This paper described the water pollution in Brisbane River and its effect in the environment and human health. It constructed an index that focuses on the effects and vulnerability to the environment. Councils and industries affect the Brisbane River by polluting and not following proper precautions. This paper examines the contaminants present and how primarily reduces its number. There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River discussed in this paper. It affects the Entire River and bodies of water around the location. These pollutants are generally addressed in various ways. Benefits of effective environmental management include improved water working conditions and reduced pollution incidents significantly due to industrial and structural processes. Some environmental advocates of water ecotourism choose to think of it as a true return to nature by minimizing realty development in natural areas and preserving their intrinsic beauty. The balance of costs and benefits is difficult to assess due to the insufficient data.
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Introduction
The government initiated measures to control Brisbane water pollution by regulating its source that prevent the pollutants from being released into the atmosphere. Emission control systems set by the government are seen as the solution rather than considering ways to eliminate or minimize pollutant. By virtue of government mandate, the Environmental Protection Agency has been charged with the responsibility for developing programs on Hazardous waste regulation as well as a regulatory body for Brisbane River (Miller, 2008). The Environmental Protecting agency may make rules subject to the negative designation of hazardous substances and the performance standard, safeguard, procedures and licensing requirement with accordance with which such hazardous substances shall be handled. The management investigate the environment generally and such premises necessary to ascertain the nature of pollutants. It also develops and implements programs for the management of such wastes which include registration and further characterization of significant sources being disposed to the environment
There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River that started when European settlement establish around the area causing pollution and increase waste products (Gleick & Palaniappan, 2008). These include combustion and sewage products from power generation, transport and incineration. The common contaminants generated by these processes include, nitrous oxides, phosphoric substances, particulates, carbon oxides and nitrogen oxides. Effects of the development in the area such as industrial pollutants are directly affecting river as well as health of the population. There are also significant amount of sulfuric or nitric acid detected in aquatic reservoir that can destruct vegetation, drinking water, erode buildings and damage aquatic life in the River. The community utilizes Modification of the Transmission to disperse pollutants and most of the other waste products generated are re-shipped to manufacturers for recycling (Agar, 2001).
An Analysis of Past and Current Pollution Levels
SURVEY_DATE
Nitrogen (total) as N (mg/L)
Phosphorus (total) as P (mg/L)
4/10/2006
0.54
0.24
15/11/2006
0.52
0.23
15/12/2006
0.51
0.2
16/01/2007
0.46
0.2
14/02/2007
0.48
0.2
16/03/2007
0.47
0.19
17/04/2007
0.43
0.2
15/05/2007
0.51
0.25
14/06/2007
0.66
0.28
12/07/2007
0.56
0.25
10/08/2007
0.41
0.25
10/09/2007
0.5
0.24
9/10/2007
0.49
0.23
7/11/2007
0.55
0.25
5/12/2007
0.48
0.25
8/01/2008
0.7
0.31
5/02/2008
0.57
0.19
5/03/2008
0.35
0.098
4/04/2008
0.37
0.14
15/05/2008
0.44
0.17
17/06/2008
0.57
0.16
16/07/2008
0.57
0.17
15/08/2008
0.45
0.14
11/09/2008
0.38
0.13
13/10/2008
0.43
0.15
12/11/2008
0.46
0.15
10/12/2008
0.71
0.14
8/01/2009
0.58
0.1
9/02/2009
0.42
0.11
10/03/2009
0.59
0.17
8/04/2009
0.68
0.18
7/05/2009
0.48
0.13
5/06/2009
0.55
0.1
6/07/2009
0.71
0.095
5/08/2009
0.42
0.084
3/09/2009
0.5
0.12
5/10/2009
0.46
0.12
4/11/2009
0.3
0.088
3/12/2009
1.9
0.16
13/01/2010
0.51
0.11
Â
These data can be used as a proxy for water pollution in general, which impacts on many aspects of the river’s ecosystem and public health including such things as quality of water and biodiversity. But there is no continuous data monitoring for Nitrogen and Phosphorus and other hazardous chemical in Brisbane River (Miller, 2008). Therefore estimation for this pollutant indicator could not be determined. The data indices was developed in the past which describe the risks associated with sustainability, climate change, economic and social conditions, climate change, natural disasters, anthropogenic impacts in the river. Most of these figures describe the vulnerability of human systems with only limited attempts having been made to describe effects of air pollution on the environment (Donald, 2002).
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Nature
There is a wide range of industrial pollutants in Brisbane River. These pollutants are generally addressed in various ways. These include oil products from manufacturers, industries, transport and incineration. The common contaminants generated by these processes include phosphorus and nitrogen. There are also non-combustion sources. Examples of these are industrial processes, transportation, agriculture and construction that produce water pollutants and particulates (Gleick & Palaniappan, 2008). These are release directly from the source into the water in a harmful form. A typical pollutant would be nitrogenous compound. Moreover, particulates are also present and serve as atmospheric pollutants that consist of the vapor phase of such compounds. Its chemical composition is depending upon source chemicals. The pollution level in the past years in Brisbane River is continually increasing partly because of industrialization and technology (Ostopowich, 2006).
There is also inorganic water pollutants consist of many types of substances present in the river. Many of these liquid and solid substances may become particulate air contaminants. These inorganic water pollutants consist of sulfur, oxides of carbon, and nitrogen. Nitrogen and phosphorus are considered as a directly fatal and toxic material (Miller, 2008). Carbon dioxide in the water may turn out to be the most significant water pollutant of all because of its potential health hazard that might cause devastating water destruction. Oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are acid forming gases that can facilitate acid formation. These pollutants enter the water system as the result of industrial activities. The trends are continually fluctuating without normal ranges (Agar, 2001).
Effects
Water pollution from mechanical and industrial sources is the most widespread form of pollution in Brisbane River. It affects the Entire River and bodies of water around the location. Continuous Water protection monitoring is presently conducted in the river. Over the period 2000-2010 there has been a steady increase in the number of industries around the river (Gleick & Palaniappan, 2008).The number of industrial processes in the area has remained more or less steady during this same period. There are pollution standard concentrations over a period of time that is considered to be acceptable on health and on the environment (Donald, 2002). They can also be used as a bench mark to see if water pollution is getting worse. Moreover, water pollution has a wide range of effects on human health resided along the river, ecosystems, structures and other human communities. Adverse effect and discomfort on human health and environment result to functional and physical damages. Australian Health Ministry reported incidence of respiratory diseases related to chemical pollutants around the area. They detected significant amount of phosphoric or nitrogenous chemicals in aquatic reservoir which can be attributed to acid rains. It can contaminate drinking water, vegetations and erode river wall buildings and damage aquatic life.
Some environmental advocates of water ecotourism choose to think of it as a true return to nature by minimizing realty development in natural areas and preserving their intrinsic beauty. For example, instead of using up large tracts of land for building hotel complexes, these advocates prefer the construction of small, more ecologically friendly lodges that can take in a limited number of people only. The idea behind this thinking is to lessen the negative impact that tourist activities make on the environment, keeping consumption well within the carrying capacity of the area. (Miller, 2008).
Others, however, see ecological benefits is being compromise because it accounts for benefits and uses that the host communities can get from the tourist activities in their area as well as the profits that travel agencies can also realize. They believe that conscientious consumption of the environmental resources and economic progress can be enjoyed simultaneously. The main thrust of this paper is therefore to determine if ecotourism he trending situations and is actually possible to reduce the pollutants, given the conflicting interests at play in these kinds of activities (Ostopowich, 2006).
Control
The number of collected data on control measures in Brisbane River is aggressively planned by our office (Environmental Protection Agency) with collaboration of various private and public sectors. It is difficult to determine accurately the percentage of effectively managed or controlled pollutants per year but the effort is continuous. Water pollutants resulted from industrial processes in the river is treated by different water treatment process (Gleick & Palaniappan, 2008). It disperses pollutants to reduce the concentration at the susceptible target location to an acceptable level. The pollutant was transported with a considerable distance and transform to clean water. In this process, the water pollutants are brought to a designated area and are compacted. Most of the other waste products generated are re-shipped to manufacturers for recycling. In Trinidad only waste oil is recycled, therefore, given that 897.8 cubic meters of oil is generated per year, with 35.8 cubic meters being recycled, the mean percent of hazardous waste recycled locally is about 4 per cent (Donald, 2002).
Environmental Protection on water is also stressed out by the government. They prohibit the deposition or release of rubbish, scrap metal, motor vehicle parts, motor vehicle bodies, building waste, solid or liquid waste from an on-site domestic waste water treatment system, degreasing agent, paint, varnish or paint thinner or any manufactured product, or any by-product or waste from a manufacturing processes, that has a pH less than 6 or greater than nine (Agar, 2001).
Recommendations
The Environmental Protection agency gathers the most relevant information to come up with recommendations on how to decrease water pollution in Brisbane River. To help protect human health and ecosystem around Brisbane River, these recommendations suit to control and minimize water pollution
Water quality indexes must be used to serve as warning for susceptible people of a possible air pollution health risk.
The modified Environmental Vulnerability Index must aid to summarize a wide range of environmental vulnerability for Brisbane River. A significant number of data collections are requirement to extract important information from various government or private agencies and international environmental organizations the country
Administrative controls and legislative protocol can be utilized to minimize or prevent the generation of pollutants by the adoption of appropriate industrial practices and rules for specific processes including maintenance, waste disposal procedures and management controls.
Engineering measures and controls can be used by Industries to minimize or prevent the release of pollutants. This approach includes polluting material elimination and substitution to prevent harmful emission into the atmosphere. Modification of the process to eliminate or reduce emissions is also part of engineering control.
Emission control systems are also effective method to discharge gas streams adequately
Government must continually provide support for strengthening the environmental management capacity of participating agencies to provide advice and access to data in support of its activities relating to complaints, environmental emergencies, monitoring compliance, enforcement and assessment of the state of environment.
Properly dissemination of information and co-coordinate activities to promote and enhance environmental awareness of the public.
A Predictive Model of Future Pollution
The establishment of the predictive mode for water pollution is basically outlined from environment law and the plan provided a new set of perspective and basic ideas for the future environmental policies and trend regarding water pollution. This model established a framework with a long-term course. The model is a prediction on how the Brisbane River will progress and how the present effort affects the future. Previously, pollution problems were regional and the resulting damage was easy to see. It was therefore relatively easy to appreciate the causes and effect (Gleick & Palaniappan, 2008). By contrasting the present situation to the past, many of today’s water and environmental problems are caused by the activities of human being and many different elements that go to build up current complex and huge economic society. In order to solve these environmental problem, collaboration and partnership is a very important component. Collaboration in this case involves various private and local elements in society working together in sharing and cooperating responsibilities. It also contains understanding the relationship between the activities of human and the natural environment, and also the connection that between socio-economic activities and the ecosystem. (Miller, 2008) People around Brisbane River have always been dependent on the environment as well as many people around the world. It is significantly essential for us to take into consideration, and realize, the relationship that between people and his environment, and to open a way for a sustainable future with the active cooperation and involvement of all people (Ostopowich, 2006).
Conclusions
Human systems and the environment are dependent on one another so that risks to the environment will eventually translate into harm and risks for humans and their welfare. Air pollutants from industrial facilities and industrial processes in Brisbane River include: oil refineries, power plants, chemical plants and steel mills. The amount of emissions are variously controlled, licensed and permitted emissions by the government, Waste production indicator is based on the amount of wastes produced by industrial processes and pollutants being generated or brought into the river.
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