Preview

Newark Bay Environmental Study

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
292 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Newark Bay Environmental Study
Due to a high rate of shipping traffic and the numerous amount of chemical and petroleum terminals located along its shore, Newark is extremely vulnerable to spills and accidents. Between 1982 and 1991 the United States Coast Guard (USCG) National Response Center’s computerized database indicated more than 1453 accidental incidents. This resulted in the release of more than 18 million US gallons of hazardous materials and petroleum products. Much of the spill was petroleum materials consisting of No. 6 fuel oil and gasoline. The study has recognized that the accidental release of petroleum and hazardous chemicals represents an important source of chemical pollution in the Newark Bay. “In addition, many of the chemicals and petroleum products typically involved in accidental spills are long lived in the environment” and “these compounds tend to accumulate in the sediments, thereby posing a chronic threat to aquatic organisms long after the initial effects of the spill have abated” (Gunster, Gillis, Bonnevie, Abel, & Wenning, …show more content…
Due to the rapid rate of occurrences it is possible that these incidents are having a harmful on the Newark Bay ecosystem and because of its current limited impact on human health and the environment but could to prove to be critical in the near future. The continuous release of chemicals into the bay can impact areas such as; reproductive impairment, depressed growth rates, aquatic marine organisms, depressed growth rates, mortality, and increased susceptibility to infectious and non-infectious diseases (Gunster, Gillis, Bonnevie, Abel, & Wenning, 1992). Newark is most vulnerable to spills due to its small and enclosed environment. Studies have shown that with a large spill materials can be confined to the bay and spread due to tidal circulation patterns. The effect of a hazardous chemical spill in the
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Exxon Valdez: A Short Summary Analysis
    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Exxon Valdez: A Short Summary Analysis

    In contrast, he speaks again about oil spills with an intelligent remark. Oil spills were stated by him to be a completely different matter. Sample results show that the concentrations of dangerous toxins were below the level of regulatory concerns. Most of the harmful parts were already dispersed when the spill hit the shoreline.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Case Study: Superfunds
    • 1707 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Case Study: Superfunds

    4. What impact do you think the presence of multiple types of hazardous waste will have on the ability of investigators to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between specific chemicals and adverse (negative) biological changes in Tidal Bay? A number of measurements were used to quantify contaminant impact on the ecosystem. These include several bioassay species, benthic community composition, bioaccumulation, and fish histopathology.…

    • 1707 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Types Of Mixtures Lab
    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Types Of Mixtures Lab

    In the middle of the night of March 24, 1989, the giant oil tanker Exxon Valdez veered out of the shipping lanes in Alaska’s Prince William Sound and struck a reef. The side of the tanker was ripped open, and 11 million gallons of crude oil flowed out into Alaska’s clear blue waters. Because petroleum oil is insoluble (does not dissolve) in water and less dense, it quickly spread across the surface. The oil slick eventually covered 10,000 square miles, contaminating 1500 miles of shoreline, and causing substantial damage to wildlife, the fishing industry, and the marine environment.…

    • 845 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analysis Of The Chesapeke Bay
    • 199 Words
    • 1 Page

    Analysis Of The Chesapeke Bay

    Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. By 1980, the Chesapeake Bay was severly polluted with toxic industrial chemicals. The Chesapeke Bay is threatened with several environmental problems. A huge problem is the pollution its driving the animals away and killing them. It's getting to a point where if people don't try to help the bay will never be the same. The bay involves the hydrosphere because the water is getting contaminated and is effecting everyting in the water and near it. One solution that could possibly work is trying not to do things that causes pollution like driving or not properly…

    • 199 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Sci 256 Week 3team Paper
    • 1655 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sci 256 Week 3team Paper

    Toxins from horticulture have influenced the marine 's biological community in ways that may not be reversible, and may likewise be gradually hurting waterways, streams, and waterfront waters. Pesticides and compost are two noteworthy segments that have irritated the marine 's environment; both contain unsafe chemicals that can be perilous to living life forms in the water. Compost and pesticide keep running off from substantial ranches may have started blasts of marine green growth which may disturb the sea 's biological community by creating monstrous sprouts in marine waters (Schwartz, 2005). Winds cause nitrogen and different supplements from the ocean bottom to surface, which advance the development of green growth called phytoplankton. Phytoplankton is a primary wellspring of nourishment for some living creatures in the marine waters. Farming toxins may have activated phytoplankton to deliver unsafe blossoms in tides, which are radiating noxious poisons to marine life. These noxious poisons are hazardous in light of the fact that the oxygen levels are step by step decreasing in waters, which may have fatal results for marine life (Schwartz, 2005).…

    • 1655 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    San Francisco Estuary Scenarios
    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages

    San Francisco Estuary Scenarios

    The significant pollution effort to control the amount of pollution that enters the estuary has been noticed. There are still many issues that need attention. As humans continue to effect the pollution levels within the estuary, through trash and plastic trash end up in streams and creeks and rivers that are connected to the estuary. This continues to impact the water quality, organisms within and surrounding the estuary, the agriculture pollutions and urban runoff have always been an issue and still remains one of the biggest producers of pollution in the San Francisco estuary. Human waste, personal byproducts and pharmaceuticals are a new breed of pollution that has caused concerns. The waste water plants have upgraded to manage the waste that ends up in the water ways, the operation has not been able to contain all of the pollution that comes through the waste water plant leaving traces of pollutions still entering the estuary regions. There has been much progress over the years as resulting into government parks and preservation areas being established in this program. The endangered species that are flourishing from mussels and crab species that would have been extinct, are improving population in this system. New plant life is being planted and the education of how to preserve the areas has drawn many to volunteer to help maintain the estuary for future generations. This type of program makes a big difference in preserving habitats, species and water systems, along with building a better ecosystem that benefits all…

    • 1216 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Sci/275 Marine Habitat Research Paper
    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Sci/275 Marine Habitat Research Paper

    Marine habitats are in grave danger due to humans and Mother Nature. Hurricanes, typhoons, storm surges, and tsunamis are factors in which contributes to the destruction of marine habitats and are caused by Mother Nature. Human’s destruction to these habitats is much worse due to the fact that Mother Nature’s destruction is mostly temporary, while humans leave more of a lasting footprint on the habitats because of our persistence. (National Geographic, n.d.). Marine habitat destruction caused by humans are wetlands being filled for further development, runoff water which carries chemicals, pollutants, and wastes are pumped back into the water without…

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Chesapeake Bay Research Paper
    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Chesapeake Bay Research Paper

    There have been attempts for decades to clean up the Bay, but any expert would eagerly tell you that there is more to it than that. In order to keep the Chesapeake Bay healthy, you have to start with eliminating pollution in the entire watershed. If we are to rebuild the population of Maryland Blue Crabs, oysters and rockfish, we have to start small. The numbers that we have lost over the past thirty years are outstanding. Since the 1980s the oyster population alone has decreased by 70%. The sewage lines that dump into the watershed, the fertilizer and other agricultural run-off are the biggest issues causing the decline in the Bay’s health, and subsequently the tourism on the Eastern Shore that depends so heavily on the watershed (Woodward, December…

    • 1015 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Hum 111 Wk2 to Drill or Not to Drill
    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Hum 111 Wk2 to Drill or Not to Drill

    When waste is spilled into the ocean it spreads throughout the water harming marine life and their habitat. It can affect their hearing, changes in their behavior and can even cause physical injuring or death. Much of the marine life is threatened by extinction. The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has threatens our planet with environmental damage. Oil spills like this fill the air with toxins that raise concern for many health problems. When oil is recovered from the ocean floor chemicals and toxins come to the surface, which are the released into the air. This is a growing concern and should not be dismissed.…

    • 527 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Summary Of The Devolution Of The Seas
    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Summary Of The Devolution Of The Seas

    The pollutants in our oceans and seas are not only hazardous to marine life but also to the wildlife and humans that consume them. Pollutants are threatening ecosystems not only in our country, but also in others (Sielen).…

    • 554 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Do Oil Spills Affect Marine Life
    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Do Oil Spills Affect Marine Life

    Many people do not realize the impact of the oil spills that occur in the ocean. It is like putting water into a heated oil frying substance. It is quite catastrophic. With all the oil spills that have already occurred it is important to help clean ,and prevent oil spills from reoccuring. There is indeed a lot of reasons as to why we should clean and help prevent oil spills from happening but here are the three main reasons. First reason being oil spills cause immense harm to the marine habitats that intern affect the entire ecosystem disrupting its cycle. A second major reason being is all the things that the oil contains and where they go. The third reason we found that plays a major role involving…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Chesapeake Bay Watershed Research Paper
    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Chesapeake Bay Watershed Research Paper

    The Chesapeake Bay watershed is considered to be the largest estuary in the United States as it covers six states and the “entire District of Columbia including Virginia, Maryland, the, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and New York. An estuary is defined as bodies of water where fresh and salty seawater mix” (USDA). The Chesapeake Bay measures to be about 64,000 square miles in length and is considered home to five major rivers in the world. This includes the James, York, Potomac, Susquehanna, and the Rappahannock rivers. (Chesapeake Bay Foundation) According to the Chesapeake Bay Program, “many people tend to believe the history of the watershed began during the establishment of Jamestown in 1607” (Chesapeake Bay Program). However,…

    • 1272 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Chesapeake Bay Food Chain Analysis
    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Chesapeake Bay Food Chain Analysis

    Hypoxic zones can occur naturally, but scientists are concerned about the areas created or enhanced by human activity. There are many physical, chemical, and biological factors that combine to create dead zones, but nutrient pollution is the primary cause of those zones created by humans. Excess nutrients that run off land or are piped as wastewater into rivers and coasts can stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which then sinks and decomposes in the water. The decomposition process consumes oxygen and depletes the supply available to healthy marine life (What is a dead zone?). Since these dead zones are becoming more popular, the animal life is becoming less suitable for more areas. When a dead zone occurs the fish that swim into the arewa get stuck and eventually die from lack of oxygen. Overall, the Bay has lost 98 percent of its oysters, about 80 percent of grasses. Looking at the pictures of dead zones there is a clear view of how terrible this disease is to the ecosystem. The whole bottom of the bay is clear of any living organism. In the Chesapeake Bay and many other areas the dead zones are formed by nutrients from agriculture and urban development within the Bay’s watershed, or the area of land that drains into a body of water, are washed into the Bay in excess quantities. These excess nutrients…

    • 1044 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Blab blab blab, you can't tell me what to do
    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Blab blab blab, you can't tell me what to do

    The Chesapeake Bay is important to the environment and a part of our economy. Many fish migrate to the bay to feed and mate. Fishermen use the fish as bait and catch them to sell for food. Also the rivers that flow through the surrounding states are used to dump unwanted waste that quickly leads in the watershed. Over the last 50 years we have been trying to use more of the renewable resources like water by building dams in the rivers leading to the Chesapeake Bay. We have also been using solar energy by setting up solar panels, unlike oil, coal, and other fossil fuels that will not come back in this life time. Unfortunately the dams that are built in the rivers block migrating fish from coming to the Chesapeake Bay to mate or eat, and the dumping animal waste in the rivers are increasing the growth of algae clouding the surface of the water cutting off the sunlight this then kills the plants sitting at the bottom. When the plants on the bottom die the fish that relies on the plant for food, a solution to this are Wild life groups creating ‘Fish Ladders‘ to let the passing fish go by. Another problem is when people dump toxins in to the water, the toxins pollute and poison the water the fish, plants and animals drink or breath, a solution to this are banning the worst of the chemicals for being used and limiting industry’s runoff in the bay. Humans have to be careful to not over fish or over pollute in the Chesapeake Bay, the delicate balance of predator and prey can easily be tipped and if one species becomes extinct then the predators of that animal will die of starvation. The main relationship between these problems are in my opinion is ignorance to our environment and animals. We didn’t find out how bad the Chesapeake Bay was in till the decline in fish the fishermen were catching, or in other words we didn’t notice in till it affected us.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

    The Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill commenced on April 20, 2010 and continued for next 86 days. It was devastating to the extent that it killed eleven men and seventeen people severely wounded. The total estimate of the crude oil spilled is about 4.9 million barrels. It was controlled later on but the devastating effects that last for a longtime, is was the contribution of the deterioration of air and water through pollutions. When the oil evaporation happens it creates very small particles called carcinogens and aerosols. These particles do not turn off for a long time. The effects of this is hazardous to one’s health heart and lungs.…

    • 861 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics