This part of the activity will focus on sources of toxins in the environment. To

Question

This part of the activity will focus on sources of toxins in the environment. Toxic materials can come from industrial, agricultural, or domestic sources and can enter the soil, the water, or the air. As an example, there are at least 26 chemical factories and tank farms along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Many residents blame myriad health problems on air and water pollution from these facilities. They call this “cancer alley” because of the high incidence of cancer among residents and workers. These facilities produce the plastics and other chemical products that you use every day, including everything from plastic bags to toys to PVC pipes used in plumbing and vinyl used in siding houses. Open Google Earth, and in the search box enter Geismar. Click Search. Then zoom way in and follow the Old Jefferson Highway to the southwest. Examine the area for a mile or two in each direction, all the way to the water—that is the Mississippi River that flows into the Gulf of Mexico! Zoom in and explore the factory complex areas in Geismar and the surrounding areas. Look for the following features in the area: manufacturing plant with chemical storage areas; tractor trailer trucks making pickups/deliveries; oil storage tanks; gas storage tanks; parking area; Mississippi River; barges in the river; docks on the river for loading natural gas and oil; railroad lines; railroad oil tank cars; residential areas; school athletic fields; agricultural areas; oil and gas pipes from the river docks crossing above the roadway to the manufacturing plant. How could bioaccumulation and biomagnification of toxins from the Geismar area impact many living things in the food chains in the Gulf of Mexico?

Explanation / Answer

When the industrial efflulents, domestic wastes, agricultural waste water entered into the water body they can adversely affect the quality of water and the ecosystems. Chemicals like DDT, POP, oil and heavy metals can cause severe health problems in the organisms at the top of the food chains. These chemical substances once entire into the marine environment can accumulate over a period of time in the tissues of organisms known as bioaccumuation. These substances get concentrated with each step of food chain and their concentration can have serious and potential effect to the large and fat bodied animals known as biomagnification. While these bioaccumuators are stored in fats and are released into the bloodstream when an organisms uses these fats for energy it can damage the vital organs and systems.

Since humans are also at the top of food chain, they are most vulnerable to the bioaccumulation and biomagnification process. Some of the bioaccumulators are pesticides like DDT, cynaides, PCB ( polychlorinated biphenyls), PAH( polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), heavy metals like chromium, cadmium, cobalt, mercury, nickel and tin). Of these arsenic and mercury have the worst consequences .The heavy metals like mercury and arsenic gets accumulated in the tissues of organisms starting from the base of food chains eg aquatic plants to the fishes. During each step of food chains they concentration increase by about 10%. The higher food chain organisms like human when consume the sea food like fishes its gets accumulated in its tissue an cause serious disorders like cancer, birth defect, nervous disorders etc. In this way the bioaccumulation of toxins can impact the food chain of Gulf of Mexico.

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