HEALTH & SAFETY: Improper Waste Disposal Damages Health

 

Disposal of refuse without proper supervision often amounts damage to the environment and ultimately to the human body system. A public health physician, prof akin osibogun, says improperly disposed refuse has both direct and indirect health effects. The direct health effects arise from excessive breeding of vermin and agents of disease such as rats, flies and mosquitoes. POOR REFUSE DISPOSAL: Heap of refuse dumped in front of Community Primary School Orogwe, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State. POOR REFUSE DISPOSAL: Heap of refuse dumped in front of Community Primary School Orogwe, Owerri West Local Government Area of Imo State. “rats are known to transmit diseases such as leptospirosis, lassa fever and some other haemorrhaging fevers, salmonellosis, and plague,” he said. Oshibogun noted that flies are implicated in transmission of diarrhoeal diseases such as shigellosis while mosquitoes are well known for transmission of malaria. “apart from infectious diseases, improper disposal of refuse will also result to leachate and contamination of ground water and this can result in poisoning of bore holes.” He explains that leachate is the liquid that forms as water trickles through contaminated areas. It is a very harmful mixture of chemicals that may result in hazardous substances entering surface water, groundwater or soil. The improper disposed refuse also cause injuries e.g from broken bottles, rusted metal objects etc resulting in cuts and slippery constituents resulting in falls. Refuse also generates methane gas which is highly inflammable and improperly disposed refuse is therefore a fire hazard. Surface water contamination: waste that ends up in water bodies negatively change the chemical composition of the water. Technically, this is water pollution. This will affect all ecosystems existing in the water. Hazardous chemicals that get into the soil (contaminants) can harm plants when they take up the contamination through their roots. If humans eat plants and animals that have been in contact with such polluted soils, there can be negative impact on their health. The bottom line is that bad waste management practices can result in land and air pollution and can cause respiratory problems and other adverse health effects as contaminants are absorbed from the lungs into other parts of the body.