All throughout history, humankind has been making technological advances and progressing, especially after the Industrial Age. But while they were building factories and manufacturing goods, they were also creating waste and pollution. We’ve started to learn more about the consequences of human activities in the environment, but we still continue to damage the environment regardless to fulfill our own needs. These are only a few examples, so here are seven daunting disasters brought on by the ignorance of humans.

1. Pacific Gyre Garbage Patch

The “Pacific trash vortex” is an island of waste, comprised of tiny pieces of plastic called micro-plastic from things like fishing gear, located in the North Pacific Ocean. It is approximately 1.9 million square kilometers. It poses a risk to marine life as animals can get tangled in waste like nets or choke, mistaking them for food. The plastics could also absorb and accumulate pollutants, which would enter and disrupt the food chain as food sources begin to die out.

2. Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill

The “largest marine oil spill in history,” caused by the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, took place in the Gulf of Mexico and spilled millions of barrels of oil. While there were many efforts for cleanup, wild life was still heavily effected, and some of the damage done may even be permanent. As the rig sank and continued to leak oil in the deep ocean, the full unknown, as there may be damage done to deep underwater systems that we have no way of finding.

3. Love Canal

Located in Niagra Falls, New York, Love Canal was the site of toxic waste as at about 21,000 tons of chemicals, including carcinogens, were dumped by the Hooker Chemical Company beneath the neighborhood. The chemicals were eventually leached and rose to the surface and began to affect the population.

There were cases of illnesses, miscarriages and children born with birth defects, and around 240 families had to be relocated. It took demanding and protesting from the rest of the population before the area was accepted for treatment and remediation.

4. Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone

Dead zones are areas in lakes or oceans of low oxygen levels caused by extra nutrient runoff, among other factors. The dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico is the largest measured yet, being closed to 8,185 square miles. It was caused mainly by the agricultural runoff polluting the Mississippi. Dead zones cause change in habitat as fish leave to find other habitable areas, decrease in reproductive abilities in fish and a decrease in shrimp size.

5. Guiyu E-waste

Guiyu in Guangdong Province, China is thought to be the largest e-waste site in the world. They receive shipments and process around 100 truckloads per day, but this does not bode well for either the environment of the people and workers in the area. The workers have to dig through the e-waste and separate the parts by hand, making them most susceptible to contamination of any toxins from the waste.

The groundwater in the area is also so acidic and polluted by industrial waste that it is undrinkable. The pollution is also shown to cause skin damage, ulcers and nausea, among other health issues in workers.

6. The Great Smog

“The Great Smog of London” took place in London in 1952. It was caused by a heavy fog that stayed stationary in London for 5 days and mixed with pollution from factories and buses. The reason that this case was so detrimental was because there was a temperature inversion, which trapped the cool air on the bottom underneath the warm air. This caused the smoke and pollution to not rise, and the smog to become progressively denser.

The Great Smog resulted in about 12,000 deaths from ailments including bronchitis and pneumonia.

7. Bhopal Disaster

The “Bhopal Gas Tragedy” took place in Bhopal, India, where the Union Carbide pesticide plant leaked around 30 tons of poisonous gas, polluting surrounding towns around the area. It caused people’s eyes and throats to burn, nausea and even children being born mentally and physically unstable many years later. It has killed over 15,000 people over the years.