Love Canal Sophie Albright The Love Canal tragedy, in 1942, caused conflict and stirred up arguments, socially, economically, and environmentally. Unwanted chemicals from various experiments and projects from different companies and groups were dumped at a waste site in Niagara Falls, New York, thinking the landfill would cause no harm. The chemicals were then, out of sight, out of mind. When the area was turned into a neighborhood, it then became evident those discarded chemicals were dangerous to the health of those around through an increase of cancer, miscarriages, birth defects, and other health complications. Many of the people living there were
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The chemicals that were dumped were unwanted waste that served no purpose, and many of the types are unknown. However, some of the chemicals known to be present were hexachlorocyclohexane, chlorinated hydrocarbons, chlorobenzenes, benzene, chloroform, trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, benzene hexachloride, phosphorous rocks, polychlorinated biphenyls, and 1, 3, 7, 8- tetrachlorodibenzo- para-dioxin (Health Time Bomb, 1978). These chemicals had different outcomes, but resulted often in leukemia, skin irritation, or leukemia. Dioxin chemicals, or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo, were a particularly hazardous known chemical in the dump site. These chemicals are not made intentionally to serve a purpose, but are a byproduct released during the production of things such as paper bleaching and herbicide manufacturing. They are also found at different levels in some food products and in animal fat and fatty human tissue. Dioxin refers to a group of chemicals where molecules have two oxygen atoms that replace two carbon atoms, caused by the burning of chlorine-based chemical compounds with hydrocarbons. It contains …show more content…
While birth defects and developmental problems were some of the most easily recognized over time, people exposed to the love canal incident later developed forms of cancer as well (Waste Contamination, 2012). Leukemia rates were increased in particular. Another argument then arises, that, while it can be argued that this tragedy is no longer relevant in terms of health, as government prevented further exposure to the area, long term health effects can still be seen in today’s society. Cancer is one such example of a long term effect relating to this factor that may not have been seen for the most part until after the height of the incident. Acute leukemia was one cancer form as result of the love canal disaster, due to benzene compounds (Health Time Bomb, 1978). Science can be applied to help with this health risk through chemotherapy, which uses chemical substances, such as mechlorethamine and cyclophosphamide, which kill fast dividing cells to try to slow the spread of the cancer throughout the body. These scientific applications still have both strengths and limitations. Strengths include a better understanding of negative reactions to avoid future problems as well as the discovery of results both positive and negative through experimentation, such as the chemical reactions of cyclophosphamide to slow cell division in relation
The chemicals that were dumped were unwanted waste that served no purpose, and many of the types are unknown. However, some of the chemicals known to be present were hexachlorocyclohexane, chlorinated hydrocarbons, chlorobenzenes, benzene, chloroform, trichloroethylene, methylene chloride, benzene hexachloride, phosphorous rocks, polychlorinated biphenyls, and 1, 3, 7, 8- tetrachlorodibenzo- para-dioxin (Health Time Bomb, 1978). These chemicals had different outcomes, but resulted often in leukemia, skin irritation, or leukemia. Dioxin chemicals, or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo, were a particularly hazardous known chemical in the dump site. These chemicals are not made intentionally to serve a purpose, but are a byproduct released during the production of things such as paper bleaching and herbicide manufacturing. They are also found at different levels in some food products and in animal fat and fatty human tissue. Dioxin refers to a group of chemicals where molecules have two oxygen atoms that replace two carbon atoms, caused by the burning of chlorine-based chemical compounds with hydrocarbons. It contains …show more content…
While birth defects and developmental problems were some of the most easily recognized over time, people exposed to the love canal incident later developed forms of cancer as well (Waste Contamination, 2012). Leukemia rates were increased in particular. Another argument then arises, that, while it can be argued that this tragedy is no longer relevant in terms of health, as government prevented further exposure to the area, long term health effects can still be seen in today’s society. Cancer is one such example of a long term effect relating to this factor that may not have been seen for the most part until after the height of the incident. Acute leukemia was one cancer form as result of the love canal disaster, due to benzene compounds (Health Time Bomb, 1978). Science can be applied to help with this health risk through chemotherapy, which uses chemical substances, such as mechlorethamine and cyclophosphamide, which kill fast dividing cells to try to slow the spread of the cancer throughout the body. These scientific applications still have both strengths and limitations. Strengths include a better understanding of negative reactions to avoid future problems as well as the discovery of results both positive and negative through experimentation, such as the chemical reactions of cyclophosphamide to slow cell division in relation