Grace Long & Jenee Vickers Types of Pollution Grace Long & Jenee Vickers

Pollution Collaboration For this project, we attempted to collaborate with students in Panama to discuss the differences and similarities in issues with pollution in Kansas and Panama. We were not able to communicate with the UNACHI students, so we decided to present on the different types of pollution. ç

Air Pollution “Any contamination of the atmosphere that disturbs the natural composition and chemistry of the air.” Examples: Vehicle or manufacturing exhaust Forest fires, volcanic eruptions, & dry soil erosion Construction  higher rain acidity, higher rates of asthma, crop depletion.  global warming?

Water Pollution “any contaminated water, whether from chemical, particulate, or bacterial matter that degrades the water’s quality and purity” Examples Increased sediment from soil erosion Improper waste disposal and littering Organic material decay in water supplies  decreased quantity of drinkable water, lower water supplies, damaged fish and wildlife

Light Pollution “over illumination of an area that is considering obtrusive” Examples: Large cities Billbaords and advertising Nightime sporting events and other nightime entertainment  obscured view of stars, interference with astronomical observation, degraded quality of life.

Radioactive Pollution Caused by the emission of proton, gamma rays, and electrons Examples: Nuclear power plant accidents or leakage Improper nuclear waste disposal Uranium mining operations  birth defects, cancers, sterilization, and other health problems

What does Kansas do about pollution? Has a cross-state air pollution rule that ensures Kansas families don’t suffer from air pollution from sources far away. The Kansas Department of Transportation has policies to protect Kansas residents from water pollution, and strictly enforces these regulations. The Kansas Department of Health funds the K- State pollution prevention institute, which provides training for small businesses and individuals in preventing pollution. Kansas also adheres to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencies policies in alleviating and preventing pollution.

Pollution in Panama? We wanted to communicate with our UNACHI partners to discuss the differences in types of pollution and pollution policies in Panama and Kansas. However, we were not able to communicate with these students. Here are some resources we found that describe pollution in Panama: http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/ Americas/Panama- ENVIRONMENT.html http://www.thepanamareport.com/infor mation/canal/panama-canal-pollution- threatens.html

Questions What are the types of pollution? What is the government agency that regulates pollution? What university in Kansas runs a pollution prevention program?

Sources http://greenliving.lovetknow.com/types_of_pollution Kansas Environmental Protection Agency