Ecosystem toxic chemical threat Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ecosystem toxic chemical threat - Research Paper Example The environment is vulnerable to dioxins. Plants, animals and human beings are all vulnerable to dioxins. Unlike animals, human beings do not appear to be susceptible to fatal effects of dioxin. In Vietnam, dioxin-based pesticides were sprayed in the 1970’s. Consequently, chronic and acute health effects were observed in military personnel as and in the population of Vietnam. Therefore, this environmental threat is both chronic and acute depending on the genetic makeup of the organism. The severity of potential exposure to dioxins ranges from cancer to noncancer effects. Some of the noncancer effects are endocrine disruption, neurological effects, suppression of the immune system and effects on reproductive and sexual development. 95% of human exposure comes from food especially dairy products, fish and eggs. This is because of dioxins bioaccumulate in body fat of higher organisms. This chemical threat is systemic because it affects all living organisms in the environment. The se threaten the well-being of human beings, rodents, aquatic life and vegetation. The presence of dioxins in vegetation is indicated by wilting or color change in leaves. The methods of eliminating dioxins in the environment are not highly effective. This is due to the complex nature of the dioxin structure. This structure is hard to break down making it difficult to eliminate it from the environmentÃ'Ž The activities that I undertake determine what environmental, chemical threats I contribute to the environment. For an example, driving a gasoline car leads to carbon emission, which is a threat to the environment. Carbon emission also occurs when burning firewood, which is detrimental to the environment. Burning firewood especially in the presence of chlorine leads to emission of dioxins which are chemical threats to the environment. In order to mitigate the threat of dioxins to the environment, institutions such as Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should regulate dioxin emission by outlining rules that govern the disposal of waste