In many areas, yes, deforestation is increasing. According to Mongabay, deforestation trends have been higher in the past decade due to a growing demand for several things. As the population grows, so too does the need for more lumber, more fuel, more food, and more space.

Cutting down rainforests can damage habitat, diminish levels of biodiversity and food sources, degrade the soil, pollute rivers and lands, and cause areas to dry out affecting the overall productivity for the peoples and animals that live there.

In 2020, the Brazilian Amazon Deforestation Monitoring Program (PRODES; see Supplementary Information) estimated deforestation of 11,088 km2 based on 45% of the monitored area. This represents an increase of 47% and 9.5% compared to 2018 and 2019, respectively, and is the highest rate in the decade1.

The ever-growing human consumption and population is the biggest cause of forest destruction due to the vast amounts of resources, products, services we take from it. Direct human causes of deforestation include logging, agriculture, cattle ranching, mining, oil extraction and dam-building.

“Southern Amazonia can expect to reach a tipping point sometime before 2064 at the current rate of dry-season lengthening.” Earlier this year, a different study found that the Amazon ecosystem could collapse in less than 50 years with deforestation being the primary culprit.

Tourists are especially prone to sickness while traveling in the Amazon rainforest. According to Goparoo Travel Guide, the biggest threat comes from mosquitoes carrying malaria and yellow fever. These are both serious illnesses, so get the appropriate vaccinations before you go to the Amazon.

Swimming in the big rivers (Amazon, Marañon, Ucayali) is generally not a good idea due to strong currents more so than parasites. Swimming in the smaller tributaries, especially black water tributaries and lakes is safe, but don’t swallow the water.

The Most Dangerous Animals in the Amazon Rainforest

• Amazonian Giant Centipede. Thinkstock.
• Black Caiman. Thinkstock.
• Brazilian Wandering Spider. Shutterstock.
• Bull Shark. Shutterstock.
• Bullet Ant. Thinkstock.
• Electric Eel. Thinkstock.
• Green Anaconda. Thinkstock.
• Mosquitos. Thinkstock.

There are guided tours on the Amazon to see things like the Amazon River Dolphin, some of which apparently will let people swim with them. Based on this, it’s probably safe to swim in those areas, but like any river with wild-life there are no guarantees. If you are worried about wildlife, not very dangerous.

It may surprise you to learn that there are sharks lurking in the murky waters of the Amazon River. And not just any shark for that matter. The Amazon region is home to what scientists consider to be the most dangerous shark in the world – the mighty bull shark.

And, despite reports to the contrary, it is certainly impossible for the fish to swim up a stream of urine originating from above the waterline. In short, if one urinates in the Amazon while their genitalia is submerged and exposed, the risk is elevated from impossible to ridiculously improbable.

Candiru

“In order to swim up a pee stream, the fish would have to swim faster than the stream flow [and] lift itself out of the water against gravity,” says Bertram. “In any event, even if the candiru could power itself up the stream, it would have to stay completely within the urine and that would be difficult.”

candiru

The candiru feeds on blood and is commonly found in the gill cavities of other fishes. It sometimes also attacks humans and has been known to enter the urethras of bathers and swimming animals.

These salts are removed through the use of the kidneys whereby they help the fish retain water and actively excrete salts to produce a very concentrated urine. This also means that marine fish do not urinate as much as freshwater fish.

Generally, peeing in the ocean is totally fine, the ACS says – and it may even be beneficial to marine life, as the nitrogen in urea combines with water to produce ammonium, which feeds ocean plants.

One reason baseball players might pee on their hands is to toughen the skin. The urea content of urine, however, is much lower than that of common skin lotions. This means that players probably would achieve much better results from simply using lotion than from peeing on their hands.

Er, yes, you can poop in the ocean. Like ten trillion fish. On most offshore sailboats, the toilets pumps straight into the ocean.

The truth is that while urine isn’t as clean and pure as some people think it is, most of the time it’s not likely to cause health problems if you occasionally opt for the shower drain instead of the toilet bowl.

Nearly 100% of elite competitive swimmers pee in the pool. Regularly. Some deny it, some proudly embrace it, but everyone does. You always try to pee before you swim, but sometimes your body defies logic and finds a way to refill your bladder just to spite you.

The urine is astringent, sweet, white and sharp. The last is known today as the urine of diabetes mellitus. English physician Thomas Willis noted the same relationship in 1674, reporting that diabetic piss tastes “wonderfully sweet as if it were imbued with honey or sugar.”

Originally Answered: Why is urination called peeing? “Pee” is a euphemistic version of the word “piss,” which hails from the Old French “pisser” (to piss). Pisser comes from the Vulgar Latin “pissiare ,” which they used as an onomatopoeia for the sound of urinating.

“Urine is normally sterile as a body fluid. Even if you have a urinary tract infection with bacteria in your urine it would be inactivated with the chlorine levels in the public water supply,” he said. “So there’s really no known disease transmission with urine left un-flushed in the toilet.”

Pee is an informal but common word that means “to urinate.” Of all the slang words for bodily functions, this is one of the least offensive. Though it’s not very naughty to talk about peeing or taking a pee, this term is a little childish.

Why is pee yellow? Your kidneys break down old hemoglobin, which is a portion of your red blood cells, and release the waste via your urine. One of these wastes is urochrome, a yellow-tinted substance. Urochrome can be amber in color, but when you drink enough water, the amber color gets more dilute and appears yellow.

This coloring is primarily caused by the pigment urochrome, also known as urobilin. Whether your urine is diluted by water or in a more concentrated form determines the appearance of the pigment. The more water you drink, and the more hydrated you become, the lighter the pigment in your urine.

When kidneys are failing, the increased concentration and accumulation of substances in urine lead to a darker color which may be brown, red or purple. The color change is due to abnormal protein or sugar, high levels of red and white blood cells, and high numbers of tube-shaped particles called cellular casts.

Dehydration occurs when you don’t drink enough fluids. If you’re dehydrated, you may notice that your urine is a dark yellow or orange color and smells like ammonia. Most people only experience minor dehydration and don’t require medical treatment.