What is the definition of toxic waste and could u plz give my some accidents that have caused pollution.?

Question

ie disasters at sea using oil

Answer 1

"Toxins" are things that are harmful to humans, animals, plants and therefore OUR environment. The most extreme examples are Dioxins ( a byproduct of the paper making process) which has been described as THE most toxic thing ever devised by humanity; Plutonium (a byproduct of the nuclear fuel cycle) which stays as chronically hard to dispose of for 250 000 years; and Chloroflourocarbons (the chemicals that punched a hole into the ozone layer) which we've now banned and ceased production.

As far as accidents go, a couple of the most revolting ones are:

1. the Union Carbide chemical plant in Bhopal, India which killed about 3 000 people straight away. The remaining population are still suffering the effects some 10 years later;

2. The horror of the Chernobyl Nuclear power station which suffered a meltdown, resulting in the immediate deaths of about 10 000 people, long term sickness and death of another estimated 100 000 people and the wasting of about 10 000 hectares of once-viable agricultural land and several towns. These places will NEVER be inhabited again;

3. The Exxon Valdez oil tanker which ran aground in Alaska a number of years ago, which resulted in the complete trashing of a couple of hundred kilometres of coastline and Artic fisheries. No humans died in that disaster, but there was still an incredible loss of life.

4. There's also the oil well fires that were deliberately caused during the first gulf war, the nasty mess which Shell have left the Nigerian people to deal with - i.e. massive amounts of farmland turned into a toxic nightmare because there are no controls over multinationals in the country....

There are many, many more...but that will do for a start! These are the most infamous examples that I can think of straight off the top of my head.

Love and Light,


Jarrah