Exploring Environmental Issues in Kissimmee, FL: Impacts on Health Outcomes - Essay Sample

Introduction

Kissimmee, Florida, is faced with a range of environmental problems. One of these is the spread of toxic algae across the waters in the region. Another issue is water pollution that affects the lives of people living in that community. The third issue is flooding that arises from poor land use (Lapointe, Herren, & Paule, 2017). In this paper, it would be crucial to focus on how these issues impact the health outcomes of individuals in Kissimmee, Florida, their primary causes, as well as steps that can help reduce the environmental problems when corporately implemented.

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How Environmental Issues Affect the Health of individuals

The toxic algae taint waterways and foul the air. The community consumes the water hence are at risk of water-borne infections like cholera and diarrhea (Schade-Poole & Moller, 2016). Additionally, as the algae foul the air, it leads to environmental pollution, which has adverse effects on the health of the community. Water pollution degrades the quality of water that individuals in Kissimmee, Florida use for their basic needs (Yoder & Chowdhury, 2018). Flooding that arises from improper use of land may cause injuries and cases of drowning to people within the community. The floodwater can also contain infectious organisms such as intestinal bacteria that would adversely affect the health of residents of the Kissimmee Florida area.

Primary Causes of the Environmental Issues

Discharges from Lake Okeechobee lead to algae blooms in the waterways. The toxic algae are also caused by poor management of agricultural and urban runoff that ends up in the water bodies. In the region, leaking septic tanks are not properly managed; hence their discharges get their way to waterways, which provide a conducive environment for the growth of algae (Schade-Poole & Moller, 2016). Moreover, the Everglades does not allow the natural flow of fresh and clean water, thereby sustaining the unique ecosystems of toxic algae. Water pollution emanates from industrial emissions that are poorly discharged into waterways. The residents generate solid wastes that are improperly managed and pollute the water bodies in the area.

Agricultural activities also cause pollution as farmers use chemicals like fertilizers and pesticides that runoff in the water. Sprawling development in Kissimmee, Florida community consumes open land and eliminates areas that would help in the recharge of groundwater. This leaves the land bare hence the potential for flooding (Yoder & Chowdhury, 2018). A rise in the sea levels during high tides also cause flooding. Consequently, this threatens the intrusion of saltwater in the water supplies of people within the community.

Steps to Reduce Environmental Problems

Harmful algal blooms have affected the rivers and estuaries in Kissimmee, Florida. As such, appropriate strategies need to be in place to help deal with this menace. Food companies can help farmers in the supply chain within the region to reduce the loss of fertilizers. This can be ensured by training retailers on the best practices that would enhance the efficiency of fertilizer and soil health (Lapointe et al. 2017). Consequently, the retailers will share the knowledge with several customers who they serve. Through this, they will prevent fertilizer discharges into water sources like Lake Okeechobee.

Businesses, residents, as well as visitors, contribute pollutants to the lakes and rivers in Kissimmee, Florida (Schade-Poole & Moller, 2016). Organizations that sell herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers should encourage their customers to handle the chemicals with care and inform them about the harmful effects of flushing those chemicals into surface water systems. Risk Management and Consulting firms can map the topography of the land in the community using light detection and ranging to help in modeling water inundation.

References

Lapointe, B. E., Herren, L. W., & Paule, A. L. (2017). Septic systems contribute to nutrient pollution and harmful algal blooms in the St. Lucie Estuary, Southeast Florida, USA. Harmful algae, 70, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2017.09.005

Schade-Poole, K., & Moller, G. (2016). Impact and mitigation of nutrient pollution and overland water flow change on the Florida Everglades, USA. Sustainability, 8(9), 940. https://doi.org/10.3390/su8090940

Yoder, L., & Chowdhury, R. R. (2018). Tracing social capital: How stakeholder group interactions shape agricultural water quality restoration in the Florida Everglades. Land Use Policy, 77, 354-361. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0264837717316940