ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
DEFORESTATION  -loss of habitat
 -soil erosion/ landslides
 Greenhouse effect denuded upland
 Silting of rivers and dams
 Degraded watershed
 Flooding
 Destruction of corals along the coast
 Extinction of biodiversity
 Disruption of water cycles
 Lost od species
SOIL EROSION  Unproductive use of farmland
 Silting of artificial lakes
 Loss of soil and vegetation which causes
climate changes
 Pollution and poor water quality
 Mudslide and structural problems
 Deforestation and flooding
 Soil degradation
 Poor soil quality
 Water pollution and clogging of waterways
 Sedimentation and threat to aquatic systems
 Air pollution
 Desertification
 Reduces the ability of soil to store water and
support plant growth, thereby reducing its
ability to support biodiversity
 Promotes critical losses of water, nutrients,
soil organic matter and soil beta, harming
forests, rangeland and natural ecosystems
AIR POLLUTION  acid rain
 eutrophication
 haze
 effects on wildlife
 ozone depletion
 Destructions of homeland
 Loss of livelihood
 Poor quality life
 An increase in the spread of life-threatening
diseases such as malaria and dengue fever
 Disturbance of native people
 reduces crop yields when valuable cropland is
lost, so it can raise prices or reduce food
availability
 it reduce food by making it difficult to catch
fish when waters are turbid
 can cause fish die-offs, especially when soil
erosion carries toxic chemicals with it into the
watershed
 it can cause damage to real property,if you
people live on a slope it can wash away part
of your lawn
 it cost the government money to rebuild
roadways that are damaged by erosion
 human starvation leading to death
 increases the amount of dust carried by wind,
which not only acts as an abrasive and air
pollutant but also carries about 20 human
infectious disease organisms including
anthrax and tuberculosis
 irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat
 Wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and
breathing difficulties
 Worsening of existing lung and heart
problems, such as asthma
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
 Crop and forest damage
 Global climate change
 Smog and soot
 Hazardous air pollutants
 Greenhouse gases
 Pollen and mold
WATER POLLUTION  Death of aquatic water animals
 Destruction of Ecosystems: Ecosystems are
extremely dynamic and respond to even small
changes in the environment. Water pollution
can cause an entire ecosystem to collapse if
left unchecked.
 Eutrophication: Chemicals in a water body,
encourage the growth of algae. These algae
form a layer on top of the pond or lake.
Bacteria feed on this algae and this decreases
the amount of oxygen in the water body,
severely affecting the aquatic life there.
 Effects the food chain: Disruption in food
chains happens when toxins and pollutants in
the water are consumed by aquatic animals
(fish, shellfish etc) which are then consumed
by humans.
 Heavy metals from industrial processes can
accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers. These
are toxic to marine life such as fish and
shellfish, and subsequently to the humans
who eat them. Heavy metals can slow
development; result in birth defects and some
are carcinogenic.
 Industrial waste often contains many toxic
compounds that damage the health of
aquatic animals and those who eat them.
Some of the toxins in industrial waste may
EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
 Increased risk of heart attack
 long-term exposure to air pollution can cause
cancer and damage to the immune,
neurological, reproductive, and respiratory
systems
 In extreme cases, it can even cause death.
 It kills, contaminated water can make you ill
 Diseases: In humans, drinking or consuming
polluted water in any way has many
disastrous effects on our health. It causes
typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and various other
diseases.
 Disease causing microorganisms are known as
pathogens and these pathogens are spreading
disease directly among humans. Some
pathogens are worldwide some are found in
well-defined area. Many water borne diseases
are spreading man to man.
 Many waterborne infectious diseases are
linked with fecal pollution of water sources
and results in fecal-oral route of infection
[20]. Health risk associated with polluted
water includes different diseases such as
respiratory disease, cancer, diarrheal disease,
neurological disorder and cardiovascular
disease . Nitrogenous chemicals are
responsible for cancer and blue baby
syndrome.
 Mortality rate due to cancer is higher in rural
areas than urban areas because urban
inhabitants use treated water for drinking
while rural people don’t have facility of
treated water and use unprocessed water.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
only have a mild effect whereas other can be fatal.  Poor people are at greater risk of disease due
They can cause immune suppression, reproductive to improper sanitation, hygiene and water
failure or acute poisoning. supply.
 Microbial pollutants from sewage often result  Contaminated water has large negative
in infectious diseases that infect aquatic life effects in those women who are exposed to
and terrestrial life through drinking water. chemicals during pregnancy; it leads to the
Microbial water pollution is a major problem increased rate of low birth weight as a result
in the developing world, with diseases such as fetal health is affected .
cholera and typhoid fever being the primary  Poor quality water destroys the crop
cause of infant mortality. production and infects our food which is
 Organic matter and nutrients causes an hazardous for aquatic life and human
increase in aerobic algae and depletes oxygen life.Pollutants disturb the food chain and
from the water column. This causes the heavy metals, especially iron affects the
suffocation of fish and other aquatic respiratory system of fishes.
organisms.  An iron clog in to fish gills and it is lethal to
 Sulfate particles from acid rain can cause fishes, when these fishes are eaten by human
harm the health of marine life in the rivers leads to the major health issue. Metal
and lakes it contaminates, and can result in contaminated water leads to hair loss, liver
mortality. cirrhosis, renal failure and neural disorder
 Suspended particles in freshwater reduces
the quality of drinking water for humans and
the aquatic environment for marine life.
Suspended particles can often reduce the
amount of sunlight penetrating the water,
disrupting the growth of photosynthetic
plants and micro-organisms.
 Heavy metals from industrial processes can
accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers. These
are toxic to marine life such as fish and
shellfish, and can affect the rest of the food
chain. This means that entire animal
communities can be badly affected by this
type of pollutant.
 Industrial waste often contains many toxic
compounds that damage the health of
aquatic animals and those who eat them.
Some toxins affect the reproductive success
 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
of marine life and can therefore disrupt the
community structure of an aquatic environment.
 Microbial pollutants from sewage often result
in infectious diseases that infect aquatic life
and terrestrial life through drinking water.
This often increases the number of mortalities
seen within an environment.
 Organic matter and nutrients causes an
increase in aerobic algae and depletes oxygen
from the water column. This is called
eutrophication and causes the suffocation of
fish and other aquatic organisms.
 Sulfate particles from acid rain change the pH
of water making it more acidic, this damages
the health of marine life in the rivers and
lakes it contaminates, and often increases the
number of mortalities within an environment.
 Suspended particles can often reduce the
amount of sunlight penetrating the water,
disrupting the growth of photosynthetic
plants and micro-organisms. This has
subsequent effects on the rest of the aquatic
community that depend on these organisms
to survive.
FLASH FLOODS  Destruction of sewage  Causes of diseases such as cholera and other
 Destruction of dams and desctruction of Water borne diseases
levees  Loss of life
 During floods (especially flash floods), roads,  Contamination of drinking water
bridges, farms, houses and automobiles are  People become homeless.
destroyed.  Many people and animals have died in flash
 Chemicals and other hazardous substances floods. Many more are injured and others
end up in the water and eventually made homeless.
contaminate the water bodies that floods end  Water supply and electricity are disrupted
up in. and people struggle and suffer as a result
 Additionally, flooding causes kills animals, and
others insects are introduced to affected
 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM
OIL SPILL
EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
distorting the natural balance of the
ecosystem.
 Agricultural lands are destroyed due
to crops being submerged in water.
This causes a lot of economic loss to
farmers.
 Wildlife and livestock health and
well-being
 Riverbank erosion and
sedimentation
 Dispersal of nutrients and pollution
 Replenishment of surface and
groundwater
 Suffocation of marine mammals
 Death of trees from oil in roots
 During and after an oil spill, animals
can suffer detrimental effects on
their fur and feathers. For example,
a seal pup's fur will break down,
causing it to experience
hypothermia. This same effect is
responsible for the majority of bird
deaths in oil slicks. Outright
ingestion of oil creates toxins in the
system. This is seen in animals in
the immediate vicinity of the oil spill
and also by animals farther up the
food chain. If a fish consumes a
EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
 In addition to this, flooding brings a
lot of diseases and infections
including military fever, pneumonic
plague, dermatopathia and
dysentery
 Sometimes insects and snakes make
their ways to the area and cause a
lot of havoc.
 Local landscape and habitat
 With all manner of sea life
destroyed, the culture could not
continue to flourish and became
essentially a welfare community
with a very poor economy.
 Oil spills have negative impacts on
the residents of the affected areas.
These effects can be aggravated by
severe weather conditions.
 General population-The effects of
oil spills on humans may be direct
and indirect, depending on the type
of contact with the oil spill.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
small amount of oil, it can survive, but
may pass on that oil to another animal far
away from the site, causing its death.
 One long-term effect on animals is
the fact that most birds and reptiles
exposed to an oil slick have the side
effect of producing thinner egg
shells. In addition, algae and sea
grass becomes tainted. This can
make the entire ecosystem
uninhabitable for years.
 The oil environmental impact on
water in damaging in a variety of
ways. When there are oil spills in
the ocean or freshwater, it does not
blend with the water. Oil floats on
the surface of salt and fresh water.
Over a very short period of time,
the oil spreads out into a very thin
layer across the surface of the
water. This can block sunlight from
reaching oceanic environments,
which can severely impact
producers and, thus, the entire food
chain of an ecosystem.
 Marine and coastal life can be
contaminated in a number of ways,
through poison by ingestion,
destruction of habitat and direct
EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
Direct exposure to oil spills – occurs close
to where people live or work and where
they may come in contact with oil spill
components:
By breathing contaminated air - since oil
and products (petroleum products) have
many volatile compounds which are
emitted as gases from spilled oil, the air
becomes contaminated with those volatile
oil products or vapors producing specific
odors. Even when odors are not felt, a
health risk may exist for some individual
compounds if residents are exposed
(breath the air) for a long time. Of course,
when the smell is obvious the health risk
increases. Once in the air, contamination
may travel over long distances. Of course,
that vapors will also become more diluted
with the distance traveled. So, the original
contamination levels at the source along
with specific weather conditions may
dictate the final spreading of oil
contaminated air vapors.
By direct contact with the skin - people
may come in direct contact with oil and/or
oil products while walking in a
contaminated area (e.g., beach). An initial
irritation will be obvious.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
contact with oil. For example, when oil
floats on the water surface, a marine
mammal that surfaces in the center of the
slick ingests the oil.
 Oil can have harmful effects on
marine life development and
growth (both plants and animals).
Animals at the surface of the water,
such as otters and sea birds, are at a
greater risk of being affected
because oil floats. Oil that gets on
the feathers of birds can prevent
them from flying, swimming, and
diving, which is how many find
food.
 Long-term ceasing of activities such
as fishing in the polluted waters
that affects fishermen and fisheries
if a very large amount of oil is
spilled; for example, the BP oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico had already
impacted many local fishermen's
and fisheries' normal activity, and
this looks like a long-term effect
due to the very large amount of
spilled oil. Effects on local fishermen
are detailed below.
EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
By direct contact with the skin - people
may come in direct contact with oil and/or
oil products while walking in a
contaminated area (e.g., beach). An initial
irritation will be
Indirect exposure to oil spills - even when
people live in places far from where the
actual oil spill took place:
By bathing in contaminated water - for
example swimming in a contaminated
water stream - even when an oil sheen
may not be visible, dissolved oil
contaminants may exist in the water if it
was impacted by an oil spill
By eating contaminated food - some oil
compounds bioaccumulate in living
organisms and may become more
concentrated along the food chain.
Humans may become exposed to
concentrations of contaminants in the
food that could be orders of magnitude
higher than in the contaminated
environment. This is especially
problematic since residents could be
exposed even if they live far away from an
oil spill if they consume food coming from
a spill affected area
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
 Property value reduction depends
on the magnitude of the oil spill and
affects all the properties in a certain
area exposed to oil spill pollution;
this negative effect on property
value applies not only to those
properties directly affected by the
oil spill, but to all the properties in a
certain area exposed to oil spill
pollution or at risk of becoming
polluted at some point in time
 The reduction of tourism in the
affected areas;
 The disturbance of land and sea
traffic, which affects import-export
activities;
EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
 Health problems due to the
exposure to spilled oil or its volatile
compounds may appear. Oil-spill
pollution diseases are obviously not
restricted to fishermen, affecting
the population (residents) living in
the affected area alike.
 Large oil spills, which usually occur
in the oceans, affect commercial
fishermen, seamen living in the
affected areas and ship workers on
the ships near the oil spill location.
Fishermen are directly affected by
large marine oil spills that
contaminate the fish species
swimming in the oil-polluted water,
along with ecosystem livelihoods.
Seamen can be affected if they
bathe in contaminated water – for
example swimming in a
contaminated water stream. Even
when an oil sheen may not be
visible, dissolved oil contaminants
may exist in the water. Last but not
least, ship workers can inhale the
fine particulate matter resulted
from oil spills.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
 Fishermen and local ship workers
can lose their jobs for extended
periods of time due to government
bans and restrictions on fishing.
Until the oil spill is stopped and the
clean-up of all oil pollution is
completed, thousands of square
miles may be closed. Being hard to
predict and quantify in terms of
dollar loss, this aspect is maybe the
most subtle and dangerous one.
 Fishing restrictions can generate
economic drops in the living area,
affecting fishermen and residents
from the area alike. Even if a
fisherman is willing to start a new
job and a new life, there may be
limited options for him. This is due
to the general economic downturn
as a result of oil spill pollution.
 Commercial fishermen who own
their own boats may lose them by:

-the lack of financial means to finish

any boat payments they may have
-being unable to put their boats to a
"good use" for a long period of
time.
 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
 Commercial fishermen who own
their own boats may lose them by:

-the lack of financial means to finish

CORAL REEF DEGRADATION
 Loss of edible reef fish
 Reduction of species diversity and
richness
 Alteration in the size structure of target
species
any boat payments they may have
-being unable to put their boats to a
"good use" for a long period of
time.
 In many places, the loss of coral reefs
would amount to an economic disaster,
depriving fishermen of their main source
of income, forcing people to find more
expensive forms of protein and
undermining the tourism industry.
 In addition, many countries depend on
coral reefs as a key barrier to guard
against incoming storms and mitigate the
damage done by surging seas. Without
healthy reefs, “you lose what is essentially
a moving, undersea sea wall,
 Coral reef damage also greatly affects
food security, income, the stability of the
whole ecosystem, and could increase the
threat of coastal disasters

ILLEGAL MINING  Water poisoning of all the living things in  Regular consumption of contaminated
it crops might lead to health problems
 Destruction of beautiful coral reefs caused by long-term metal
 Bareness of land exposure.Cigarettes made from tobacco
 Erosion growing on contaminated sites might also
 Sinkholes possibly have adverse effects on human
 Loss of biodiversity population, as tobacco tends to
accumulate cadmium and zinc in
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT
 Contamination of soil, groundwater and
surface water by chemicals emitted from
mining processes
 Subsidence
 Water pollution
 Acid rock drainage
 Heavy metals-Dissolution and transport of
metals and heavy metals by run-off and
ground water is another example of
environmental problems with mining,
 Effect on biodiversity-Destruction or
drastic modification of the original site
and anthropogenic substances release can
have major impact on biodiversity in the
area. Destruction of the habitat is the
main component of biodiversity losses,
but direct poisoning caused by mine-
extracted material, and indirect poisoning
through food and water, can also affect
animals, vegetation and microorganisms.
Habitat modification such as pH and
temperature modification disturb
communities in the surrounding area.
Endemic species are especially sensitive,
since they require very specific
environmental conditions. Destruction or
slight modification of their habitat put
them at the risk of extinction. Habitats
can be damaged when there is not
enough terrestrial product as well as by
non-chemical products, such as large
rocks from the mines that are discarded in
the surrounding landscape with no
EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
 Humans are also affected by mining.
There are many diseases that can come
from the pollutants that are released into
the air and water during the mining
process. For example, during smelting
operations large quantities of air
pollutants, such as the suspended
particulate matter, SOx, arsenic particles
and cadmium, are emitted. Metals are
usually emitted into the air as particulates
as well.
 There are also many occupational health
hazards that miners face. Most of miners
suffer from various respiratory and skin
diseases such as asbestosis, silicosis, or
black lung disease.
 Bad mining practices can ignite coal fires,
which can burn for decades, release fly
ash and smoke laden with greenhouse
gasses and toxic chemicals. Furthermore
mining releases coal mine methane, a
greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful
than carbon dioxide. Coal dust inhalation
causes black lung disease among miners
and those who live nearby, and mine
accidents kill thousands every year. Coal
mining displaces whole communities,
forced off their land by expanding mines,
coal fires, subsidence and contaminated
water supplies.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
concern for impacts on natural habitat. 
 The mining industry can impact aquatic
biodiversity through different ways. One
way can be direct poisoning; a higher risk
for this occurs when contaminants are
mobile in the sediment or bioavailable in
the water. Mine drainage can modify
water pH, making it hard to differentiate
direct impact on organisms from impacts
caused by pH changes. Effects can
nonetheless be observed and proven to
be caused by modifications.Contaminants
can also affect aquatic organisms through
physical effects:streams with high
concentrations of suspended sediment
limit light, thus diminishing algae
biomass.Metal oxide deposition can limit
biomass by coating algae or their
substrate, thereby preventing
colonization.
 Plants can be affected through direct
poisoning, for example arsenic soil
content reduces bryophyte diversity. Soil
acidification through pH diminution by
chemical contamination can also lead to a
diminished species number.Contaminants
can modify or disturb microorganisms,
thus modifying nutrient availability,
causing a loss of vegetation in the area.
Some tree roots divert away from deeper
soil layers in order to avoid the
contaminated zone, therefore lacking
anchorage within the deep soil layers,
resulting in the potential uprooting by the
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
 Cultivated crops might be a problem near 
mines. Most crops can grow on weakly
contaminated sites, but yield is generally
lower than it would have been in regular
growing conditions. Plants also tend to
accumulate heavy metals in their aerian
organs, possibly leading to human intake
through fruits and vegetables.
 Habitat destruction is one of the main
issues of mining activity. Huge areas of
natural habitat are destroyed during mine
construction and exploitation, forcing
animals to leave the site.
 Animals can be poisoned directly by mine
products and residuals. Bioaccumulation
in the plants or the smaller organisms
they eat can also lead to poisoning:
horses, goats and sheep are exposed in
certain areas to potentially toxic
concentration of copper and lead in
grass.There are fewer ant species in soil
containing high copper levels, in the
vicinity of a copper mine. If fewer ants are
found, chances are higher that other
organisms living in the surrounding
landscape are strongly affected by the
high copper levels as well. Ants have good
judgement whether an area is habitual as
they live directly in the soil and are thus
sensitive to environmental disruptions.
 Illegal mining destroys landscapes, forests
and wildlife habitats at the site of the
mine when trees, plants, and topsoil are
cleared from the mining area. This in turn
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM EFFECTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS ON THE PEOPLE’S HEALTH
leads to soil erosion and destruction of 
agricultural land.
 When rain washes the loosened top soil
into streams, sediments pollute
waterways. This can hurt fish and smother
plant life downstream, and cause
disfiguration of river channels and
streams, which leads to flooding.
REFLECT:
1.What did you feel after doing the activity?

 We feel more responsible to do something such as disseminating this information so that these issues can be acted by the ones
who have more power and ability to do so.
2. Who could be the possible victims of these environmental problems?
 Everyone can be a victim, from the animals to the people who are directly causing these things to the people who have no
idea this is going on. These are something that can and will cause a chain reaction in which everyone will be affected.
3. Do people still have the chance to restore what was lost in the environment?
 Certain things such as trees and the pollution of water can be restored to a certain point but sadly not everything. All we can
do is try and prevent these from happening again and controlling and negating the effects of what has been done.
4.After knowing the effects of these environmental problems, does our environment still have something to offer to humanity?
 Yes, even the air we breathe is still our environment's offer to humanity. The very habitat we have is something that they
offered and we should do our best to not lose them so. Even some of these scarce resources are still available but we
shouldn't deplete them.
5.How can you explain the destruction of the environment to the young and innocent children?
 Showing the results will be the easiest way to convince them that this is actually happening and is not just some made up
story.
 LESSON 3
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN THE PHILIPPINES

GROUP 1
ACTIVITY 23: SUM IT UP!

Nilo, Pearl Irene Joy G. Mahinay, Thelma Ara Joy

Garcia, Gymhel Bonggat, Pearl Angeline
Casiningan, Mitchy Guevarra, Maikee Isabel
Barte, Mary Joy Lawaan, Renalyn
De Guzman, Mary Rose Larracas, Arjay
Labanza, Jervie Bautista, Chant
Ulzame, Airon Sapida, Mark Daniel
Angosta, John Clive Del Gado, Henry

Grade 9-Guyabano
Mrs. Haironiza H. Wahab-Yanson