Ethical, legal and social issues

CHEMISTRY  SSS3  Second Term

WEEK 1

Ethical, legal, and social issues

Performance objectives

Students should be able to:

1. Explain what chemical waste is and its adverse effect on the environment.
2. State the roles of government in preventing chemical degradation

Content

Chemical Wastes – What are Chemical wastes

Chemical wastes are wastes that are produced from the chemical processes in chemical industries. Most chemical wastes are harmful to live organisms and constitute pollution to the environment. Harmful chemical waste can be in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state.

Harmful chemical wastes show characteristics such as ignitability, toxicity, corrosivity, reactivity. Chemical wastes could be a radioactive waste, sewage from the soap and detergent industries, batteries, non-returnable gas cylinders, polychlorinated carbon, slag from iron and steel industries, wastes from paints industries, etc.

When chemical wastes contaminate an environment, remediating such an environment is very costly and could be highly time-consuming. Different approaches such as physical containment and bioremediation are used to clean up wastes from a contaminated area.

Chemical wastes and their adverse effects on the environment

The term “Chemical Waste” includes harmful chemical by-products from manufacturing facilities and laboratories and smaller-scale chemicals disposed of from businesses and households. A lot of chemical waste can be classified as hazardous waste depending on the recommended disposal procedure.

Examples of Chemical Waste

.       Manufacturing or Laboratory By-Products

.       Reagent grade chemicals

.       Spent Solvents

.       Sulphur

.       Asbestos

.       Mercury

.       Pesticides

Solutions and Chemicals for Film Processing

.       Gas Cylinders

.       Chemically Contaminated Objects – Syringes, Needles, Razors

.       Chemical Powders

Electronic Equipment

.       Toner / Print Cartridges

.       Ethylene Glycol

.       Paint

.       Fluorescent Light Bulbs

.       Lighting Ballasts

Industrial Cleaning Materials

.       Glues and Adhesives

.       Resin Including Epoxy, Styrene

.       Dye

.       Degreasing Solvent

.       Fluids Including Transmission, Radiator, Brake and Steering Fluids

Household Items:

.       Batteries

.       Refrigerants

.       Cleaning Products

.       Aerosol Cans

How Chemical Waste Causes Industrial Water Pollution

Runoff

Industrial sites, construction sites, and factories produce toxic chemicals or use them in manufacturing. The chemicals are then exposed to rainwater which causes them to be washed into the soil or directly into rivers, streams, or lakes. This is one of the main factors leading to an increase in industrial water pollution.

Groundwater Contamination

This is water that is underneath the ground and cannot be seen unless you dig for it. Pollutants get washed into the soil and quickly contaminate the water underneath. This groundwater seeps into lakes, rivers, and other important water sources.

Illegal Dumping

Waste from homes or industry which has been illegally dumped causes a significant amount of pollution. Often this happens near a water source where people may believe the pollution and evidence will be washed away, which has harmful consequences for the water source.

Sewerage and Septic Systems

Human waste can cause dangerous bacteria to spread if it contaminates a water supply. Often these systems are not maintained regularly enough and accidents happen, causing leakage into water supplies.

Leaks and Spills

Human error and negligence can lead to chemical spills and leaks. Leaks and spills can quickly make their way to water streams if not contained and cleared.

Outdated Machinery and Tech

This usually comes down to cost. Modern systems cost a lot to implement so many industries use outdated technology which is less advanced and can cause more pollution than necessary.

Lack of Investment

Investment in pollution control equipment, measures, and management can be costly as outlined above. Due to this it is often not prioritized.

Industrial Growth

Large scale growth can lead to a disregard for pollution. A lack of chemical waste disposal sites and services is put aside to continue with a growing economy.

The Damage Caused by Chemical Waste & Pollution

The Ecosystem

When polluted water makes its way into important water resources it becomes unfit for consumption and purpose. In the developed world this is problematic and expensive to fix – even taking years. In the developing world, this can have a detrimental effect on communities as there may be difficulty getting clean drinking water.

Thermal Pollution

Aquatic and marine life is very sensitive to the condition and temperature of water bodies. Thermal pollution can happen when harmful chemicals are deposited at the bottom of a water body. Over time, this can cause serious health issues for people living nearby, animals, and marine life.

Increase in Nutrients

Also known as eutrophication, excess nutrients cause algae to bloom which reduces the oxygen levels in the water. This, in turn, causes large-scale algae loss. The ability of the water body to support aquatic life is reduced.

Murkiness

Murky water stops the sunlight from reaching bottom level plants and can block fish gills causing disease and death to aquamarine life. Murky water doesn’t just mean floating sediment, quite often it is a warning sign for a more serious problem.

Biomagnification

This can affect animals higher in the food chain i.e. humans. Increased levels of toxic substances can cause genetic defects, disease, headaches, nausea, and many more issues that can seriously impact human life.

Industrial Pollutants

Pollutants emanating from industries are called industrial pollutants. Smoke from industries pollutes the air. Chemical and other wastes from the industries such as leather industries pollute water bodies. Soil pollutants pollute the soil. Soil pollutants include chemicals wastes from chemical industries. Radioactive waste from nuclear plants is serious environmental pollution.

Industrial pollutants such as the oxides of nitrogen, exhaust from automobiles, halocarbon refrigerants, chlorofluorocarbons, (CFCs), etc. depletes the ozone layer and causes global warming. Global warming and ozone layer depletion have serious consequences, such as increased cancer risks and other issues of concern.

Roles of government in preventing chemical degradation

Environmental conservation is the maintenance of the habitat or preservation of the environment.

Environmental protection is a practice of protecting the environment, on an individual, organizational or governmental level, for the benefit of the natural environment and (or) humans. Due to the pressures of population and our technology the biophysical environment is being degraded, sometimes permanently. This has been recognized and governments began placing restraints on activities that caused environmental degradation

Global warming & climate change is in a whistleblowing topic in the present world. By decades passed by all the high powering technological movement has vastly blind human nature and the future resources remain in the world. While men stepping into the moon by one hand & on the other hand vastly destructing the natural environmental balance. Though all the regulation bodies trying to get into the one table to get on uniting the conservation & protection of the environment, some the main world hasn’t been able to pull their genuine effort towards the reality, as an example British petroleum oil leakage is a significant moment where invaluable marine species has been polluted & destroyed due to the oil leakage.

The Niger Delta is easily one of the most oil-polluted regions of the world. About 7,000 spills may have occurred between 1970 and 2000. Environmental groups conversely say more than 300spill cases occur yearly. Presently, illegal refining of oil by oil thieves accounts for 28 per cent of total oil pollution in the region.

 This impact will last for generations in respect of farming, livelihood, and the economy.

Pollution is the major cause of the destruction of soil, groundwater, surface water, air, and so on. There has been a constant struggle for survival in the affected regions and this struggle is now seen as a normal way of life.

1. Legislation:

The government should make laws to protect the environment. The laws should specifically be directed to control all substances that are potentially detrimental to the environment. It should cover industrial pollutants, waste, and should provide guidelines for how to handle all forms of substances that can harm the environment. The law should also prescribe punishment for anyone who defaults to adhere to the laws.

2. Setting up minimum standards:

The government should outline standards that should be adhered to, regarding matters that concern the environment. Industries involved in dealings with hazardous substances must have to adhere to the standards in all their operations. All chemicals that their spillage or their accidental disposal can harm the environment must be used in strict adherence to the laid minimum standards.

The government should make laws to protect the environment. The laws should specifically be directed to control all substances that are potentially detrimental to the environment. It should cover industrial pollutants, waste, and should provide guidelines for how to handle all forms of substances that can harm the environment. The law should also prescribe punishment for anyone who defaults to adhere to the laws.

3. Enforcement of standards and legislation:

After making the legislations and setting the minimum standards, the government through its agencies should ensure that all companies, industries, and organizations concerned should adhere to them. Any organization that defaults should be punished to the full extent of the law.

The major roles of governments in preventing chemical degradation may also include: 

1. Through the strict enforcement of the environmental impact assessment act and the Gas Re-injection Act,
2.  Very strict sanctions should be attached to the violation of any laid down rule and procedure
3. Continuous environmental education and training should be given to all Nigerians to enable them to know their rights which will ultimately lead to a change in government approach.

Evaluation Questions

1. 1. State the adverse effects of chemicals on the environment.
   2. List three examples of chemical wastes
   3. State the role of the government in preventing chemical degradation of the environment.
   4. Give some examples of chemical compounds associated with ozone layer depletion.