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Microplastics - Your Environment, Your Health

natural green

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Title: Microplastics - Your Environment, Your Health
Author: natural green
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Add caption 1) What is defined as microplastics? They are not another kind of plastics. Microplastics are the small pieces of plasti...

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOoGmg03Pa4/XroJwMVOpCI/AAAAAAAABTA/fJLr6Mh_OL80KXpNLjm5E_P2Fza0YA0hACK4BGAsYHg/microplastic.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="microplastics, helath, environment, nature" border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="930" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZOoGmg03Pa4/XroJwMVOpCI/AAAAAAAABTA/fJLr6Mh_OL80KXpNLjm5E_P2Fza0YA0hACK4BGAsYHg/w640-h424/microplastic.PNG" title="microplastics contaminate the environment" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add caption </td></tr></tbody></table> 1)   
What is defined as microplastics?<o:p></o:p>

They are not
another kind of plastics. Microplastics are the small pieces of
plastics that are less than 5mm in length. <o:p></o:p>

They are made of
synthetic polymers chains with carbon and hydrogen atoms. Besides, Toxic
substances like dioxin, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and
Polychlorinated biphenyl is present as the ingredients in Microplastics or
absorbed by the microplastics in the environment.<o:p></o:p>

Microplastics are
non-biodegrade and stay in the environment for a long time.
Microplastics are recently found everywhere in global marine ecosystems. As
they can bioaccumulate through the marine food web and finally cause health problems
in the human, researchers became more interested in the health and
environmental effects of microplastics.<o:p></o:p>

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHGe0nxG5ls/XroKQYjp_8I/AAAAAAAABTU/QPKrVxYrrZsFWY2k1lsrbLseKIfwXJnHQCK4BGAsYHg/microplastic_2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Microplastics , your environment, your health, nature" border="0" data-original-height="607" data-original-width="930" height="418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KHGe0nxG5ls/XroKQYjp_8I/AAAAAAAABTU/QPKrVxYrrZsFWY2k1lsrbLseKIfwXJnHQCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h418/microplastic_2.PNG" title="Microplastics , your environment, your health" width="640" /></a></div> 2)   
What are the types of microplastics?<o:p></o:p>

Primary microplastics:
They are intently produced as ingredients for many industrial applications.
Microplastics are added as microbeads in skincare products in
the cosmetics industry to remove dead cells and open the pores in the skin. In
lipsticks, microbeads are added as an emulsifying agent. Microbeads are also
found in some personal care toothpaste, face washes, shaving creams,
sunscreens, and face scrubs. Another type of microplastics is synthetics
fibers that are used in manufacturing tires and synthetic clothes.<o:p></o:p>

Secondary microplastics:
Unlike other materials, plastics are not fully degraded into carbon, hydrogen,
and oxygen back. Instead, they are partially broken down into smaller pieces
called microplastics. <o:p></o:p>

3)   
How do the microplastics contaminate
the environment?<o:p></o:p>

Microbeads in cosmetics
and personal care products release into the environment from rising off the
body. Microfibers leach out of the synthetic clothes during the washing
process. As microplastics are too small, they can be removed by the filtration
techniques available in the sewage water treatment plants. So, eventually,
microplastics make their way into aquatic bodies like rivers, lakes, and ocean
and soil in the environment. <o:p></o:p>

And also, synthetic
fibers are detached onto roads from tiers; they end up in aquatic bodies
through runoff. Microplastics can be leaked from the products during production,
distribution, and selling. <o:p></o:p>

The secondary
microplastics are produced in the environment when plastic-based products are
washed away into aquatic ecosystems or household waste, and waste from the
fishing industry are thrown away into the ocean. These plastics are carried out
by ocean currents and form large garbage patches in the sea. In the
environment, these plastics are subjected to weathering by natural factors like
high temperature, oxidation, wave action, UV radiation, and physical forces. These
factors accelerate the degradation of plastics. It results in a large number of
microplastics in the environment. <o:p></o:p>

4)   
Environmental effects<o:p></o:p>

Effects on aquatic
organisms: Microplastics mimics the zooplankton and
phytoplankton in the marine ecosystems. So, microplastics are mistakenly eaten
by aquatic birds, fishes, crustaceans, and other aquatic organisms. The
consumption of non-digestible, nonnutritious microplastics leads to starvation
and the development of malnutrition conditions in the marine organisms. The
digestion of microplastics ingested marine organisms is interrupted by blocking
the digestive tract. <o:p></o:p>

Bioaccumulation through
marine food webs: toxic chemicals in the microplastics are
transferred through the niches in the food webs. Ultimately, it increases the the concentration of such toxic compounds in the marine animals at the top
level. <o:p></o:p>

Provide a surface for
spreading invasive species: Small size marine organisms use
microplastics as an ideal surface for spreading into long distances through the
ocean currents.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

5)   
Effects on human health<o:p></o:p>

Human are at greater risk
for ill-health conditions as people daily intake contaminated foods and water
by microplastics <o:p></o:p>

Endocrine disruptors:
Bisphenols leaching from microplastics can act as endocrine disruptors and
leads to infertility in both women and men. <o:p></o:p>

Carcinogens:
Chemicals compounds such as polychlorinated biphenyls in microplastics serve as
carcinogens to humans.<o:p></o:p>

6)   
What are the solutions for
microplastic pollution?<o:p></o:p>

Proper disposal of
plastic waste: Plastic waste should be segregated from
other waste at the household level. Then plastics with high quality should be
sent for recycling facility and plastics contaminated by other materials like
cosmetics should be disposed of in a sanitary landfill. The use of plastics in
outdoor functions should be limited, or plastics should be collected at the end
of the function. Thereby, the degradation or fragmentation of plastics in the
environment can be stopped. <o:p></o:p>

The recollection of
storage containers of products: Manufactures provides facilities to recollect
the plastic storage containers. So, containers can be sent for recycling and
produce new containers for production.<o:p></o:p>

Costumers’
responsibility: Customers have to make a wise decision when they buy goods for
themselves. They must prevent purchasing products with microplastics as raw
materials. <o:p></o:p>

Microplastics - Your Environment, Your Health

Add caption 1) What is defined as microplastics? They are not another kind of plastics. Microplastics are the small pieces of plasti...

Why are bats important to the environment?

natural green

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Title: Why are bats important to the environment?
Author: natural green
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

1) Who are the Bats? More than 1000 species of bat are found all around the world. Bats are the second mostly occurred mammal group. B...

More than 1000 species of
bat are found all around the world. Bats are the second mostly occurred mammal
group. Bat are varying from species with body size lighter than a penny to ones
with wingspan with 6 feet.<o:p></o:p>

Bats belong to order
Chiroptera under the class mammals. Bats are the only flying mammal found in
the world. Their forelimbs are modified as wings, and they have a
light-weighted skeleton for the flying mode of life.<o:p></o:p>

Diet: Bats
show vast diversity in relation to food habits. Most of them are adapted for
insect-eating. Most of the remaining bats are fruit-eating or nectar feeders.
Some bat species prey upon other animals like frogs other than insects. Very
few species feed on other animals’ blood. <o:p></o:p>

Habitats: They
are found in each, and every habitat in the terrestrial environment expect the
arctic region. But, the greatest species diversity of bats is recorded in
tropical regions. Many species of bats inhabit natural ecosystems like rainforests,
desserts, and mountain forests. However, a significant number of bat species
are adapted to live in urban and suburban areas, parks, crop fields, and
pasture farms.<o:p></o:p>

Roosting place:
Only a few fruits eating bat species are found as diurnal (active during
daytime). Almost other bat species are nocturnal. They only go out for their
food and water at night. They spend their daytime sleeping. So, bats require a
safe place for resting to prevent predation attacks during the day. Such a
place is called as roosting place. Trees with dense canopy and caves provide an
ideal roosting place for bats. <o:p></o:p>

Adaptation for night
flying mode of life: Bats are evolved to use echolocation to
find food sources and fly at night without crashing into objects like trees and
buildings. Bats create sound waves that coming back to them after a bounce off
from objects. These sound waves help bats to understand the size and distance
of the objects away from them. Each bat individual can create unique sounds and
recognized their sound after the reflection. As bat nocturnal bat use sound for
location, they have large ears for effective echolocation.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EcVZqC8Zpu8/XroHwyHCOxI/AAAAAAAABSU/UUq9YcJUEUQ5YDqIA9UnCsII9cCT2_2MgCK4BGAsYHg/bats_2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="531" data-original-width="798" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EcVZqC8Zpu8/XroHwyHCOxI/AAAAAAAABSU/UUq9YcJUEUQ5YDqIA9UnCsII9cCT2_2MgCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h426/bats_2.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>

2)   
What is the classification of bats?<o:p></o:p>

1.     Microbats:
The majority of bats are classified under microbats. Most of the microbats are
insect-eating (insectivore) bats. Few other species feed on the blood of other
animals such as cattle and they are named as vampires.<o:p></o:p>

2.     Megabats:
More than 150 bats species are found as megabats. Some of the megabat act as
nectar and pollen feeders, called pollinators, while others feed on
fruits, called as frugivores. The majority of megabats are larger than the
microbats in the body size.<o:p></o:p>

3)   
What are the functions of bats?<o:p></o:p>

Pollinators: The
pollination of flowering plants are referred to as “chiropterophily”. Some
plants are partly or wholly dependent on the bats for the pollinators. As bats
are active during the night, they feed mainly on the nocturnal flower blooming
plants. Bats supports for the pollination of more than 500 flowering plants
around the world. Bat act as only pollinators for the plants in harsh
ecosystems like mountain ranges where the insect pollinators cannot be found.
Compare to other types of pollinators, and they can carry a large number of
pollen grains of flowering plants into a long distance. As a result, it
increases the possibility of cross-pollination among plants. Thereby,
bat support to increase diversity even within the same plant species. These
flowers have a white or pale color appearance, strong fragrance, and tubular
shape for the attraction of the bats. Banana, Durian, Guava, Moonflower, and
Mango are a few examples for the plants pollinated by bats. These plants offer
nectar and pollen as rewards for the bats.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Seed dispersers-
Like pollination, flowering plants also depend on bats for their seed
dispersal. Frugivores bat act as seed dispersers for many flowering plants. Due
to the high species diversity of bats, they are adapted to forage on different
layers of the forests. According to a research finding, bats disperse more
seeds than birds do. They carry the ripped fruits away from the trees to long
distances. During their journey, they ingest the muscular fruits coat and drop
the seeds to the ground floor. If these seeds fell down to the environment with
favorable conditions, they start to germinate and grow while absorbing water
and essential nutrients from the soil. Cashew, Jack, Mango, Guavas, and some
pig species are the examples for the plants depends on bats for the s. These
plants make bats accessible for their fruits by bearing fruits along the stem
or the branches.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Prevent flowering plants
from local extinction: Fruit-eating bats play an important role
in reforestation in degraded woodlands by carrying seeds from trees in remote
areas. It also helps to increase the tree cover in the fragmented forest areas
due to various reasons like the construction of highways. Their seed dispersal
action prevents the local extension of plant species that are confined to a
specific area by facilitating more opportunities to expand into other areas.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

Pest control:
Insectivores play a major role in the insect pest population control. They feed
on nocturnal insect species. One single bat can catch more than 600 insects
within one hour. They have adaptation like a long, sticky, protrusible tongue
for pray upon the insects. Bats help to control the vectors of disease cause
agents of humans, including mosquitoes. Thereby, bats control the spread of
infectious diseases in the human population. In addition, bats are important
for controlling insect pests like moths, grasshoppers, and beetles attack to
economic crops involved in agriculture. Thereby, bats’ feeding habits reduce
the cost of pest control in farming.<o:p></o:p>

Biological indicator:
Bat is used as important biological indicators in the monitoring program of
the environment. They are highly sensitive to climate change impacts and
changes in the environment due to anthropogenic activities, and they tend to
respond quickly even for the slight change in their environment.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

4)   
What are the harmful effects of bats?<o:p></o:p>

Transmission of diseases:
Bat acts as vectors (an agent transmit infectious stage of pathogens to other
living beings) for some bacterial and virus origin diseases. As bat also
belongs to mammals, there is a high possibility for the bat to being infected
by rabbis. But there is a low risk for the transmission of rabbis from bats
into a human. The rabbis can be transmitted to humans by contacting salvia of
infected bats or through biting of infected ones. Furthermore, droppings of
some bats species cause a lung disorder named as histoplasmosis. It is a kind
of fungal disease, and the human becomes infected by direct contact through
inhaling the airborne fungus spores in droppings or indirect contact through
contaminated soil by the bats’ droppings.<o:p></o:p>

Reservoir for infectious
diseases: Bats serve as the reservoir (an agent facilitate
pathogens to survival, growth and reproduction) for many diseases cause agents,
and most of them cause an outbreak of diseases in humans all around the world.
Viruses associated with bats have the ability to undergone adverse genetic
variation as they adapt to different environmental contexts.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

5)   
What are the threats for the bats?<o:p></o:p>

Habitat fragmentation and
habitat degradation: Human activities, including the
construction of roads, power plants and buildings, the transmission of high
voltage power lines, and intensive agriculture, cause fragmentation of large
forests and make them unfavorable for native species. And also, the extraction
of timber removes large and fruit-bearing trees from the forest ecosystem. As a
result, bats face extinction due to loss of flower and seed-bearing trees, and
roosting habitats.<o:p></o:p>

Climate change:
Climate change has shifted the blooming season of many flowering plants or even
blooming does not occur in all the year. It leads to starvation in the bat
species that are partly or wholly dependent on pollen and nectar of these plants.
And also, the changes in the blooming season alters the consecutive seed
production. It affects the frugivores bat that involves the seed dispersers for
these plants.<o:p></o:p>

Predator attacks: Household
pets like cats pray upon on the small-sized bats. The increase in the household
cat population force a threat to some bat species.<o:p></o:p>

Illegal trade for bush
meat:
Some African nations involved in illegal hunting and selling bats. In the
bushmeat trade, small-sized frugivore bats are mainly targeted. But, some countries
hunt insectivore bats as well. These bushmeat trade often carry out within the
nations, and sometimes it spreads beyond the boundaries. As bats have a
relatively low reproduction rate, uncontrolled hunting puts additional pressure
on the extinction of bat species.<o:p></o:p>

Spread of diseases: The outbreak of infectious diseases may cause adverse effects on a bat population.
As an example, the bat population in the United States and Canada undergone a
sudden decrease in the population in 2012 due to the spread of white-nose
syndrome, which is caused by fungi called Pseudogymnoascus destructans.
These diseases usually affect the skin of ears and wings of bats living caves
with the humid condition.<o:p></o:p>

Accidents:
Due to windmills, bats deaths occur in two ways. Some have died when they hit
the blades of wind turbines. Most of the bat deaths links with the damage to
internal organs like lungs resulting from air pressure reduction around the
windmills. When a high voltage power line is transmitted along the transit routes,
feeding sites, or roosting habitats, bats are more likely to sit on them. If
bats sit calmly on one high voltage line, it doesn’t make any
threat to their life. But, if they expand their winds and touch adjacent lines,
a complete circuit is built though their body as water and ions present in
their body act as a conductor. It generates current and causes shock in bats
and ultimately leads to death.<o:p></o:p>

6)   
How can farmers attract bats?<o:p></o:p>

Farmers have to provide
forage, water, shelter, and roosting places to attract bat for pollination, and
pest control. So, they have to plant the nocturnal booming crop plants like
banana and cocoa in their farmlands. For bats evolved to roosts in trees,
species with dense canopy should be grown along the margin of the farmlands. Besides,
trees are abundant with numerous insect pest species. Thereby, it ensures the
continuous food supply for the insect-eating bats throughout the year. An
artificial shelter should be provided for the bat species that favor resting in
human-made structures. As bats lost nearly 50% of their body water daily, the
supply of fresh water in a small pond or tank will attract bats to farms. Excess
and harmful lighting should be avoided around the farmlands.<o:p></o:p>

Why are bats important to the environment?

1) Who are the Bats? More than 1000 species of bat are found all around the world. Bats are the second mostly occurred mammal group. B...

Global climate change: The main crisis of the century

natural green

Link Author

Title: Global climate change: The main crisis of the century
Author: natural green
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

1) What is climate change? The increase in the Earth's average temperature and rainfall over a long period is referred to as clim...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqZxlAi_bEw/XrWEM90IwbI/AAAAAAAABRQ/vPDcu00CMOUpFfxoCxY7m9pq2-xyvw85wCK4BGAsYHg/2323.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="555" data-original-width="946" height="376" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kqZxlAi_bEw/XrWEM90IwbI/AAAAAAAABRQ/vPDcu00CMOUpFfxoCxY7m9pq2-xyvw85wCK4BGAsYHg/w640-h376/2323.PNG" width="640" /></a></div> 1)   
What is climate change? <o:p></o:p>

The increase in the
Earth's average temperature and rainfall over a long period is referred to as
climate change.<o:p></o:p>

The Earth has undergone
several ice age periods and a warm period alternatively. During the ice age
periods, the majority of the Earth's surface was covered by ice. The Earth
experience a high temperature during the warm periods. In the past, the surface
temperature of the planet has increased steadily by this cooling and warming
effects, and it took a hundred to thousand years to undergo a slight
temperature increase. But recently, the Earth has increased its
surface temperature within a short period. <o:p></o:p>

According to IPCC's 2007
report, the Earth temperature has increased by 0.74˚ C in the past contrary.
The changes in the Earth's average temperature and rainfall over a long period
is defined as climate change. These effects serve in some parts of the
world—the countries in the northern hemisphere experience more warming than
those in the southern hemisphere. The Earth's land area is more susceptible to
warming than the ocean.<o:p></o:p>

Furthermore, cooling and
warming periods of Earth alone cannot explain the rapid increase in the Earth's
temperature during the past few decades. Gas emission from anthropogenic
activities are responsible for the enhanced greenhouse effects.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

2)   
What is the Earth's natural
greenhouse effect?<o:p></o:p>

A portion of solar
radiation coming towards the Earth is transmitted back into space by the
atmosphere. The remaining part of solar radiation reaches the Earth's surface.
Then, the solar energy absorbed by the Earth's surface emits as infrared
radiation to the atmosphere. The majority of the infrared radiation escape into
space through the atmosphere. In contrast, a small fraction of infrared
radiation is reemitted to Earth by greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide(CO₂),
methane(CH₄), water vapors (H₂O), ozone(O₃), Nitrogen oxides(NOᵪ)s in the lower
part of the atmosphere called the troposphere. The vibration of the molecules
of these greenhouse gas is responsible for the trapping emitted infrared
radiation.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

3)   
Why the Earth's natural greenhouse
effect is essential?<o:p></o:p>

The natural greenhouse
gas effects increase the Earth's temperature and make the planet an ideal place
for the survival of life. Similar to the greenhouse involved in agriculture,
the gases of the troposphere keep the Earth surface warm even during the
night. <o:p></o:p>

Without Earth's
natural greenhouse effect, the Earth's temperature is 33˚ C cooler than the
present scenario. And also, it only allows only for the survival of few species
which can survive under extremely cold conditions.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

4)   
What is the enhanced greenhouse
effect?<o:p></o:p>

Due to anthropogenic
activities, the concentration of greenhouse gases has increased in the
troposphere. As a result, the majority of infrared radiation coming from the
Earth's surface remit to the Earth. It results in an increase in Earth's
temperature by a few degrees.<o:p></o:p>

5)   
What are the causes of enhanced
greenhouse effects?<o:p></o:p>

Fossil fuel burning:
Fossil fuel burning acts as the major driver of the anthropogenic greenhouse
effect. A large amount of carbon dioxide released daily from the massive scale
burning of oil, natural gas, and coal involve in the world's transportation and
logistics, and industrial manufacturing, and energy generation.<o:p></o:p>

Deforestation:
Forest ecosystems serve as the major carbon sink in the world by sequestrating
carbon in their living and non-living biomass. Cutting down forests on a large
scale leads to loss of the carbon storage in living as well as in non-living
pools. Furthermore, it reduces the forest capacity to store carbon in the
future.<o:p></o:p>

Cattle ranching:
ruminant animals, including cattle, are responsible for around 37% of methane
production coming from anthropogenic activities. A gut inhabited microorganism
group called methanogens is accountable for the production of
methane as their waste products in their respiration process. <o:p></o:p>

Intensive agriculture:
As a result of the rapid increase in the world's population, agricultural
production has intensified to fulfill the food requirement. It involves the
excessive use of heavy machinery, resulting in high emission of carbon
emission. The disturbance to the soil in the farmlands causes the loss of
stored carbon in the soil.<o:p></o:p>

Open dumping of
waste: Open dumping of household and other waste leads to aerobic and
anaerobic digestion of biodegradable waste by the microbial activities.
Anaerobic digestion of waste releases a large amount of methane into the
atmosphere, while the aerobic digestion of waste accounts for the emission of
carbon dioxide and water vapors.<o:p></o:p>

Forest fires: Recently,
a man-induced forest fire is becoming more common all around the world. Large
forest fire event is responsible for emitting a large amount of carbon dioxide,
methane (CH₄), water vapors (H₂O), and Nitrogen oxides (NOᵪ) into the
atmosphere.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

6)   
What are the effects of climate
change?<o:p></o:p>

Prolonged droughts:
Although the world's annual rainfall seems to be unchanged, many countries in
the world suffer from the lack of rainfall in the appropriate seasons of the
year and unexpected floods in some months. It affects the crop production of
farmers and reduces the harvest. <o:p></o:p>

Natural disasters: Climate
change has increased the frequency and intensity of global weather events,
including floods, storms, tornados, hurricanes, and wildfires. Prevalent
disasters cause annual damage to properties with million values and
the death of thousands of people.<o:p></o:p>

Melting glaciers and sea
ice: The global warming resulted from the anthropogenic
greenhouse effects has increased the Earth's temperature. Sea ice and glaciers
are too sensitive to temperature changes and start to meltdown. As a result, a
large amount of freshwater trapped as ice or snow in the polar region start to
add to the global oceans. Consequently, the sea level rises, and the coastal
zone sinks around the world.<o:p></o:p>

Sea level rise:
High temperature resulted from global warming contributes to the sea level rise
in two ways. First, elevated temperature causes the seawater to expand and
increase its volume. Another reason that contributes to sea level rise is the
melting sea ice and glaciers. According to scientists, sea level is increased
by 0.1 inches per year. Sea level rise causes coastal flooding and inundating
the low lying islands. <o:p></o:p>

Biodiversity degradation:
Most of the animal species are specialists. They are highly adapted to their
environment. As a result, they are highly sensitive to even small changes in
environmental conditions. So, a slight change in the temperature makes its
habitat unfavorable for the survival of sensitive species and eventually lead
to the extinction of these species. As an example, animals, including polar
bears, are highly adapted to habitats in the polar region. And also, they
depend highly on the sea ice for their feeding, breeding, and raising younger
ones. So, it is the only habitat that suits for their existence. As a result of
climate change, sea ice and glaciers in the polar region started to melt, and
the winter season has become shorter, which results in the low amount of sea
ice available for the animals. Ultimately, polar face extinction due to less
availability of food resources and breeding grounds. Animals species inhabited
in forest ecosystems are also adversely affected by climate change. The high
temperature and irregular precipitation patterns change the blooming season of
flowering plants. It affects specialized animals feeding on those plants for
nectar and fruits. Another example of an animal species severely affected by
climate change is giant panda bears in China. They are herbivores and depend on
one bamboo species in the wild. The extreme weather conditions cause this
bamboo to disappear from the forest areas. Consequently, panda bears lose their
staple food resource and habitat.<o:p></o:p>

Intensified ocean
acidification: Ocean acts as the world's largest carbon
sink. As a consequence of increasing the Earth's temperature, the ocean started
to absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and produce carbonic acid. It
results in a decrease in the ocean's pH and forces a threat for the survival of
calcium carbonate shell bearing animals and coral with calcium skeleton by
making them dissolve or reducing the availability of calcium carbonate.
Furthermore, the ocean acidification affects the fragile stage of fishes like
eggs and juveniles. Thereby, it causes the depletion of commercial fish stocks.<o:p></o:p>

Increase the frequency of
wildfires: Oxygen, heat, and fuel act as the basic requirements
for initiating a forest fire. Elevated air temperature and prolonged drought
results from the Enhanced greenhouse effect increases the frequency and
prevalence of forest fires worldwide.  <o:p></o:p>

Increase in the rate of
infestation of insect pests: Generally, insects
have higher reproduction rates, short lifespan, and the ability to make a large
number of generations within a short time period. Elevated temperature resulted
from climate change has accelerated the reproduction rate and shortened the
lifespan and allow them to spread into a wide region. In addition, sudden
rainfall with high intensity makes breeding grounds for insect pests. The
outbreak of infectious diseases like Dengue occurs after receiving high
rainfall. The swamps created by rainfalls made a recent epidemic of locusts in
the African Continent. It damaged thousands of areas of crop fields and caused
millions of people to lose their food in the near future.<o:p></o:p>

Saltwater intrusion:
Lack of adequate rainfall, which results in depletion of surface water
resources and sea-level rise, encourage the saltwater intrusion. It causes
marine animals to invade freshwater ecosystems and threaten the survival of
freshwater animal species.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p> </o:p>

7)   
Mitigation of climate change impacts<o:p></o:p>

Climate change
adaptation is the necessary taking actions to minimize greenhouse gas emissions
into the atmosphere by human activities.<o:p></o:p>

Renewable energy
sources: Combustion of oil and coal contributes to around 41% of the
world's electricity production. Thereby, the energy production sector acts as a
major contributor to climate change by emitting a massive scale of greenhouse
gases. So, it is vital for the world to shift from non-renewable energy sources
like oil and coal into renewable energy sources like biomass, wind energy,
solar energy, tidal energy, and geothermal energy because these renewable
energy sources cause slightly low greenhouse gas emissions.<o:p></o:p>

Renewable energy sources
are often associated with low atmospheric emissions. In addition to equipping
the major gird with renewable energy, entrepreneur and household owners should
be encouraged to use solar energy for their utilities. And also, the excess
from their solar energy generation can be added to the national grid, and it
makes an additional income for them.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Energy-efficient methods
and appliances: The use of energy-efficient appliances
cut down the carbon emission resulting from electricity consumption. Natural
ventilation and natural lighting should be optimized in the design of the new
building to minimize the use of energy. Awareness of saving energy should be
given for the occupants in households and workers in the factories.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Reduction in
fossil fuel burning: Planting trees alone cannot stop the greenhouse
effects because the rate of the emission of carbon into the atmosphere is
higher than that of absorption by plants. Vehicles with zero-emission like
electric cars and vehicles with low carbon emission like hybrids should be
promoted and made them affordable for the majority. Instead of traveling via
personal vehicles, public transports such as trains and buses should be
encouraged for the general public. It should be allowed only the vehicles with
emissions below the prescribed limits of carbon to be operated on roads and the
vehicles that violating the law are subjected to a penalty. In
addition, the following measures should be taken to control carbon and other
emissions of the vehicles in use. People should be encouraged to purchase
fuel-efficient vehicles. It lowers the emissions associated with vehicles and
cut down the greenhouse gas emissions. Instead of fossil fuels, the use of
alternative fuel sources with low emissions like biofuel, natural gas, and LP
gas should be encouraged. <o:p></o:p>

Environmental friendly
farming: Farming methods like organic farming that
involve the use of a limited number of heavy machinery reduces the fossil fuel
burning associated with farming. In addition, minimum disturbance to the soil
in the cropland limits the loss of carbon stored in the soil.<o:p></o:p>

<o:p></o:p>

Disposal of waste:
Waste separation into segments like plastics, polythene, glasses, biodegradable
components, metals, and papers should be initiated at the household level.
Biodegradable components of the waste should be sent for compost production or
biogas generation. It generates additional income for the local authorities,
and at the same time, it gives a solution for the growing energy crisis around
the world. Plastic, polythene, and papers with good quality should be sold for
recycling companies. Waste contaminated with organic waste is unqualified to
undergo recycling. So, this waste should be disposed of in a sanitary landfill
and biogas (CH₄) produced in the sanitary landfill under anaerobic
conditions. <o:p></o:p>

8)   
Adaptations of climate change impacts<o:p></o:p>

Climate change
adaptation is taking appropriate measures to overcome the problems caused by climate
change.<o:p></o:p>

Reforestation: Forests
serve as the long-term storage of carbon unless there is a disturbance event
like cutting down to them. So, it is important to increase the tree cover
around the world by planting trees in degraded and deforested lands. In the
selection of trees species for planting, priority should be given for the plant
species with high carbon sequestration potentials.<o:p></o:p>

Drought resistant plants:
Crop varieties with fewer water requirements should be introduced to farmers in
the most affected regions. Genetic engineering has modified rice and wheat
species that have the ability to survive during serve drought periods. Thereby,
drought-tolerant plants can stabilize food production through the year and
ensure the income of local farmers.<o:p></o:p>

Rainwater harvesting
systems: The relevant d government departments should
advise People who are suffering from prolonged drought to collect rainwater in
their households during the short rainy season. Required knowledge and funding
for the establishment of a rainwater harvest system should be given by the
government.<o:p></o:p>

Flood control: Flood
control dams should be constructed along the flood-prone rivers to flow the
excess water through the dams during rainy seasons. The drainage system of
cities and suburban areas should be cleared to allow the rainwater to flow into
adjacent water bodies unless blocked trains cause flooding even under light
rain.<o:p></o:p>

Global climate change: The main crisis of the century

1) What is climate change? The increase in the Earth's average temperature and rainfall over a long period is referred to as clim...

5 Facts Why people need to more concern about Personal care products and cosmetics

natural green

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Title: 5 Facts Why people need to more concern about Personal care products and cosmetics
Author: natural green
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1) What are personal care products and cosmetics? Personal care products are applied externally to the body for the following purp...

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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_GZRCN9YzY/Xq7jgSKnTHI/AAAAAAAABQw/93-zGe0kFp0Dle89SdZdPwDkkaNT6MF1ACNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/enviroment%2Bproblem.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="1192" height="318" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k_GZRCN9YzY/Xq7jgSKnTHI/AAAAAAAABQw/93-zGe0kFp0Dle89SdZdPwDkkaNT6MF1ACNcBGAsYHQ/s640/enviroment%2Bproblem.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
 
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 85.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
1)    What
are personal care products and cosmetics? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Personal care products
are applied externally to the body for the following purposes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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·       
Enhancing beauty<o:p></o:p></div>
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·       
Cleaning the skin<o:p></o:p></div>
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·       
Protecting the skin against the suns UV
radiation<o:p></o:p></div>
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·       
Prevention the aging the skin<o:p></o:p></div>
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·       
Cleaning hair<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Some ingredients used in
these products are found as toxic to the health of humans as well as animals.
Coal tar, 1,4- dioxins, formaldehyde, lead, Toluene, mercury, and microplastics
are examples of the toxic compounds found in these products.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 So, the use of such toxic substances in the
production of personal care products and cosmetics is banned, or allowable
amounts are prescribed. But, some of these products may contain elevated levels
of toxic chemicals due to the low cost of the ingredients or to give instant
results.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
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2)    How
do personal care products and cosmetics contaminate the environment?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 1. Disposal of plastic containers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Even though these
containers are produced with recyclable plastic materials, they are directly
thrown away into the environment as the manufacturers do not have procedures
for the recollection of the empty containers. In the environment, plastics
degrade into microplastics.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
2. Use of sachet packets<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Rather than purchasing
expensive, high volume bottles, single-use, sachet packets make affordable the
smallest quantity of some personal care products such as hair jells, shampoos,
and conditioners for the low-income communities. Sachet packets are stored in a
thin layer of polythene and aluminum foil. Due to their low cost, people tend
to buy sachet packets daily, and they are not properly disposed of in the
environment. As a result, a large number of sachet packets accumulate in the environment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
3. Use of labels printed
with toxic inks<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Petroleum-based inks are
used for printing labels in the manufacturing industry. These inks contain
trash amounts of heavy metals like Pb and Hg.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
4. Removal of personal
care products and cosmetics during cleaning<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
A significant fraction of
applied personal care products and cosmetics are washed away from the body
during bathing, washing, and swimming to sewage treatment plants.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
5. Residual in the
containers and package after the usage<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
After usage, containers
the personal care products and cosmetics are disposed of without cleaning the
residuals. Once they enter into aquatic bodies or contact with soil, their
remaining may release and contaminate the environment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
                     <o:p></o:p></div>
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3)    Environmental
effects:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Frequent floods:
Irregular disposal of Plastic containers and Sachets packets cause clogging in
the drains. It results in flash floods during rains with light rainfall
intensity.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Heavy metals: Coloring
agents that are added for producing colors in cosmetics contain heavy metals,
although they are artificially synthesized or produced from natural resources
like clay. Because clay is contaminated during the mining process by heavy
metals. These heavy metals are released into the environment during the washing
of the body. Even only trash amount of heavy metals can be toxic to soil
organisms as well as aquatic organisms.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Effects
of Microplastics: When
the plastic containers of personal care products or cosmetics are degraded,
they are not fully degraded into carbon dioxide and water. They partially break
down into tiny pieces called microplastics. And also, artificially produced
microplastic bead is added as ingredients in skincare products. Toxic
substances like dioxin, persistent organic pollutants (POPs), and Polychlorinated
biphenyl are added as their ingredients into Microplastics or absorbed by the
microplastics in the environment.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
As the particle size of
microplastics is too small, current filtration methods in the wastewater
treatment plants are also not sufficient to remove the Microplastics and
released them with treated water into the environment. When these microplastics
are ended up in the marine environment, they tend to spread throughout the food
webs and bioaccumulate in marine organisms. Marine organisms mistakenly take
microplastic as their food sources. As microplastics are not digested in their
body, they interrupt the digestion and block the digestive tract. And
eventually, the intake of a large number of nonnutritious microplastics results
in malnutrition in marine organisms.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Coral bleaching:
Tourists tend to apply sunscreen on their skin to protect against the sun’s
harmful radiation. Ultraviolet filers like oxybenzone dissolve out from
sunscreen tend to interrupt the reproduction and growth of corals.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 </div>
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4)    Human
health effects<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Endocrine disruptors:
Some chemicals in personal care products and cosmetics behave like hormones of
humans. They interfere with the functioning of the endocrine system and cause
problems in reproduction, growth and development, and immunity. Dioxin and
Diethanolamine, which are commonly found in foaming products like shampoo, body
washes, and shaving creams, act as endocrine disruptors.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Carcinogens:
Chemical compounds like dioxins, Formaldehydes, talc, and Toluene are found as
carcinogens to human health. Toluene is added as a solvent in nail polishes and
hair dyes. Formaldehydes are added as an ingredient, or it results from the
degradation of other compounds in the products. It is found as a preservative
or disinfectant agent in deodorants, shampoo, shaving creams, bathing soap, and
nail polish. These chemicals lead to the development of uncontrolled growth of
cell masses called tumors and eventually cause cancers in the body.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Heavy metals:
Heavy metal are added to cosmetics as a color additive agent. Even though they
are added as prescribed amounts in the production, chronic exposure for trash
amounts of heavy metals may cause an increase in the development of cancers and
other health issues associated with heavy metals.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Microplastics:
People tend to show serious health conditions after they consume contaminated
seafood and salts by microplastics.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; margin-left: 85.5pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
5)    Solutions:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Sachet packets:
As they are contaminated with the stored products, sachet packets are not
possible to send for recycling. So, the only viable solution for the sachet
packets is throwing away after usage. As a result, the volume of municipal
waste has increased throughout the world. 
As they take hundreds of years to degrade and residuals resulting from
the degradation can contaminate soil, groundwater, and surface water sources,
they have to be disposed of in a sanitary landfill.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Refiling:
Refilling facilities for personal care products like shampoo can be provided.
So, people tend to shift from purchasing products, again and again, to refill
with old containers.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Products with less toxic
compounds: As people, more concern about the ingredients of the
products they daily apply onto their bodies and their side effects,
manufacturing companies of personal care products and cosmetics tend to
products with less toxic substances. Costumers have to make wise decisions when
then purchase products for hygiene and enhancing beauty.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Production of a small
quantity of personal care products in refillable containers:
Rather than selling small quantities of products as sachet packets, they can be
provided with small containers at a reasonable price.<o:p></o:p></div>

5 Facts Why people need to more concern about Personal care products and cosmetics

1) What are personal care products and cosmetics? Personal care products are applied externally to the body for the following purp...

Coral bleaching: The Death of a blue ecosystem

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Title: Coral bleaching: The Death of a blue ecosystem
Author: natural green
Rating 5 of 5 Des:

1) How do the corals form? Corals are categorized under the class Anthozoa under the phylum Cnidaria of the ani...

<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
  <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ff4pa7KVO-A/Xq2Ned5eblI/AAAAAAAABQY/1l1K7F7HFQ4i-hgMOsCMie7kCeXw-k1kQCNcBGAsYHQ/s1600/3434.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="929" height="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ff4pa7KVO-A/Xq2Ned5eblI/AAAAAAAABQY/1l1K7F7HFQ4i-hgMOsCMie7kCeXw-k1kQCNcBGAsYHQ/s640/3434.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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     </div>
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 </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
       1)    How do the corals form? <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Corals are categorized under the class Anthozoa under the phylum
Cnidaria of the animal kingdom. They are marine invertebrates. Typically, they
are found in clean and clear tropical shallow waters. The single organism of
coral is called polyps. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
In the reproduction, the gametes of polyps are fused, and its
free-swimming larva called Planula is produced. When Planula reaches a rock
surface or continental self, it starts to grow as clusters, and often form
colonies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
     2)    The symbiotic relationship between corals and
Zooxanthellae<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Corals and Zooxanthellae exhibit a mutualistic relationship with each
other. Zooxanthellae are photosynthetic algae that inhabit in the cells of the
corals. It carries out photosynthesis and provides oxygen and other essential
substances like carbohydrates and proteins for the hosting of the coral’s
cells. In return, corals supply algae with the shelter and essential nutrients
for photosynthesis.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Zooxanthellae is a photosynthetic organism. It requires sunlight as an
input for their process. But sediments in the seawater reduces light
penetration into underneath layers of the ocean. So, coral reefs are only found
in the areas with high light penetration due to its relationship with
Zooxanthellae.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 Furthermore, corals appear in
various colors due to pigmentation results from the Zooxanthellae inhabiting
their body cells. Corals are growing in tropical and subtropical oceans because
coral needs the light throughout the year for the continuation of the
photosynthesis of Zooxanthellae.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
 </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
     3)    Why are corals important to the world?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Even though corals occupy less than 1% of the marine environment, coral
reefs are the most diverse ecosystem in the marine environment. It provides
diverse habitats and breeding grounds for numerous species of fishes,
crustaceans, and other animals. It safeguards the coastal zone from the Tsunami,
and storms by baking down the wave action of the sea. Thereby, coral reefs
prevent damage to coastal ecosystems, properties, and life of people in the
coastal zone. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Apart from the environmental value, coral reefs act as the major
contributor to the local economy. More than 500 million people entirely or
partially depend on the coral reefs for their food resources or livelihood. The
majority of the fishery industry entirely depends upon the coral reefs as
commercial fish species use the coral ecosystem as their spawning system. Coral
ecosystems are functioned as major tourist attractions are all over the world
due to its high species diversity. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
In order to protect from predators, fish, and other marine organisms,
inhabitants in the coral ecosystem are adapted according to their environment.
This adaptation gives beautiful color patterns that increase the demand for
such species in the marine aquatic trade.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
     4)    What is the “coral bleaching”?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Coral bleaching is a white color appearance in coral due to the loss of Zooxanthellae.
When the corals expose to stress conditions like high temperature and
pollution, they lose the Zooxanthellae. It results left alone the skeleton and
loss of colors due to the loss of pigmentation of the corals.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
     5)    What are the causes of coral bleaching?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
The high temperature in the oceans results from the high solar
intensity, direct discharge of warm water into the ocean, and anthropogenic
climate change. It causes the formation of oxygen radicles from the oxygen
expelling from the photosynthesis. These oxygen radicles negatively affect both
corals, and its symbiotic photosynthesis algae, Zooxanthellae.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Enhanced climate change has increased the frequency and intensity of
natural disasters. Frequent floods in uplands areas bring lots of sediments into
the ocean. And also, sea-level rise resulting from glaciers meting increases
the sediments around the coral reefs. 
Sedimentation often interferes with light penetration, and Zooxanthellae
is also get affected. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Harmful chemical substances such as oxybenzone in personal care products
like sunscreens, body lotions, and shampoo, which are released into the ocean
by the swimmers and wastewater discharges, act as endocrine substances and they
cause detrimental effects for the corals in the juvenile stages. And also,
these substances increase the occurrence of viral infections in Zooxanthellae.
Consequently, Palau has become the first country to ban sunscreen
containing harmful chemicals that are toxic to corals and other marine life.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Discharge of nutrient-rich polluted water causes eutrophication and
algal blooms in the ocean at its later stage. The growth of algae at the
surface of the water body reduces light penetration. As a result, Zooxanthellae
finds difficulty in photosynthesis due to less availability of light. This
stress condition causes expelling Zooxanthellae out of corals cells.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="line-height: 150%; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
    6)    Can corals recover back?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%;">
Only a few species of corals can survive after the loss of its symbiotic
Zooxanthellae. Most of them can survive only a few days. If Zooxanthellae
return soon into the effected corals, corals can recover and flourish again.<o:p></o:p></div>

Coral bleaching: The Death of a blue ecosystem

1) How do the corals form? Corals are categorized under the class Anthozoa under the phylum Cnidaria of the ani...

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Microplastics - Your Environment, Your Health

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Global climate change: The main crisis of the century

5 Facts Why people need to more concern about Personal care products and cosmetics

Coral bleaching: The Death of a blue ecosystem

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