DEGRADATION OF WETLANDS CAUSED BY POLLUTION
The term “hazardous materials” encompasses all materials with properties deemed hazardous for our health or the environment. In the “savage dumps” we clean up, we find many discarded objects that contain the following hazardous materials.
- Tires: Antioxidants, adhesives, vulcanizing accelerators, etc.
Source: https://www.recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca/entreprises-organismes/mieux-gerer/pneus-hors-usage
- Cars: Lead-acid batteries, motor oil, oil filers, brake and cooling fluids, air conditioning fluid, pyrotechnical elements used in safety airbags or seat belt pretensioners, tires, bumpers, windshields, body panels, etc.
Source: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_environnemental_du_transport_routier#cite_note
- Metals: Metal pollution is especially problematic because metals are not biodegradable. Some of them travel up the food chain and end up in living organisms. On the sites we visit for cleanups, we encounter some waste materials that contain metals like aluminium, arsenic, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and zinc, or even heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury, lead, etc.
Source: https://www.actu-environnement.com/ae/dossiers/air/metaux-louds.php4
Countless particles are polluting our wetlands, and a lot of research has been done on the issue over the past few years. We just hope it’s not too late.
PROTECTION OF WILDLIFE SPECIES
Quebec is home to over 30,000 wildlife species. Aquatic ecosystems and wetlands are essential to numerous species at some stages of their life cycle.
Loss, degradation, and fragmentation of habitats are the most cited threats to explain the vulnerable status of species closely connected to wetlands. Aside from invertebrates and fish, a wide variety of bird, amphibian, reptile and mammalian species (including humans) have suffered from degradation and pollution of their natural environments due to the development of human societies.
CITIZEN EDUCATION
During our watercourse cleanup activities, citizens offer their help to remove waste materials from the shores. This is a great opportunity for volunteers to truly act for the environment, while becoming aware of the state nature is currently in. When they meet other people who are doing the same activity to protect the environment, it motivates them to keep believing their involvement is worth it.
CLEANUP MENU
