Beach Pollution and Its Effects on the Environment

Beach Pollution and Its Effect on Our Environment Irene Huizar Fresno Pacific University Visalia Campus Environment and Humanity ENV 151 Terry Ciani April 09, 2012 Beach Pollution and Its Effect on Our Environment Beach pollution is a growing problem in our society. Does it have an effect on our environment? If it does, how does it affect us? Are there solutions to prevent beach pollution? We will examine the issue of beach pollution, the effect it has on our environment and possible solutions to preventing it’s getting worse. An enormous amount of the human population and infrastructure is found along one of our most precious resources, better known as the coastline or State beaches. Beach pollution has become a wide spread†¦show more content†¦Other diseases caused by polluted beach water include, diarrhea, vomiting, respiratory infections, neurological problems with damage to the nervous system, endocrine damage lowering immune function. Less serious health effects may include ear aches, rashes, headaches, fever and pink eye. (water.epa.gov/type/oceb/beaches/pollution.cfm) Oil Spills And It’s Effect In the last decade oil spills have been a major source of beach and sea water pollution. The black tar-like oil has washed onto beaches causing nuisance to vacationers while also killing many sea birds and marine life. In 1992, the world’s oceans had more than 4 million tons of oil spills. In the same year, the UK reported 611 incidents of oil pollution in coastal waters alone. Over the last 20 years, spillages have been made worse or were caused by human error. Human error can be carelessness, but also includes the use of old and unsafe ships while employing inadequately trained crew members. Migrating species like razorbill and puffin are at risk, as they search for areas of what appears to be calm water to rest on or catch fish. The oil covered sea looks calm, but after landing in the slick oil, which coats its feathers, they become unable to fly away. Because of the fact that birds preen their feathers, therefore, ingesting the oily substance which is poisonous, even when slightly oiled, they sometimes die. (www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/sea-pollution/36) The cleanup of an oil