The situation of landfills in South Carolina

the waste management issue in South Carolina

South Carolina landfills are a widespread environmental and health problem throughout the state, with significant problems in waste management, control of development uses such as airfields or other amenities to reduce damages from pollutants that escape into surrounding stream flowways.

The state has about 40 operational landfills to accommodate waste from its residents and businesses, as well as a few surrounding states. From municipal solid waste landfills, to construction and demolition debris landfills.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) oversees landfills. In response to minimize the environmental threat and guard public health, the DHEC enforces rigid landfill-operational requirements.

These regulations cover the design, construction, operation, maintenance, and closure of landfills. They also include provisions for monitoring groundwater and methane gas emissions and for managing leachate, the liquid that drains or ‘leaches’ from a landfill.

But in spite of these state and federal laws and policies, landfills have been a point or contention for some reasons, including the fact that the state of South Carolina is accepting waste from outside the state, one of its major problems. South Carolina’s landfill space is in higher demand because it places among the top-five states that accept out-of-state waste in the United States. And the state of SC already has per capita landfill capacity that is above the national average.

The Lee County Landfill is the state’s oldest, largest landfill.

Slated to receive waste from as far away as up and down the East Coast, this includes tons of coal ash – one byproduct when electric utilities burn the black rock for power. Coal ash often contains heavy metals such as arsenic, lead and mercury that can get into groundwater causing health hazards. The landfill’s operators have maintained the facility is not a public health danger, but neighbours and environmentalists both alike fear pollution.

South Carolina is no better off in terms of landfill capacity. At the current rate, South Carolina’s landfill capacity is projected to be full in less than 20 years according to DHEC. This begs the question of where this waste should end up, and what unpredictable environmental consequences are instore.

South Carolina landfills also emit a significant amount of greenhouse gases. When organic waste breaks down in landfills, it releases methane — an extremely dangerous greenhouse gas. Although some landfills pull in this gas and turn it into power, many do not (also doing very little to combat climate change).

South Carolina is considering several waste-reduction and recycling proposals to curb the problem. SC has a statewide recycling goal of 40% by the year 2030, that can provide grants and technical assistance to local governments in order to help increase their rates. Interest is also rising in composting to keep organic waste from landfills and breeding methane.

Overall, the landfills located throughout South Carolina are doing an important job in addressing waste management needs, but at a significant environmental and health cost. If we want something better for the residents of Charleston and other cities in SC, we have to ensure that it will maintain the heavy hand of regulation and further support waste-minimization, recycling programs over landfilling-only alternatives for a cleaner healthier future.

How to evaluate the energy and climate policy of the State of California

It’s very interesting, we have the reputation of having one of the most ambitious energy standards for vehicles. Our governor speaks loudly about a word that opposes that of Trump, concerning the climate. But we want to see much more actions, in particular that our states stop hydraulic fracturing, which is in fact in full development. Just recently, the governor granted new permits for oil and gas extraction on new sites!

California’s environmental and climate policy is therefore not as green as it claims to be. What we are looking for, is to first prevent oil and gas extraction in California from harming communities. In Los Angeles as in San Francisco, the extraction sites for which new permits have been granted, are located very close to schools and homes where the communities live. There is potentially an impact on health… We are calling for a buffer zone between these extraction sites and these places of life, and then we demand a gradual cessation of these existing projects.

Furthermore, poor management of forests in addition to extreme heat, causing violent fires, has been singled out. The forests are poorly maintained, not controlled enough, the visible power lines touch the ground in places. Obviously this encourages the fires! It’s the perfect example of poor environmental management. And here, it’s not gas and oil extraction that is to blame!

The United States is far behind in terms of per capita pollution level

The United States still has an extremely high starting point in terms of per capita pollution levels. It’s roughly twice as much as the average European… Simplifying the figures, it’s 10 tons of CO2 per inhabitant, per year, in Europe and 20 tons in the United States, including California. So it’s easier to reduce when we are at such a high starting point.

That being said, it is true that the environmental policies of states like California are more ambitious than some of the environmental policies in Europe. In California, we no longer build a house without it being obligatory to install solar panels on the roofs, for example… There are objectives in terms of decarbonization of housing, the electricity sector, etc. which are quite ambitious, but quite ambitious in relation to a starting point which, it must be recognized, is initially very bad. Ideally, federal aid would be needed.

The crux of the matter is also financing. California may be the fifth largest economic power in the world in terms of GDP, but it depends on the Federal government to finance its climate and environmental programs. However, the coronavirus crisis and the exceptional scale of forest fires have put a serious damper on the ambitions of its governor. Once again this year, the west coast of the United States was hit by devastating fires, after a summer that broke records for heat and drought.

California has many climate-friendly agricultural programs, for example, in the agricultural sector, the authorities want to make production resilient, reduce their CO2 emissions, explains George Wong, managing director at Oakland Dumpster Rental Bros. But with the violent fires, with the coronavirus crisis, funds have been diverted from these projects. Governor Gavin Newsom, put forward a new plan for California, and we see that certain subsidies intended for the fight against climate change have been cut. Because there are new priorities and there is no longer any money coming from of the federal government.

Some states like Maine and Virginia are trying to generate their own financing system by imposing fines for the benefit of renewables. In Virginia, actors who fail to meet their goals must pay a fine. And this money is paid into professional retraining programs, for workers who are in the coal sector, or in the fossil fuel industry. Ideally, there should be aid from the federal state. Their budget was radically challenged by the pandemic.

0One of the major problems that arises today, and which could be an additional obstacle, independently of the constitutional obstacles, is their economic situation. Their budget was radically challenged by the pandemic. However, most of the time, local authorities are financed by the equivalent of VAT, a consumption tax. Consumption having fallen sharply during the first months of the epidemic, the budgets of States and local communities are very hard hit.

In fact, since the early 1990s, in the United States, more than 600 local governments have developed Climate Action Plans, which set targets for reducing greenhouse gases. And this in reaction to federal excesses in terms of energy and climate policies. Today, have these refractory states achieved their objectives?

According to a recent study conducted by The Brookings Institution, of the 100 largest cities in the United States, only 45 have established greenhouse gas reduction targets.

This concerns around 40 million people. So only 12% of the American population. Of these 45 cities, 13 of them have significantly reduced their CO2 emissions over the last ten years, such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington. The other 32 cities fail to achieve their goals. In conclusion, the authors of the study say that the results fall far short of the level of emissions reduction that the IPCC considers necessary to avoid the impacts of climate change.

It is surprising that local actors have not achieved their goals to which they aspired…But the most important thing is the signal they are giving to try to achieve them. They should be evaluated not on the level CO2 emissions, but on what they do and what they plan to do.

To achieve these goals, cooperation between the states and the federal level is required. But many local actors have not had this… Local governments are very important in the long term. Because in the long term, local governments control all land decisions, authorizations, etc. If we want to reorganize American cities in such a way as to favor pedestrians, or make the use of private cars less easy, that will take a long time and local governments are the key players in achieving these results.

For example, in the use of electric cars. A certain number of local governments will impose density rules, means of accessing charging stations… The federal level will evaluate the public utility, determine how companies will be helped to make vehicles available to them. electricity and at what price…. So it really requires cooperation between all levels of government…”

One thing is certain, to carry out its policy on a national scale, the Biden administration will have to deal with the states. Some are more ambitious than others in the fight against climate change, or more resistant to an energy transition because they are more dependent on fossil fuels, with economic issues being a priority.

How to contribute to the preservation of the environment in Tennessee

The environmental issue in Tennessee now occupies a central place in our collective concerns. Faced with the growing challenges linked to climate change, the degradation of biodiversity and pollution, it is becoming imperative for each of us to take concrete measures to contribute to the preservation of our planet.

In this article, we will explore the close connection between ecology and sanitation, highlighting actions everyone can take to play an active role in protecting the environment.

The relationship between ecology and sanitation

Sanitation, often associated with waste management and cleanliness, is an essential element of ecology. Inadequate sanitation systems can lead to water, soil and air pollution, jeopardizing the health of ecosystems and human communities. By adopting environmentally friendly practices, we can help minimize our ecological footprint.

Reducing water consumption

Responsible use of water is a crucial aspect of preserving the environment. Simple actions like repairing leaks, installing water-saving equipment and adopting conscious habits can help conserve water resources. Reducing water consumption not only preserves this valuable resource, but also helps limit the energy needed to treat water.

Responsible waste management

Waste management plays a central role in environmental protection. Selective sorting, recycling and waste reduction are practices that help minimize the negative impact on ecosystems. By adopting these behaviors, everyone can contribute to the preservation of natural resources, reduce pollution and encourage a circular economy.

Exploitation of renewable energies

The transition to renewable energy is an essential part of the fight against climate change. By promoting the use of clean energy sources, such as solar, wind and hydropower, we reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

Awareness and education

Awareness and education play a fundamental role in preserving the environment. By sharing information about ecological issues and actions to take, we can inspire positive change within our communities. Indeed, raising awareness can encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly practices on a large scale.

Local initiatives

Supporting local initiatives focused on ecology and sanitation can strengthen the positive impact of these concepts. This may include public space cleaning projects, tree planting programs, or support for local organizations committed to preserving biodiversity.

Improving consumption patterns

Adopting a more sustainable lifestyle involves rethinking the way we consume. Favoring sustainable products, encouraging bulk purchasing to reduce packaging, and encouraging ethical practices within companies contribute to creating a healthier environment.

Cleaning initiatives

Getting involved in environmental clean-up initiatives, whether on beaches, in parks or along rivers, allows you to directly contribute to the preservation of local ecosystems. These actions have a concrete impact by reducing the quantity of waste reaching natural environments.

To conclude, contributing to the preservation of the environment in Tennessee requires an individual and collective commitment to sustainable practices and reduction of garbage collection. By integrating eco-responsible actions into our daily lives, we are participating in building a future that is more respectful of the planet. Ecology and sanitation go hand in hand, forming an essential tandem to ensure a sustainable environmental balance. If you are planning sanitation work in Chattanooga, do not hesitate to visit this site to discover the services available.

Waste management in the USA

Waste management in the USA is a vast industry. The USA has a population of around 325 million and generates a lot of waste daily.

This waste is collected and disposed of in a landfill or a recycling centre. The best way to dispose of garbage is to reduce, reuse, and recycle. The best way to reduce waste is to recycle it. The best way to recycle is using a dumpster rental.

Importance of waste management in the USA

Every country needs to manage waste most efficiently. Waste management is the process of treating and disposing of waste. Waste management’s responsibility is to ensure that the waste is disposed of properly. The main types of garbage are liquid, solid, and hazardous.

Liquid waste may have a high volume, but it is lightweight. Solid waste is heavy in the book but light in weight. Hazardous waste is dangerous, and it has a high-risk factor. It is vital to handle solid waste effectively. This can be achieved by using a dumpster rental service.

The benefits of hiring a waste management service

In the past few years, waste management has been gaining more and more awareness among people. If you are unaware of the benefits of hiring a waste management service, then you should know that this service is quite helpful in keeping your surroundings clean.

Everyone needs a waste management service to keep their premises clean and tidy. Fortunately, there are many options out there that you can use to get the service you need without having to spend a lot of money. One of these options is a dumpster rental in Charleston if you live in South Carolina, but they are available all over the USA.

How to choose the right dumpster for your needs

The correct dumpster may make the difference between a job well done or a disaster. The smallest dumpster size will be acceptable if you have a minor task.

Three-yard dumpsters are the most common and work well for little houses and light cleanups. You’ll need a larger dumpster if you have a more critical job. Six-yard dumpsters are the most often utilized size and may be used in any circumstance.

With so many dumpster sizes available on the market, choosing the right dumpster size can often be a difficult decision. However, there are several key factors to remember when selecting the right size for your waste stream.

Tips to save on waste management in the USA

Automated Garbage Bins

When people are on their own, they don’t always take the time to sort their trash into recycling bins. An intelligent trash can that automatically sorts recyclables into different compartments by recognizing the objects inside. After sorting the trash, the machine packs it down and checks to see how full each bin is.

Bright trash cans make it impossible for people to make mistakes during the first step of sorting, making recycling operations faster and easier. This can cut waste management costs by up to 80%.

Dump Level Sensors

People and businesses all over the USA use regular garbage collection services to get rid of their trash. There have been weekly services for a long time, but they are always the most cost-effective choice.

Sensors that measure how much trash is in a bin or dumpster of any size can help cut down on unnecessary trips to and from the landfill. These devices measure how full the bins are and store that information so that collection companies can figure out how often the containers need to be emptied. This also keeps public trash cans from overflowing and causing damage to the area around them.

Why do you need a professional dumpster rental service for waste management in the USA

Dumpster rental services in the USA are fast, reliable, and safe for the environment. You can hire a dumpster for residential or commercial purposes.

Some of the reasons why you should hire professional dumpster rental services for waste management include:

1. They eliminate the need for you to invest in buying a dumpster and manage your waste.

2. They are flexible and will manage your waste according to your requirements.

3. They are reliable and will provide you with the best service.

4. They are fast and will manage your waste in the quickest time possible.

5. They are cost-effective since they do not load your price with hidden charges

Why does choosing the best dumpster rental service matter

You’ll need dumpsters to build a new house or expand it. A dumpster may make your task easier. Right dumpster helps coordinate garbage disposal. It makes garbage disposal easier. You’d know the best garbage can size and it is time-saving. Portable dumpsters are preferable. It’s portable. This makes the dumpster moving easier. It makes garbage disposal easy.

Why using a dumpster rental service is a great idea when it comes to Waste Management in the USA

Waste management is an issue that has always been important to the environment. When we handle waste carelessly, there is a high chance that it might cause environmental pollution. To avoid such things, we must take the garbage carefully and ensure that it is disposed of properly.

If you need to dispose of waste in the USA, you can use a dumpster rental service. A dumpster rental service can help you dispose of waste in the best way possible. Garbage dumpster rental is a valuable tool for waste management in the USA.

Rochester waste collection and disposal services

Almost the entire Rochester population has access to waste collection and disposal services according to the municipal estimates from 2018.

Faced with the difficulties of managing urban services, priority is thus given to the quantitative question (access for the greatest number), at the expense of the qualitative aspect (effectiveness of treatment). As a first step, the authorities of the urban agglomeration of Rochester therefore focused on providing an efficient household waste collection service.

It was only later, still following this model of effective public management, that the authorities addressed the need to eliminate solid waste. Once the issue of collection is better managed, once the very short-term health risk linked to the permanence of waste in the midst of the inhabitants is limited, it is possible to move on to the next step.

This was initiated in Rochester in 2010 with the promulgation of the Solid Waste Law. It sets out more precisely the responsibilities of the various actors at the level of each technical stage of waste management, as well as the processes that must be used.

The law thus specifies that solid household waste must be sent and disposed of in a controlled landfill.

The agglomeration of Rochester is managed at two levels in charge of the management of the metropolitan territory, thus empowering five controlled landfills to receive the city’s waste. One was authorized by the municipality of Irondequoit, three others by that of Rochester and a last by the municipality of Greece (located on the outskirts of the urban area).

Thus, in less than ten years, waste management has greatly improved in Rochester. Before the application of the 2010 law, waste was mainly collected, then directly dumped in illegal dumps by the municipalities , lack of infrastructure suitable for their reception.

In 2018, according to municipal estimates, 86% of the city’s waste ended up in the five authorized controlled landfills. While this figure can still be improved, the trend is very positive, thus placed in the average of the American cities as for the rate of controlled and correctly treated waste.

Waste treatment is then done by landfill

While many countries are seeking to reduce the use of this technique, landfill in Rochester helps limit the spread of waste, plastics, leachate infiltration or gas emissions. This is therefore a significant step forward. After removing the waste and limiting the short-term health risk, Rochester was able to control landfill and store it more appropriately. The long-term environmental risk is thus better controlled, even if major difficulties persist.

The importance of Rochester local public authorities

The public management system exists in most districts of the city of Rochester.The well-to-do districts were the first to benefit from it. They were then followed by the middle-class neighborhoods and by certain sectors of the working-class neighborhoods which had gradually consolidated. Illegally constructed neighborhoods have gradually gained access to basic urban infrastructure (water, electricity, roads, waste collection, etc.).

About 50% of the dwellings in Rochester are of informal origin. From their creation, which began in the 1940s until today, these neighborhoods are gradually consolidating.

If 86% of household and similar waste produced by the inhabitants of Rochester ends up today in controlled landfills, that is to say is managed according to the public management system, it is because most of the old districts popular are consolidated.

However, a significant number of residents still do not have access to a waste management service, including from Rochester roll-off dumpsters as a rental service. In addition, residents with access to the service are not always served in good conditions.

Problems of frequency, distance to accommodation, poor truck equipment, etc. persist. One of the characteristics of Rochester is that this city is very fragmented politico-administratively, in particular because there are a large number of districts covering the metropolitan territory.

The collection and disposal of household waste is the responsibility of these district municipalities. Only the processing stage (controlled landfill) is the competence of the two municipalities of the state of New York, acting on a larger scale.

Why Losing Weight Too Fast Is Bad

Many people realize that they need to lose weight a couple of weeks before an important event. They are looking for an effective diet for quick weight loss.

This is a very dangerous path, because rapid weight loss is harmful to health and can be very disruptive to the appearance.

As a result, you will not only get the desired slimness, but sagging skin as well, and in addition to this – headaches, nausea, dizziness and sallow complexion. So why is losing weight too fast bad? Let’s face it.

The process of weight loss in the body

The body converts excess carbohydrates and derived calories to fat molecules and sets them firmly in the fat cells. As a result, the fat cells grow in size and get packed tightly close to each other.

A sharp restriction of calories and carbohydrate from food is not enough to replenish energy reserves, so the body gets it out of fat cells.

But overstretched cells fill themselves with water which gives swelling. If you get rid of water, tissues lose elasticity and the skin sags, the metabolism breaks down and you get problems with health.

When you stop dieting, the cells hoard fat again, and if you have not switched on the principles of healthy eating, you will surely receive more pounds than you’ve lost before.

Metamorphosis of fats during weight loss

While you are losing weight fats disintegrate into component parts – glycerol and fatty acids. This is the result of signals from the brain when the blood plasma gets the reduced amount of these fatty acids. It happens when you are fasting and reducing fats consume.

Fatty acids are insoluble substances, and their transport in blood is only possible in connection with proteins. Therefore during protein starvation the weight loss happens due to the destruction of muscle tissue.

Due to the fact that proteins connected to fats form pretty large constructions, blood becomes thicker. That is why all diets require drinking a lot of water which makes your blood thinner but leads to complications as well.

Protein will distribute the fat to the muscles, if you do exercise in parallel with sticking to a diet, or to the liver, if you don’t. When the fat has reached the liver or muscles, it burns, forming carbon dioxide and water.

Problems with blood pressure and cardiovascular system

Fat burning increases the amount of liquid. This fluid is collected from tissues and enters the bloodstream, and, if you lose weight dramatically, the volume of the blood circulating in the blood vessels will also rise sharply.

This increases the pressure and is harmful for the vessels of the brain. Your head would ache and you may feel dizziness.

Some of the fluid goes back into the tissue to reduce blood pressure. This causes swelling. To avoid this it is not recommended to lose more than 2-3 pounds a week.

In addition, if your diet has too little potassium (it is possible, if you eat only apples and yogurt), your heart will suffer.

Problems with liver and digestion

If weight loss does not involve muscles all fats are burnt only by the liver, but its strength is not infinite. Some parts of fats get stored in it, creating a fatty liver, but also in the walls of blood vessels, giving cholesterol plaques.

If you are losing weight fast a risk of heart attack increases up to five times.

The loaded liver will no longer cope with its responsibilities. A couple of such rapid cases of weight loss and digestive disorders will be expressed. You can get even cholecystitis, inflammation of the biliary tract with disorders of biliary excretion.

Problems with appearance and beauty

Due to the shortage of fats the exchange of fat-soluble vitamins A and E gets stopped, and they are responsible for your beauty. Therefore, rapid weight loss will bring you brittle and dull hair and nails, the skin turns gray, becomes dry and flabby.

If you eat very little food, this means not only low calories but poor nutrients too.

The lack of fats is fraught with problems for the skin – vitamins that provide its nutrition can be dissolved and absorbed in the body only through the mediation of fats.

Problems with reproductive function of the body

Whether you reduce weight by means of sports or diet the body will sound the alarm if it happens too quickly. The fact is that the human body has to maintain homeostasis, a stable weight, metabolism, body temperature, etc.

If the weight decreases, the body will throw all the forces to keep this figure stable. The mode “bad times” gets turned on, and the first one to suffer is reproductive function of the body.

If you lose weight dramatically the body begins to reduce your menstrual cycle. Because of this, many girls get it off or eliminated. It entails a temporary (and sometimes permanent) infertility.

The “plateau” effect – a lack of weight loss and problems with metabolism

While losing weight your metabolism slows down: you need to save resources, so the body doesn’t allow them to “burn” easily.

Every calorie is being used or saved, and the activity of different processes in the body decreases. That is why after some time of a strict diet, there is a “plateau” – the point when the weight does not want to decline, although you go on reducing food.

And deficiency of carbohydrates will cause drowsiness, poor attention and constant feeling cold.

Your body remembers such kind of stress as losing weight fast for a long time. Physiological memory gets an image of sudden hunger that can occur at any time. Cells begin to store fat at the first opportunity.

The person turns from a strict diet to normal food and gains weight back extremely fast. So is it worth risking your health, appearance and well-being for the doubtful quick results?

The process of losing weight should be reasonable, slow, combining a balanced diet and physical exercise and, wherever it is possible, it should take place under the guidance of an experienced dietitian.

In this case losing weight will bring you lasting results you can be proud of!

The seventh continent of plastic

What are the future paths for the future for the seventh plastic continent?

Could we consider less plastic packaging from the food and cosmetic industries? One can especially imagine increasing the research of new polymers. The coming years should encourage the use for packaging of biodegradable polymers, often of natural origin such as starch, cellulose, polylactic acid.

What future for the seventh plastic continent? Sometimes sea turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, what a shame!

Biodegradable plastic

Biopolymers, chemically transformed, are frequently used to preserve specific properties useful for our human society. Unfortunately, they are only degradable in industrial composting units.

For the sea, there remains the hope of designing original materials, degrading quickly, without consequences for the environment, while retaining their properties of use.

The next Nobel Prize might be won by the scientist who will create a new form of plastic degradable in seawater. This is the key to solving the issue of waste at sea.

Each year a huge quantity of plastic materials ends up as wastage spoiling our the natural environment, including and most worryingly in our waterways and seas.

Just solving this crisis of our environment with effective junk removal solutions is not going to be sufficient and the issue must be tackled at the source. Let’s either reduce the quantity of plastics sent to the garbage bins, or make such products biodegradable at a much faster speed.

One possible approach for solving this environmental catastrophe in the making could be to use biodegradable harmless plastic items, which will take the place of the current petroleum derivative products uses in the manufacturing industry.

It is also possible to consider bacteria that would attack plastic materials, such as those which are capable of degrading up to road bitumen.

An original study on the degradation of three classes of plastics most found at sea, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), is in progress at the microbial oceanography laboratory of Banyuls-sur-Mer (PlasticMicro project) (oceanological observatory of Banyuls-sur-Mer and PlasticMicro).

Note that a Tara mission, “Tara Mediterranean”, was launched in 2014, with a scientific component on “plastic pollution” coordinated by the Oceanography laboratory of Villefranche-sur-Mer (CNRS / UPMC) (quantification and qualification of waste, a study of organic pollutants). A 1-meter wide manta net placed 20 cm above and below the water surface will collect the plastic behind Tara over 15-minute sessions.

Preserving oceans from marine litter

The problem of marine litter is very complex, and everyone has a role to play. Scientists are helping to improve knowledge and identify possible solutions. The commitment of the policies is necessary to more quickly reach the objectives in the management of plastic waste (collection, sorting, and treatment).

A citizen attitude of “good practices” by all the industrialists concerned (producers and users of plastic materials) and their general participation in collective prevention actions should allow a significant reduction in damage.

However, neglect remains the worst of evils. Education and public awareness are, therefore, essential to preserve our environment, especially our oceans.

Plastic Pollution on the Rise Worldwide

Plastic pollution has invaded the whole planet as we find more and more pieces of plastic in remote and yet protected places.

The plastic breaks up over time and wear to become small confetti a few millimeters wide, called microplastics. These microplastics break up into increasingly fine particles, until they only become nanoparticles which end up scattering in the earth, in rivers, rivers and oceans.

Microplastics are present in all environments

The main flow of wastewater is treated in treatment plants which remove more than 80% of the microplastics present. However, these plastics, which are not discharged into the natural environment, have not disappeared: they are concentrated in the treatment sludge which can be spread on agricultural soils.

Globally, research has estimated that 80% of plastic waste comes from land-based activities, discharged into the sea by rivers. The Laboratory for Water, Environment and Urban Systems carried out counts on the Seine estuary, estimating the global flow at 200 tonnes of plastic waste per year. They highlighted a specific behavior of the waste which makes many back and forth trips along the meanders of the Seine and runs aground on several occasions at the level of accumulation zones. The same method could be applied to other rivers which have different characteristics. 20,000 pieces of waste, from macro to microplastic, i.e. 4.4 kg, were collected in January 2019 on a single square meter on a bank of the Seine, 30 km from its mouth.

Contamination of the marine environment has led several laboratories to conduct research to characterize the impacts of such pollution. They show that the entire food chain is concerned, from microplankton to large predators, including molluscs. In the fragmented state, microplastics induce various disorders of breathing, nutrition and reproduction. They are also quickly colonized by processions of bacteria, viruses or fungi and are transported over long distances, thus becoming vectors of potentially pathogenic species. A major challenge for research is to study the impacts no longer on the scale of individuals, but on the scale of populations or even ecosystems.

Where does plastic waste in the oceans come from?

At sea, most of the waste comes from inland and is transported by winds, rains, as well as rivers to the ocean. During thunderstorms and heavy rains, the level of rivers rises and carries most of the waste present on the banks. Crossing agricultural, industrial or urban areas, rivers carry multiple elements (food packaging, cans, cigarette butts, etc.). The waste can also be abandoned on the beaches or at sea due to aquaculture, fishing and maritime transport activities.

You can also find the route of a plastic waste thrown into the ocean recounted by the Tara Expedition in the Mediterranean. Thus 80% of the plastics found at sea come from the mainland, the remaining 20% come from fishing activities. Carried by ocean currents, plastic waste is present today in abundance in the Arctic Ocean thousands of kilometers from places of human activity. 200,000 tonnes of waste are currently being collected in five areas of the open sea. The size of these areas is so impressive that they are sometimes called “the continents of plastics”. For example, between California and Hawaii, one of these “continents” covers 3.5 million km², or 6 times France.

There is also plastic waste on earth, in protected areas, far from any human activity. For example, in the south of Spain, the plastics used to cover fruits and vegetables in the fields break up and fly away tens of kilometers. They are found in the Cabo de Gata natural park next to Almeria and at sea.

Waste is often difficult to recover

Today all the oceans are polluted by plastics of any size which are widely scattered and difficult to recover. Indeed there are not only large pieces of plastic that can be recovered. Microplastics or nanoplastics are very difficult to recover. A dumpster rental will be of no help to recover such tiny particles, indeed no realistic waste management method currently exists to solve this microplastic isue.

We are far from suspecting that when we wash our clothes, small particles detach from the polymers that make up synthetic fabrics and are discharged into the wastewater. These tiny pieces of plastic are not degraded in treatment plants and end up in rivers, rivers and then oceans.

The problem does not only affect the oceans, the National Center for Scientific Research is currently examining the presence of plastics in continental waters. For 3 years scientists will study the microplastics present in the river Garonne. Certain agricultural techniques are also responsible for the diffusion of microplastics in the soil. Over time the tarpaulins that sometimes cover crops break up into small, non-biodegradable pieces and penetrate the soil.

This is a a real threat to biodiversity and to human beings. Many insects feed on organic matter in the soil and therefore ingest plastic at the same time. This plastic can also be found in the fruits and vegetables we eat! The Surfrider Association estimates that 1 million birds and 100,000 mammals die each year trapped in plastic debris or after ingesting microplastics, which accumulate in their digestive systems. The plastic swallowed by fish is stored in their flesh and contaminates the entire food chain to humans.

Use Your Brain or Lose it

When it comes to the brain, it’s use it or lose it. And no one knows this better than Ruth Curran.

It’s the luck of the draw, really. One minute you’re driving down a street heading for work and the next, you’re in intensive care unit with a traumatic brain injury. One day your father seems perfectly normal and the next, he introduces you as his son. You’re his daughter.

Brain health is something I never considered until my father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, an affliction that is top of mind for the Boomer cohort. That introduction anecdote? It happened to me. And like many Boomers, I’m concerned about my own brain health. The brain is our body’s command center and when it’s impaired, it affects everything we do, even breathing.

There’s no effective treatment or cure for Alzheimer’s yet, but—as we have learned from science and the many physical therapists who work with brain-injured patients, we may be able to stave off some of the worst of it by strategically using our brains. Because when it comes to the brain, it’s use it or lose it. And no one knows this better than Ruth Curran.

A decade ago, Curran, who has a master’s degree in psychology, suffered a traumatic brain injury during an automobile accident. What she learned about the brain and its power to recover can be put to use by anyone with any kind of brain deficit or cognitive impairment, and now can be. Her book Being Brain Healthy (rollingmulliganpublishing.com) is out and it’s full of practical advice and simple brain-activating exercises that anyone can do to keep sharp.

Tune into all your senses every day, she advises. Our brains are both fueled and hindered by what we do every day. Being brain healthy means doing more of the things that add color and richness to life—amplifying them, so that we tune into the entire sensory experience. Here’s an example adapted from her book: Pick up a random item on your desk, perhaps a letter opener. Take the last letter of the name, “r,” and think of five things that begin with that letter: rice, raisins, rocks, robin, rack.

What category does it belong to? Office supplies. What other office supplies can you name? How else can a pen be used? These simple exercises that engage our brains can be done any time by anyone. They activate and strengthen the areas of the brain that process information. An active brain is a healthier brain, she points out. Just as we work out our physical body, we work on brain fitness. Her blog has dozens of fun games and exercises that double as brain activators, working to strengthen memory, attention and executive functioning.

Maybe you’ve noticed a disturbing personality change in a parent with Alzheimer’s or a friend who’s had a traumatic brain injury. It’s common. How does Curran advise we help? Drop all assumptions and preconceived notions about how that person ‘should’ be or was. Slow down, listen and watch closely and adapt to where they are at, because it is easier for you to adapt than for them to.

She points out that the ability to process information changes as the brain changes, so you may get unexpected responses to your questions. Think about how frustrating it is for you to communicate with them, then try to imagine how frustrating it is for them to be unable to formulate the right words or thoughts. She speaks from experience: that was her situation before she worked her way back using the techniques she writes about in her book. Most of all, find a way to enjoy the time you have with your loved one. She’s right. Love is a pretty good treatment for just about anything.

Impact of Heavy Metals on Health

Heavy metals are considered hazardous materials, and as such people cannot just rent a dumpster and discard them to the nearest landfill. Anyone dealing with these products must follow the local regulation ruling how to handle them and dispose of them. Contact your local municipality for disposing of hazardous materials as the regulations for waste disposal vary from one place to the next.

In addition it is important to specify that the chemical form of heavy metals strongly influences their toxicity (ions, more complex molecules, …). The dose is also an essential parameter in the characterization of acute toxicity.

Acute toxicity

Arsenic (As)

The main acute effects, observed following ingestion of inorganic arsenic, are typically gastrointestinal, associating nausea, vomiting, gastrointestinal haemorrhage, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Effects on the nervous system and skin may also appear in the days or weeks following exposure.

Cadmium (Cd)

In humans, the digestive system is the first affected after cadmium poisoning. The symptoms observed are gastroenteritis, vomiting, diarrhea and myalgia (skeletal muscle pain). The emetic effect (which causes vomiting) of cadmium explains the low mortality by this route.

Inhalation, severe acute intoxication leads to chemical pneumonia, which causes a death in 15-20% of cases. The effects observed during this period are severe pulmonary irritation, accompanied by dyspnea (difficulty breathing), cyanosis (bluish or purple skin and mucous membranes) and coughing.

Chromium (Cr)

Ingesting chromium salts causes massive inflammation of the digestive tract followed by necrosis extending from the mouth to the jejunum (abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, hematemesis). Ingestion of high doses of chromium (VI) induces vertigo, thirst, abdominal pain, haemorrhagic diarrhea, and in the most severe cases coma and death.

Nickel (Ni)

The nickel compound with the highest toxicity is tetracarbonylnickel. Acute toxicity of this compound occurs in two phases: immediate and delayed. Immediate symptomatology is headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, insomnia, and irritability. It is followed by an asymptomatic phase before the start of the delayed phase.

It is primarily pulmonary with constrictive chest pain, dry cough, dyspnea, cyanosis, tachycardia, occasional gastrointestinal symptoms, sweating, visual disturbances, and debility. Contact dermatitis, which results from dermal exposure to nickel, is the most common effect of nickel in the general population. Other symptoms are also possible.

Lead (Pb)

Most of the data reported in the literature report absorption of lead or its derivatives orally. Digestive disorders are the earliest symptoms: strong colic associated with pain, abdominal cramps and vomiting. There may also be kidney damage (tubular damage), damage to the central nervous system (encephalopathy convulsive, coma) and liver damage (reduced metabolism of some drugs). These various attacks can in some cases be fatal depending on the severity of the lesions.

Zinc (Zn)

Cases of mortalities have been reported in humans after inhaling vapors of zinc compounds (zinc chloride). Some of them died of respiratory distress, autopsy showed interstitial and intra-alveolar pulmonary fibrosis, and occlusion of the pulmonary arteries. In the workplace, some very specific operations (cutting, galvanized steel welding, for example) can lead to the formation of fumes containing ultrafine particles of zinc oxide.

Exposure to these fumes may result in “melter fever” characterized by the following symptoms: dry, sore throat, cough, dyspnea, fever, muscle aches, headache, and metallic taste in the mouth. Cardiac and gastrointestinal effects may also be associated with exposure to these fumes.