Environmental Effects Of Heavy Metal Pollution

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Recommended: The problem of hazardous waste disposal

Modern civilization is wholly dependent on quite a large collection of metals considering all aspects of our day to day life. There exists a long history link amongst metals along with human development. It is evident that heavy metal pollution not only has an effect on the production as well as quality of crops, but correspondingly influences the nature of the atmosphere along with water bodies, which leads to threatening of the health and life of animals in addition to human beings. Nearly any material is certain to produce leachate if water is permitted to saturate through it. The nature of leachate is determined principally by the composition plus solubility of the waste components. For instance, if waste is changing in composition, as a result of weathering or else biodegradation, this will lead to leachate quality changing with time. This is mainly the case in most municipal waste landfills comprising municipal waste. The key routes of human exposure to soil metals are ingestion, inhalation along with skin contact. Since soil is the foremost sink for airborne metals, the corresponding measurement of their levels in this media is beneficial in establishing tendencies in abundance and their consequences as a result of natural and anthropogenic changes. Environmental pollution through heavy metals is a growing global concern (Environmental Resources Management, 2000; De Miguel et al., 2007; Mielke et al., 2010). The growth of the world's population, high standards of living, increasing urbanization, along with speedy developments in technology have all contributed to an increase in both the amount and the variety of solid wastes generated (Zurbrugg, 2002; Chen, 2010). These generated wastes require disposal from time to time.
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...ce and the levels of potentially toxic heavy metal elements in soil environments around solid waste disposal site in the city of Lichtenburg, North West Province, South Africa.
The following will be the objectivities of the study
1. To determine the presence and the levels of heavy metals i.e. Cd, Pb Hg Cu, Fe, Cr in the soil around selected solid waste disposal.
2. To compare the determined concentrations to the recommended concentrations with a view of assessing the environmental risks.
1.7 Location of the study area
The study will be carried in Lichtenburg, North West province, South Africa at the two major dumpsites that exist in this town. Of the two dumpsites one is dumpsite that has since been closed and is located at the outskirts of the town while the new active dumpsite is located along Ventorsdorp –Mafikeng highway in Northwest province, South Africa.

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