TOP POLLUTION RECORDED IN WORLD

CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR DISASTER (NUCLEAR POLLUTION) : 

In April 26,1986, the melt down of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, in Russia, has leaked out the radioactive rays and radioactive materials. 

 Effects :

1. In this Pollution nearly 2000 persons have been killed by the accident.

2. People suffered due to the illness such as, degeneration of the cells, severe bleeding, anemia, skin cancer.

3. Animals, Plants are also affected by nuclear radiation. 

MINAMATA EPIDEMIC (1953) : MARINE POLLUTION ( CASE STUDY )

Minamata is a small coastal village in Japan. The Chisso Chemical Company, which produces vinyl polymer plastics used organomercurial compound. The industry released its effluent into Minamata sea. The effluent containing mercury ions is converted into methyl mercury, which is highly toxic. 

The marine organisms like phytoplankton and zoo-planktons easily absorb the toxic methyl mercury compound. These organisms are consumed by small fishes and these are in turn consumed  by large fishes. Finally the large fishes are consumed by human beings. Thus the poisonous chemical (methyl mercury) enter into the body of human beings through food chain. 

MARINE POLLUTION CASE STUDY : GULF WAR 

The Gulf war took place in Kuwait from January 16 to February 26, 1991 between Iraq and USA. During The war American fighters dropped nearly a lakh of bombs and forced the Iraqi army to withdraw from Kuwait. During the retreat of Iraqi, they have set fire on nearly 700 oil wells of Kuwait.

Since most of the oils wells are on shore of the sea, oil from the oil well spills out into the sea. The floating oil over sea water covered nearly 80 km long and 25 km wide area. 

The burning of oil wells continued nearly for 10 months. The burning of oil wells released huge amounts of pollutants like CO2 and SO2 into the atmosphere. 

Effects :

1. Nearly one million birds have been killed due to the oil slick. 

2. The oil slick in the sea made the desalination plants ineffective. 

TORREY CANYON INCIDENT - MARINE POLLUTION : 

Spilled oil, breaks down the natural insulating oils and waxes, which shield the birds from the water. Ultimately they loose their insulation, start shivering and freeze to death in winter. 

   

 About 30,000 birds died in Torrey canyon incident . Nearly 150 rare species of  bald eagles also became  victims when they ingested oil during Exxon valdez accident.