• Trash"Recycling Photo" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: Neubie (David Neubert) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
  
  

Improper Toxic Waste Disposal

• Improper toxic waste disposal occurs when individuals or industries do not discard a toxic product in the required way. The EPA sets rules for the discarding of toxic materials. If the EPA standards for eliminating waste products are not followed, then improper toxic waste disposal is occurring. Examples of improper toxic waste disposal include throwing toxic items into the trash, pouring toxic items down the drain, pouring toxic elements into ditches or onto nearby unoccupied property, burning the toxic material, or dumping and or burying the toxic waste. Storing a hazardous waste product for an extended period of time is not advisable either.
  
  Proper disposal recommendations should be followed for any potentially hazardous wastes. This includes following all label instructions for discarding, using the entire product completely before disposal, and recycling toxic products that are recyclable. You should aim to avoid improper disposal of toxic waste products to help ensure people's health will not be effected by toxic waste pollution or other toxic exposure, which has been known to create many health problems in the past (according to the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, 1996).
  
  

Effects of Improper Waste Disposal

• Many health problems have been associated with improper toxic waste disposal on behalf of companies and individuals alike. Many people who present health conditions have been exposed to high levels of toxic waste over an extended period of time through the pollution of groundwater, air and soil. The most common health problems include birth defects and cancers.
  
  

Arsenic Exposure

• Arsenic is one common toxic waste that has caused a myriad of health problems. This toxic waste is most often disposed of by hospitals or manufacturing plants. Any contact with this toxic substance is dangerous. Arsenic can cause a number of health conditions in humans when it is improperly disposed of. Some of these conditions include certain types of cancers. Depending on the type of contact with this chemical, arsenic can cause skin cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer and cancer of the liver. Arsenic exposure can also cause internal bleeding, inflammation of the heart, changes in blood vessels in the heart and brain, gastrointestinal problems, kidney poisoning that leads to renal failure, elevation of liver enzymes, destruction of nerve cells leading to systemic disorders, spontaneous abortions, congenital malformations, irritation to the lining of the eyes/nose/throat, bone marrow depression, and changes in skin pigmentation or skin thickening (according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008).
  
  

Dioxin Exposure

• Dioxins are chlorinated hydrocarbons. Many plastics contain dioxins, so improperly disposing of these plastic substances or burning these substances can lead to toxic waste exposure. Not all dioxins contain the same levels of toxicity, but precaution should be taken when dealing with any materials that contain dioxins due to the dangers associated with the chemical, since all dioxins are known to some degree to cause health issues.
  
  Some of these health issues include biochemical effects and cellular effects. These cellular effects include apoptosis, hypoplasia, hyperplasia, metaplasia, and neoplasia. Dioxcins are also carcinogenic, which means they can cause all sorts of cancers in individuals on their own without the need for another toxic element to aid the process along. Other confirmed human health issues known to be caused by dioxins include a skin disorder known as chloracne, mild liver damage, and peripheral nerve damage. Studies are still being done as of 2009 to confirm that other health issues such as respiratory cancers, prostate cancer, malignant tumors of the bone marrow, liver dysfunction, photosensitive skin, type 2 diabetes, neurobehavorial development in infants, and men less likely to father a male child are caused by exposure to dioxins (according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008).
  
  

Lead Exposure

• Improperly disposing of lead materials, lead paint or other products that contain lead is another common example of improper toxic waste disposal. Exposure to lead has been known to cause many different health issues in individuals of all ages. To understand the list of possible health affects, you must first understand the acronyms for certain conditions. ALAD equals aminolevulinic acid dehydratase. EP stands for erythrocyte porphyrin. The acronym NCV stands for nerve conduction velocity. Finally, the acronym GFR signifies glomerular filtration rate.
  
  Particular abnormal lead levels in children have been shown to cause health issues such as depressed ALAD activity, neurodevelopmental effects, sexual maturation, depressed levels of vitamin D, elevated EP, depressed NCV, depressed hemoglobin, and colic. In adults, the health issues proven to be caused by lead exposure include depressed GFR, elevated blood pressure, elevated EP in females, enzymuria or proteinuria, peripheral neuropathy, neurobehavorial effects, altered thyroid hormone, reduced fertility, and depressed hemoglobin. In elderly individuals, the health issues to be caused by lead exposure include depressed ALAD and neurobehavioral effects (according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, 2008).