Personal pollution is the type of pollution that we as humans create and produce ourselves, which effectively says that all types of pollution I expounded upon in this chain of blog posts are personal pollution since they all, whether directly or indirectly, affect us in some way. Its definition also broadens to include the contamination of one's body and lifestyle with detrimental actions. All these factors include but are not limited to: littering, excessive smoking, drinking or drug abuse, bad living conditions and poor personal habits. The picture above shows one of many dilapidated condominiums along Nelson St. in Port of Spain which appears to house the elderly and/or disabled. This implies that their caregivers may be greatly responsible for the state of the inhabitants' surroundings. While I walked along the street and observed the conditions around these areas, I could see that they weren't well maintained at all, and there was a lot of dumping on the sidewalks and even on some premises.
I observed a couple men on the scaffolding working on one of the buildings but it wasn't any substantial work or renovations to improve the overall quality of that one condo.
You'll be surprised how much executing our everyday chores can harm our water systems. Some of the common sources of personal pollution include fertilizers, pet waste, hazards around the home like gas and motor oil, urban runoff and other toxic chemicals. Simple tasks like washing your car, working with motors, fertilizing plants and the lawn, walking your dog and using pesticides all contribute negatively to our watershed.
Washing Cars: Many cleaning products contain phosphates and other chemicals that can make fish and other aquatic life sick. Using a hose to wash off suds creates a stream of wastewater that can travel down your driveway, into the street, and down a storm drain. We know how Trinis love to wash their vehicles with a hose constantly running, which WASA has always persistently advocated against. You can help protect streams when you wash your car if you:
• Use a bucket instead of a hose to save water and limit flow.
• Wash your car in sections and rinse it quickly using the high pressure flow on an adjustable hose nozzle.
• Use biodegradable soaps.
• Park your car over gravel or your lawn so wastewater doesn't flow into the street.
Side note: The difference between a storm drain and a sewer? Storm drains collect water from outside our homes and businesses and carry it, untreated, directly to streams and
rivers. Sewers collect water from inside homes and businesses and carry it to treatment plants, where it is cleaned before it reaches streams and rivers. So remember, only rain
should go into storm drains, not trash, oil, or other pollutants. Check out this video for tips on how to prevent storm water pollution.
Working with motors: Motors require products like oil, gasoline, brake fluid, degreasers, and antifreeze. All of these products contain chemicals that can harm fish and other aquatic life once they get into our streams and rivers. One gallon of used oil can ruin a million gallons of fresh water: a year’s supply for 50 people. Some chemicals are acutely toxic and can cause immediate harm or death to insects, fish, and animals within 96 hours or less (like the sweet-tasting antifreeze which cats and dogs fancy), while others are chronically toxic and cause harm over time. You can help prevent hazardous substances from getting into natural waterways if you:
• Use the product only when necessary and use only the amount needed.
• Clean up any spills immediately (Wear protective clothing and gloves).
• Never flush chemicals down the toilet or pour them onto the ground or into a drain.
• Dispose of used oil and other hazardous products in a safe manner.
Fertilizing plants and lawn: A common misconception is the erroneous belief that more you fertilize your lawn and ornamental garden the better. This is not true in many cases. Excess use of fertilizer can actually have an adverse effect on plants and lawn. It can cause disease, stunt root growth, encourage weed growth and overall, make your lawn brittle and subject to erosion (US EPA). The rains also picks up this glut of fertilizers and carries them to meet their friends oil and antifreeze in the rivers and lakes. We don't want that. You can have a nice-looking lawn and still keep streams and ponds healthy if you:
• Use native grasses that do not have high fertilizer requirements.
• Test your soil to find out exactly what nutrients your lawn needs.
• Apply fertilizer only when it is needed, during the right season, and in proper amounts.
• Do not leave fertilizer on driveways and sidewalks where it can be picked up and washed away by runoff from the next storm.
• Do not fertilize if a heavy storm is predicted.
Smoking: The
health effects of smoking cigarettes are horribly destructive and in many
cases, deadly. Approximately 7000 chemicals, have been identified in cigarettes
and cigarette smoke to date, 250 of which are poisonous and 70, carcinogenic (cancer-causing).
Smoking damages the heart and circulation, the brain and the lungs, causing heart disease and stroke, asthma, bronchitis and many other major ailments.
Positive action in your life can help eliminate this and other types of pollution which can lead to a more productive and satisfying life.
References:
About.com: Smoking Cessation. "What are the Health Effects of Smoking Cigarettes?".
Accessed May 20, 2014.
http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/tobaccostatistics/a/CigaretteSmoke.htm
Love to Know. "Types of Pollution". Accessed May 20, 2014.
http://greenliving.lovetoknow.com/Types_of_Pollution
United Stated Environmental Protection Agency. "Stop Pointless Personal Pollution! How
everyday chores can harm your streams and lakes". Accessed May 20, 2014.
http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/nps/kids/middleschool/upload/stoppointless_
article.pdf
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