The various modes of transportation hazardous materials and impact upon an incident

Modes of Transportation Hazardous Materials and Impacts Upon an Incident
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Modes of Transportation Hazardous Materials and Impacts Upon an Incident
Transportation refers to the act of moving goods, animals, and humans from one place to another. In particular, different modes of transport facilitate the mobility of people and commodities, which is crucial for economic growth and development. Despite transportation serving an essential role in a country’s economy, it has multiple environmental impacts. The primary modes of transportation are air, road, water, pipeline, and railway. Every method has its advantages and disadvantages. For example, pipelines are the most effective mode of transporting liquid, such as petroleum products. However, if leakage occurs and it is undetected for an extended period, it might pose environmental health issues to individuals residing nearby. The paper focuses on various modes of transportation, hazardous materials, and their effects on the environment.
The common mode of transportation in the United States of America (USA) and other countries is the road. Many cities are connected with roads, which makes it possible for people to move from one town to another quickly. However, road transportation accounts for about 30% of the carbon dioxide emissions in European countries and approximately 50% in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations (WHO, 2020). Hazardous materials that emanate from this mode of transportation include carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulfur dioxide. The increase in the concentration of the above gases in the atmosphere can lead to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. For example, based on a report by the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution from road transport caused around 4.2 million deaths in 2012 worldwide.
Pipelines are usually dedicated to the transportation of petroleum products. Although the installation of pipes is costly, they are easy to maintain if the right technology is used to monitor them. Pipelines are laid underground or in water bodies, such as oceans and seas, where they do not disrupt any activities on the ground. Although pipelines do not pollute the environment, the only problem associated with them is when an oil spillage occurs. If the leakage happens underground, it affects soil fertility and might flow and end in water bodies (Jacyna, Wasiak, Lewczuk, & Karon, 2017). When this incident happens in the sea, it contributes to the death of aquatic animals, particularly if the spilled content is more such that it covers a large surface of the water and hinders the free circulation of air. For instance, the pipeline leakage that occurred in the Kalamazoo River in the USA in 2010 cost the owner around $725 million in cleaning up (Cepeda et al., 2017). As a result, pipelines can cause a significant environmental issue, particularly if they are not monitored and maintained regularly.
Water transport is the most effective mode of transportation for heavy and bulky cargo. As such, it involves the use of large vessels, such as ferries, cruise ships, tankers, and reefer ships. Since these carriers use a diesel combustion engine ...