Waterways In Vietnam Essay

882 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Cause and effects of water pollution

Introduction
Vietnam is experiencing a drastic change in its economy away from agriculture, forestry and fisheries towards industrialization. The resulting economic growth from this shift has brought significant benefits to the people of Vietnam. However, natural resources have been severely depleted and environmental quality has declined due to the rise in pollution levels from industrialization (ICEM, 2007). Figure 1 demonstrates that Vietnam is one of the highest ranked countries in the world in terms of pollution index. Figure 1: World Map of Pollution Index for 2016 (Numbeo, 2016)
Generally, industrial factories in Vietnam have a weak environmental track record. Many of these plants are without systems to control and treat wastewater …show more content…

There are many industrial manufacturing processes in use around the world that discharge large amounts of wastewater effluent into local waterways. These discharges are often a main source of pollution for the surrounding environment. Industries that use large amounts of water for manufacturing processes have the potential to pollute waterways through the discharge of their waste into streams and rivers, or by run-off and seepage of stored wastes into nearby water sources (ICEM, 2007). Pulp and paper manufacturing is an industry which uses extensive amounts of water in its processes. As a result, substantial quantities of harmful wastewater are produced. This wastewater is often dumped into local waterways without any appropriate treatment which has many negative environmental impacts. The pulp and paper manufacturing industry is one of three industries which heavily influence water pollution in Vietnam (ICEM, 2007). Figure 2 demonstrates that the pulp and paper-making industry is one of the top sectors for water pollution in …show more content…

Most chemicals from these plants are discharged directly into waterways as waste (ICEM, 2007). One way is seepage: chemicals soak through the earth into groundwater from waste disposal sites and agricultural land, for example. Another way is runoff: chemicals are washed into bodies of water from the land where they were used or spilled (ICEM, 2007). Effluents can cause fish and other aquatic wildlife to experience reduced fertility, generic deformities, immune system damage, and death (ICEM, 2007). These organic wastes that enter the water are extremely dangerous to human, plant and animal

Show More
Related

  • Globalisation and China’s Environmental Problems

    1755 Words  | 4 Pages

    One of China’s best successes has in turn been one of its biggest downfalls. One of the main problems is China’s greatest success which has been its phenomenal economic growth. This is one of the main drivers of the current environmental problems that the country faces. Factories dump pollutants into the air and water. It is difficult to see the Chinese government making the significant sacrifices required to improve their environment if it means slowing down their economic growth.

    Read More

  • Polyethylene: Manufacturing Cycle and Environmental Impact

    885 Words  | 2 Pages

    Stephenson, R., & Blackburn, J. J. (1998). The Industrial Wastewater Systems Handbook. New York: Lewis Publishers.

    Read More

  • Pollution in the Great Lakes

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    Dumping and contact with toxic chemicals have made much of the Great Lakes dangerous. One of the major sources of toxins and pollutants that are polluting the lakes is large farms. The artificial fertilizers and pesticides that are used run off into the water and then into the lakes. Sewage water from cities drains into the lakes when overflowing occurs, contributing to the pollution. Chlorine has to be used as a disinfectant in the drinking water that comes from the lakes.

    Read More

  • Obstacles To Pollution Prevention

    709 Words  | 2 Pages

    Culture can affect an organizations pollution prevention in a number of different ways. First, organizations can make a cultural assumption that knowledge cannot be built based on hands-on experience. Also, corporations use committees or "SWAT" teams and due to their limited knowledge of the production processes they typically conclude that there are no preventative opportunities. Politics can also prove to be an obstacle to pollution prevention. When the environmental manager develops a solution, it requires the engineers and operators to work together.

    Read More

  • Endocrine Disruptors

    1741 Words  | 4 Pages

    Evidence provided to support these claims of human and wildlife harm is largely from laboratory studies in which large doses are fed to test animals, usually rats or mice, and field studies of wildlife species that have been exposed to the chemicals mentioned above. In laboratory studies, high doses are required to give weak hormone activity. These doses are not likely to be encountered in the environment. However the process of bioaccumulation can result in top-level predators such as humans to have contaminants at levels many million times greater than the environmental background levels (Guilette 1994). In field studies, toxicity caused by endocrine disruption has been associated with the presence of certain pollutants. Findings from such studies include: reproductive disruption in starfish due to PCBs, bird eggshell thinning due to DDT, reproductive failure in mink, small penises in alligators due to DDT and dicofol (Guillette 1994, Colburn et al 1996). In addition, a variety of reproductive problems in many other species are claimed to be associated with environmental contamination although the specific causative agents have not been determined. One recent discovery that complicates the situation is that there are many naturally occurring "phytoestrogens", or chemicals of plant origin that exhibit weak estrogenic properties.

    Read More

  • Water Pollution: Impact on Aquatic Life and Human Health

    1318 Words  | 3 Pages

    Aquatic species are having these chemicals and debris forced upon them against their will. As stated in the article “Combined Sewer Overflows” the treatment plants cannot handle the income of water and the trash in it, so they push the water and the trash out into the ocean (“Combined Sewer Overflows”). Because humans are not able to handle the event aquatic species are being tangled up in or choking on all the garbage and trash from humans. Oil spills are another case were animals are the victims of human actions. "As little as one part of oil per million parts of water can be detrimental to the reproduction and growth of fish, crustaceans, and plankton” (“Threats to Aquatic Environments”). Even the slightest amount of oil will affect the life of any aquatic species. Oil spills also block sunlight, because oil is lighter that water the oil just sits on top of the water (“Threats to Aquatic Environments”). When the oil sits like this it blocks the sun from aquatic plants and kills them. Another problem caused is when aquatic plants are dying they are sinking down to the floor of the water, suffocating the other organisms that cannot move quickly or at all. Oil spills have been devastating to many species for years. Since the oil spill of 1989 a species was so devastated that today the species is still trying to recover from the spill (“Threats to Aquatic Environments”). Oil spills are a major reason that species

    Read More

  • Chinese Government and The Environmental Problems

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    China has approximately 20% of the world’s population, which is around 1.3 billion people (Morris, 2009, p. 111). Also, China has become one of the worlds biggest manufacturing countries within 30 years (Fawssett, 2009, p. 27). However, such rapid development has come at a cost, which has created various environmental problems. Coincidentally, China has 16 cities on a list of the 20 worst polluted cities in the world (Fawssett, 2009, p. 15). Therefore, this essay will explain the reasons for China’s environmental problems, then evaluate the claim that the Chinese government and people, are tackling these environmental problems. First, crop farming techniques over the last hundred years, and their consequences will be explained. Followed by, how peoples choice in food has changed over the last hundred years, and how this indirectly affects the environment. Then, how a capitalist economy is linked to agriculture, and finally what the Chinese government and people are doing to tackle these problems.

    Read More

  • The Impact Of Animal Agriculture On The Environment

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    The biggest threat to the environment is due to animal waste produce by factory farming. “According to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the EPA, animal feeding operations produce approximately 500 million tons of manure every year”( AN HSUS Report: The Impact of Industrialized Animal Agriculture on the Environment). Traditional farming operations that include the production of produce as well as livestock use the animal waste as fertilizer for crops, the high nitrogen levels help to boost plant growth. However industrial livestock companies must use other disposable methods due to the lack of land required for grassroots solution to animal waste. Instead corporations will haul to smaller nearby farming operations, the intense concentration of the manure in these agriculture areas cause high levels of harmful natural occurring chemicals found in animal waste end up in the water supply. Water runoff inevitably ends up in streams, ponds, lakes and drinking water. The high levels pollutants such as phosphorus and nitrogen removes oxygen from the water which is detrimental to aquatic life. Moreover the use of manure lagoons, which are essentially open pits used for storage of manure, pose a great risk to air quality due to the release of high levels of harmful gases (An HSUS Report: The Impact of Industrialized Animal Agriculture on the Environment). There is also great risk that manure lagoons could spill and leak into nearby water supplies which poses an immense threat to local wildlife and aquatic animals. The increasing amount of these pollutants in the air put workers and nearby residents at risk for developing severe chronic illnesses and contributes to the declining overall quality of breathable air. Factory farming is a major contributor to global climate change due to the emission of green house gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. As the

    Read More

  • A Report On The Citarum River Basin

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Citarum River Basin is home to around thirty-five million people. Most of these people still rely on the the river for food, water, and bathing. However, this river isn 't just home to people. Dozens of textile factories are located on the river, some of which release toxic chemicals that are used to manufacture clothes. According to the Green Peace’s some of the chemicals include chlorinated solvents, phthalates, brominated chlorinated flame retardants, azo dyes,heavy metals: cadmium, lead, mercury and chromium all of which have an adverse effect on the body. Some symptoms include adverse effects on central nervous system, liver and kidneys,cancer and even death. Most of the chemicals are banned in countries with more government regulations on Textile Factories, some of which include big name brands like Adidas and Gap,. But because of the Indonesian financial crisis in the late nineties the country has lacked funds, so there are fewer regulations and more laws being broken by textile factories. According to a Daily Mail interview with a Local fisherman who live on the Citarum river say that, “Textile factories illegally dump...

    Read More

  • Solving Perennial Traffic Congestion in Ho Chi Minh City

    1451 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tuoitre. "Vietnam Air Pollution among the Worst in the World." Tuoitrenews.vn. 05 Feb 2012. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • Exemplification Essay: Why The World Is Doomed

    1087 Words  | 3 Pages

    Every day when looking out a window, people see a beautiful earth. The earth is intriguing, but hinges on a delicate balance. Many natural resources keep the grass green and the sky blue. Man has made quite an impression on our world, and has transformed the earth's resources into tools to make life easy. However, mans' manipulation on earth has become detrimental to the health of our planet and the safety of mankind. Through the use and production of resources such as oil and energy, man is gradually poisoning the earth. Pollution has become such a dilemma in society; there is no real control or a feasible solution to society's recklessness. Without complete change, our system will collapse. The earth will eventually retaliate with disaster, or corporate control of our economy will cause hysteria and depression. Evaluation of the consequences and repercussion of worldwide pollution, may give people a better idea of what the future holds.

    Read More

  • Essay On Factory Farming

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... (The Issues: Factory Farming, n.d.). Nutrients and bacteria from that waste can also contaminate waterways, disturbing the aquatic ecosystems.

    Read More

  • Water Pollution In Bhutan Essay

    780 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main sources of water in Bhutan are natural spring water, natural rivers/streams and deep groundwater and water quality is reported as first class conditions expect at localized urban areas. Four major river sinks are Amochhu, Wangchhu, Punatsangchhu and Manas. The main activities that cause water pollutions in Bhutan are ongoing development and human actives such as urbanization, rapid growth of population, more hydro electric projects construction and other infrastructure development and industization activities which produce huge amount of waste leading contamination of water bodies in the country degrading quality of safe drinking water of the nation. Human waste and solid waste dumping in the rivers and urbanization waste water.

    Read More

  • Essay On Water Pollution In Bhutan

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main activities that cause water pollutions in Bhutan are ongoing development and human actives such as urbanization, rapid growth of population, more hydro electric projects construction and other infrastructure development and industization activities which produce huge amount of waste leading contamination of water bodies in the country degrading quality of safe drinking water of the nation. Human waste and solid waste dumping in the rivers and urbanization waste water.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Leather Industry In The Leather Industry

    2849 Words  | 6 Pages

    Drug manufacturing industries discharge significant quantities of organic compounds, solvents such as Methanol, Acetone, Toluene, Ethanol, Ethyl Acetate etc. and inorganic solids such as Sodium, chloride, sulphates, silica etc. Usually the concentration of COD in the waste water produced by the pharmaceutical industry is around 5000 – 15000 mg/L, the concentration of BOD5 is relatively low, and the ratio of BOD5/COD is lower than 30% which means the wastewater has a poor biodegradability. Such wastewater has a bad color and high (or low) pH value, and it needs a strong treatment method.

    Read More

More about Waterways In Vietnam Essay

Open Document