harder to fix as well.

   Another way e-waste hurts animals is by making the air toxic to breathe. The air pollution effects some animals more then others, which can make some animals endangered and even extinct, that can lead to a ecosystem becoming chronically polluted and can’t go back to how it was. said Elytus “Contamination in the air occurs when e-waste is informally disposed by dismantling, shredding or melting the materials, releasing dust particles or toxins, such as dioxins, into the environment that cause air pollution and damage respiratory health” This can also give the animals respiratory problems and they can be fatal. Some animals are more affected by e-waste and it is like a house of cards. You take one of the cards, even one of the tops it can, and set off a chain reaction. Sometimes the effects are irreversible and it can never go back.

  Also, I have heard the counter of “it came from the earth why should it matter” and I see your point but, it did not come from where it was dumped. It is like putting invasive animals in a new place. “Invasive species are harmful to our natural resources (fish, wildlife, plants, and overall ecosystem health) because they disrupt natural communities and ecological processes,” said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but It came from the wild, why would it matter right? See that is why it is a problem even if it was from the earth, like invasive species in a new place it can be very bad for the area even if it was from the earth/wild.

   Many animals are affected by E-waste, it makes their water not good to drink, makes their food scarce or toxic, and even makes the air bad to breathe, and it is still a problem even if it was from the earth. Many animals have become extinct because of this and many others are endangered. Now, what can be done? We need to find cleaner ways to dispose of e-waste or learn to reuse it. We only have one Earth and we have to treasure it.