Pollution in Toronto
...to our heavy pollution problems in rivers, streams, and lake Ontario. Problems such as bacterial contamination is a major threat to our health;because of the serious concern today of the toxic chemicals that enter our water from homes, farms, and industries. However, there is little known about the effects of these toxic substances on human health, because the effects do not become noticeable for long periods of time. Therefor, it is hard to differentiate them from other factors that impact our day to day life such as stress. Even though it is hard to pinpoint the effects, it is very important to research them and monitor Toronto's water quality. Good quality of water is a precious resource because of the vital role it plays in life on earth. Air pollutants, pose serious health threats and even death to many people in Toronto. It is important for the people of Toronto to be aware that air pollution is not just an issue in the smog-filled summer, but it is also a great issue and health threat in the winter months as well. Most air pollution comes from human activity; the burning of fossil fuels-natural gas, coal and oil to power industrial processes, and motor vehicles. Among the harmful chemical compounds this burning puts into the atmosphere, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, and tiny solid particles which include lead from gasoline additives called particulate are present. When fuels are incompletely burned, various chemicals called volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) also enter the air. Other sources of air pollution are from decomposing garbage in landfills and solid waste disposal sites, which emits gas, and many household products that give off VOCs. Pollution sources tend to be concentrated in cities, and local and regional pollution takes place in the lower level of the atmosphere. The lower level is the troposphere which is the region where most weather occurs. In Toronto, the most noticeable way to tell that our city has an air pollution problem is the mass amounts of smog that swallow up our city in the humid summer months. Smog is an intense local pollution that is usually trapped by a thermal inversion. Burning of gasoline in cars is the main source of smog in Toronto. Smog is dangerous because it contains ozone which is a form of oxygen gas made up of molecules; ozone in the lower atmosphere is poison and it irritates lung tissue. When the ozone level is high, other pollutants, including carbon monoxide are present at high levels as well. For the very young, the very old and people who suffer from asthma or heart disease, the effects of smog are dangerous. Smog can cause headaches or dizziness and can also cause severe breathing difficulties. In extreme cases, smog can lead to mass illness or death, mainly because of carbon monoxide poisoning. In 1952 in London, about 4000 people died in one of the notorious smog events known as "London fogs", and in 1962, another 700 Londoners died. Besides the chemicals that cause smog, several other pollutants attack the ozone layer. The most recognized are chemicals known as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs), which were formally used in refrigerants (in air conditioners), and propellants in spray cans. Due to the high usage of these chemicals, scientists are finding that CFCs are ruining the protective ozone layer and it is slowly thinning. Although CFC use has been greatly reduced over the years, it will soon be prohibited world wide. However, the result of the thinning ozone layer, there is an increase in skin cancer, and more people are expected to have cataracts. It is recognized that the comprehensive air quality strategy needs to be built on, integrate and ordinate existing efforts to improve Toronto's air quality. There is also awareness that the completed strategy should include provisions to measure and asses progress in cleaning up our air. "Moving towards cleaner air" is a program that generally focuses on smog issues; but the final strategy will deal with all outdoor air issues, including greenhouse gases, ozone depletion, toxins, and acid rain. It also addresses relevant goals and city directions outlined in council's strategic plan for the city of Toronto. Very shortly, a new law will be passed that is designed to: Provide improved public account abilities for all sources of air pollution in the province, motivate companies to lower their emissions, level the environmental playing field for companies in all economic sectors, help the ministry set and enforce new emissions limits, and track the progress of the ministry's air quality initiatives. Hopefully, this law will improve Toronto's air quality, which will therefor improve the people of Toronto's health, and reduce the risk of serious illnesses. Besides water and air pollution, pesticides create serious health threats toTorontonians. This is because of the amount used on neighborhood lawns, and the amount of pesticides found on the food we consume. Chemicals used to kill unwanted pests, and plants on farms, or in suburban yards, may be collected by rainwater runoff and carried into streams, which greatly affects the drinking water in Toronto. Some of these chemicals are biodegradable and quickly decay into harmless or less harmful forms, whi...