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Ohio River Pollution Have you ever eaten fish out of the Ohio River? Think twice about frying up your next catch. The Ohio River is believed to be one of the most polluted rivers in the United States. Industrial pollutants as well, as agricultural pollutants, had a big effect on The people in surrounding communities, the wildlife habitat, and the river water quality. The Ohio River community needs to be more informed and aware of the toxins in the Ohio River in order stop this devastating problem. For example, West Virginia waterways received 23. million pounds of toxic chemicals, from 1992 to 1996. In that period of time, the Ohio River received 19. 2 million pounds of those toxic chemicals. Bayer Corporation near New Martinsville, West Virginia contributed to more than half of those toxins. It is corporations like this that take the cheapest route of disposing their chemical toxins, by just pouring them in the ground. These toxins then seep deep into the ground, eventually leaking into small streams and creeks, ultimately ending their journey in the Ohio River.
Another example is agricultural pollution. It is also prominent in the Ohio River area. Farmers’ use of certain pesticides and fertilizers contribute largely to the pollution problem of the river. There are more farms on the banks of the Ohio River than industrial plants and if a farmer spills a cup of diesel fuel onto the ground near a creek or ditch, where do you think it goes to. It will travel into to the river. Diesel fuel is very harmful to plants on the banks of our river and to the fish in our waters.
You cant even eat fish out of our river now. Toxins are poisonous substances capable of causing disease when introduced into the body. Polychlorinated Biphenyls and Dioxins are among the world’s most toxic man-made chemicals. Both can be found in the Ohio River as result of industrial and agricultural pollution. The presence of these toxins has been linked to a variety of human health problems such as: cancer, brain damage, and problems with the immune system. Aside from the effects on humans, the surrounding wildlife is also being affected.
No longer can fish be eaten out of the Ohio River, because they are contaminated. If the fish are contaminated, then obviously this would affect the food chain and surrounding wildlife. The Ohio River is more polluted than ever. The causes are from numerous things. Toxins from both industrial and agricultural pollutants have played a large part of the pollution. The effects are wide ranged, from the people in the surrounding areas of the Ohio River, to the fish and local wildlife. This disruption of nature can only be fixed with the cooperation of corporations and people.