| NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Although atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons has been banned by most countries, eliminating a large source of radioactive fallout, nuclear radiation still remains an environmental problem. Power plants always release some amount of radioactive waste into the air and water, but the main danger is the possibility of nuclear accidents, in which massive amounts of radiation are released into the environment-as happened at Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986. In fact, since the break-up of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), the world has learned that contamination of that region from nuclear accidents and nuclear wastes is far more extensive than had been realized. A greater problem facing the nuclear industry is the storage of nuclear wastes, which remain toxic for 700 to 1 million years, depending on the type. Safe storage for geological periods of time is problematic; meanwhile nuclear wastes accumulate, threatening the environment. Learn more on the environment disease through these links:
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Most environmental diseases are spread by either drinking or eating contaminated food and water or by air. The diseases caused by food contamination are termed as foodborne, those of water water borne and those of air- airborne.They have similar prevention since they are all related to one source. Most of them can be prevented by observing personal hygiene and that of the sorrounding. Evironment related diseases are more common in developing societies, due to poor health, hygiene and sanitary facilities. They are also one of the causes of death in these societies, this is so because most of these societies don't posses good health facilities to handle the inffected persons and cotrol further infection. Education on the diasese is also limited though now the levels of awareness has risen compared to some 10 years back. The most common environment related diseases are Cholera caused by vibrio cholerae, typhoid caused by S.typhosa, and bacterial dysentry caused by Shingella dysenteriae. Diarrhoea and abdominal pain resulting from toxin production is a common sign of all of them, they differ in the time of incubation, the structure of the diarrhoea and the symptoms of the diasease. Where as all are signed by diarrhoea, the diarrhoea in cholera and typhoid are plain, only that of cholera is so watery and is sometimes termed as 'rice water', the structure of the diarrhoea in bacterial dysentry is diffrent in that it also conatins blood and mucus. The sings of bacterial dysentry take 2-3 days to show where as that of typhoid 2-3 weeks, that of cholera is varied. Both Cholera and bacterial dysentry can be treated with the antibiotic tetracyline. Diases discussed above are water and food borne, airborne dieases such as tuberculosis, whooping cough and diphteria are also common. Micro organism are not the only cause of these diasese, contamination of land by pesticides and herbicides, heavy metals and toxic substances are also involved. Some of the effects of herbicides and pesticides are shown by DDT and Dioxin (a hormone used to kill weeds.). Heavy metals such as mercury and arsenic are poisonus to humans, and Lead poisoning causes floppy trunk syndrome in elephants. Some environmental diasese have simple effects such as diarrhoea but others have more difficult effects which may not be easy to handle. Both dioxin and nuclear wates for example cause congenital abnormalities, dioxin also results to causes cancer, skin disorder and miscarriage.
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