Overview of the Trash Mountain and the Mississippi River
The Trash Mountain in Leuwigajah, West Java, Indonesia, is an ever-growing pile of refuse and garbage. It is the largest landfill in Southeast Asia, where mountains of waste towers over 7 stories high and stretches over 5 kilometers radius. The trash mountain has been left virtually untouched for more than 20 years, supporting an illegal 15,000 resident-strong community of scavengers who try to make a livelihood out of sorting sorted waste.
In the USA, the Mississippi River, the fourth largest river in the world and the second largest in the United States, follows a 3,730 kilometer from its source at Lake Itasca to its mouth at the Gulf Of Mexico. This river provides much of the drainage for the eastern United States and has multiple uses for shipping, power, recreation, and industry.
Pollution in the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River has long been contaminated by hazardous pollutants. It receives discharges from 73 cities and a myriad of industrial facilities and agricultural sites, including fertilizer and pesticide runoff from fields and farms across the Midwest. This contamination has affected various aquatic life and has caused numerous health problems for those living near the river.
The pollutants that cause the greatest concern in the Mississippi River include nitrogen, phosphorous and endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as flame retardants and agricultural runoff. Nitrogen has impacts on water quality such as low dissolved oxygen, algal blooms, and eutrophication, while phosphorous contributes to water quality by promoting algal bloom and impacting drinking water. Endocrine disrupting chemicals can have a range of impacts on human health, including reproductive and developmental impacts and can also affect aquatic life.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set a “Total Maximum Daily Load” for the Mississippi River, which is a set of guidelines for controlling pollutant levels. However, the Mississippi River remains one of the most polluted rivers in the United States.
Pollution in the Trash Mountain
Leuwigajah faces an extreme environmental disaster. The illegal 15,000 people living in the giant trash mountain face multiple health problems resulting from drinking, bathing, and washing in a sea of highly toxic chemicals. The consequences are severe; respiratory diseases, low-birth weight and recurrent skin infections prevail in the areas surrounding the garbage heap.
The trash mountain has become a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. It is an extremely hazardous site as it contains hazardous, explosive, radioactive and chemical wastes, such as asbestos, industrial chemicals, and lead paint. The combustible materials have caused numerous fires, drowning out hundreds of local residents living in makeshift homes on the upper sides of the landfill.
The local residents have to scavenge in the landfill’s toxic environment with the risk of chemical burns, electrocution, respiratory diseases, and accidental explosions.
Comparison of the Pollution in the Mississippi River and the Trash Mountain
The Mississippi River is undoubtedly more polluted than the trash mountain in terms of the intensity and quality of pollutants. The EPA has set a Total Maximum Daily Load for the Mississippi River, which is a set of guidelines for controlling pollutant levels, and is monitoring the concentration of them in the river in ongoing water quality studies. On the other hand, the trash mountain has no such guidelines and monitoring tests, and thus is even more hazardous than the polluted water of the Mississippi.
The hazardous substances present at the trash mountain are much more threatening in comparison with the pollutants present in the Mississippi River. The pollutants present in the river are generally less hazardous to humans and nature than those present in the trash mountain such as asbestos, industrial chemicals, and lead paint. These pollutants can have severe health impacts on the local population and are also very harmful to nature when introduced into the water bodies.
Environmental Impact of the Trash Mountain and the Mississippi River
The Trash Mountain and the Mississippi River have different environmental impacts on their respective regions. The Trash Mountain has caused a multitude of health problems in the surrounding area due to its combustible materials, toxic chemicals, and explosive materials. The illegal 15,000 inhabitant-strong living in the giant trash mountain face multiple health problems resulting from drinking, bathing, and washing in a sea of highly toxic chemicals. The consequences are severe; respiratory diseases, low-birth weight, and recurrent skin infections prevail.
The Mississippi River, on the other hand, has caused several health problems in the surrounding areas due to its heavily polluted waters. The pollutants that enter the river from agricultural and industrial sources have caused health problems such as skin irritation, respiratory and neurological illnesses, reproductive and developmental problems, cancer, and even death.
Perspective from Experts
Experts from both fields have spoken about the devastating environmental issues related to the Trash Mountain and the Mississippi River. The trash mountain has been described as an “ecological disaster” due to the severe health hazards and the illegal 15,000 inhabitant-strong community living at the site. Experts suggest that the root of the problem is the inadequate waste management infrastructure and overflowing landfills in Indonesia, resulting in such disasters as Leuwigajah. Solutions to this problem start with proper waste management and recycling, and also extend to changes in lifestyle, public behavior and awareness.
According to experts, the Mississippi River is severely contaminated by agricultural and industrial pollutants, causing several health problems in the surrounding areas. With the help of the EPA’s
