POLLUTION

What is pollution?

Pollution is the introduction of a contaminant into the environment. It is created mostly by human actions, but can also be a result of natural disasters. Pollution has a detrimental effect on any living organism in an environment, making it virtually impossible to sustain life.Pollution harms the Earth’s environment and its inhabitants in many ways. The three main types of pollution are:

Land Pollution

-       Land pollution is pollution of the Earth’s natural land surface by industrial, commercial, domestic and agricultural activities.

What are the sources of land pollution?

Some of the main contributors to land pollution are:

v  Chemical and nuclear plants

v  Industrial factories

v  Oil refineries

v  Human sewage

v  Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars

v  Mining

v  Littering

v  Overcrowded landfills

v  Deforestation

v  Construction debris

Facts about Land Pollution..

Here are a few facts about land pollution:

      Land pollution causes us to lose 24 billion tons of top soil every year

      Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year

      We throw away enough trash every day to fill 63,000 garbage trucks

      Every day Americans throw away 1 million bushels of litter out their car window

      Over 80% of items in landfills can be recycled, but they’re not

      How to Prevent Land Pollution

      The best way to prevent land pollution is to recycle. Here are a few other ways you can reduce land pollution:

      Reuse any items that you can

      Buy biodegradable products

      Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers

      Eat organic foods that are grown without pesticides

      Don’t use pesticides

      Use a drip tray to collect engine oil

      Buy products that have little packaging

Air Pollution

      Air pollution is the accumulation of hazardous substances into the atmosphere that danger human life and other living matter.

      What are the sources of air pollution?

      Some of the main contributors to air pollution are:

      Automobile emissions

      Tobacco smoke

      Combustion of coal

      Acid rain

      Noise pollution from cars and construction

      Power plants

      Manufacturing buildings

      Large ships

      Paint fumes

      Aerosol sprays

      Wildfires

      Nuclear weapons

      Facts about Air Pollution

      Here are a few facts about air pollution:

      Almost 232 million different types of vehicles are driven by U.S. citizens every day, adding greenhouse gases into the air

      U.S. vehicle emissions contribute 45% to global warming

      The average adult consumes 3,000 gallons of polluted air every day

      Vehicle exhaust contributes to 60% of carbon monoxide emissions in the U.S. and up to 95% in large cities

      Every year 335,000 Americans die of lung cancer, which is a direct result of air pollution

How to Prevent Air Pollution

      The number one way to prevent air pollution is to walk or bike more and drive less. This will prevent fossil fuels from polluting the air. Here are some other ways to prevent air pollution:

      Carpool or join a ride share with friends and coworkers

      Don’t smoke

      Keep your car maintenance up-to-date

      If you have to drive, do your errands at one time

      Don’t buy products that come in aerosol spray cans

      Avoid using lighter fluid when barbecuing outside

      When you drive accelerate slowly and use cruise control

      Always replace your car’s air filter

      Use a push or electric lawnmower rather than a gas-powered one

      Don’t use harsh chemical cleaners that can emit fumes

      Inspect your gas appliances and heaters regularly

How to prevent noisy pollution

ü  Do not use car horns unnecessarily. Areas like hospitals and campuses are silence zones and honking is prohibited there.

ü  Avoid loud music, which hurts your ears and others' ears.

ü  Firecrackers are extremely loud. So don't try and burn them unnecessarily.

ü  Motors, machines and vehicles also produce loud noises when not maintained properly. Proper maintenance should be carried out for better performance.

ü  If you are working in an area where there are loud noises, you must wear earplugs to prevent loss of hearing.

ü  When going to theme parks and such, avoid riding on the rides which produce a lot of noise. One example is the ATV, which is like a huge motorbike.

ü  Turn off the engine of your car or motorbike when you are not using it. It stops the annoying hum, and reduces air pollution!

ü  Better off, walk or cycle to school! It does wonders to the environment, reduces the amount of air pollution and noise, and makes you fit!

Water Pollution

Water pollution is the introduction of chemical, biological and physical matter into large bodies of water that degrade the quality of life that lives in it and consumes it.

What are the sources of water pollution?

Some of the main contributors to water pollution are:

• Factories
• Refineries
• Waste treatment facilities
• Mining
• Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers
• Human sewage
• Oil spills
• Failing septic systems
• Soap from washing your car
• Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars
• Household chemicals
• Animal waste

Facts about Water Pollution

Here are a few facts about water pollution:

• Over two-thirds of U.S. estuaries and bays are severely degraded because of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution
• Every year almost 25% of U.S. beaches are closed at least once because of water pollution
• Over 73 different kinds of pesticides have been found in the groundwater that we eventually use to drink
• 1.2 trillion gallons of sewage, stormwater and industrial waste are discharged into U.S. waters every year
• 40% of U.S. rivers are too polluted for aquatic life to survive
• Americans use over 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year, which eventually washes into our rivers and lakes

How to Prevent Water Pollution

The best way to prevent water pollution is to not throw trash and other harmful chemicals into our water supplies. Here are a few more ways you can prevent water pollution:

• Wash your car far away from any stormwater drains
• Don’t throw trash, chemicals or solvents into sewer drains
• Inspect your septic system every 3-5 years
• Avoid using pesticides and fertilizers that can run off into water systems
• Sweep your driveway instead of hosing it down
• Always pump your waste-holding tanks on your boat
• Use non-toxic cleaning materials
• Clean up oil and other liquid spills with kitty litter and sweet them up
• Don’t wash paint brushes in the sink

Environmental Pollution Effects on Humans

We know that pollution causes not only physical disabilities but also psychological and behavioral disorders in people.

We are discussing the effects of air pollution and specific air pollutants in more detail in the Air Pollutants article.

The following pollution effects on humans have been reported:

Air Pollution Effects

• Reduced lung functioning
• Irritation of eyes, nose, mouth and throat
• Asthma attacks
• Respiratory symptoms such as coughing and wheezing
• Increased respiratory disease such as bronchitis

• Reduced energy levels
• Headaches and dizziness
• Disruption of endocrine, reproductive and immune systems
• Neurobehavioral disorders
• Cardiovascular problems
• Cancer
• Premature death

Water Pollution Effects

Waterborne diseases caused by polluted drinking water:

• Typhoid
• Amoebiasis
• Giardiasis
• Ascariasis
• Hookworm

Waterborne diseases caused by polluted beach water:

• Rashes, ear ache, pink eye
• Respiratory infections
• Hepatitis, encephalitis, gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, vomiting, and stomach aches

·         Conditions related to water polluted by chemicals (such as pesticides, hydrocarbons, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals etc):

• Cancer, incl. prostate cancer and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
• Hormonal problems that can disrupt reproductive and developmental processes
• Damage to the nervous system
• Liver and kidney damage
• Damage to the DNA
• Exposure to mercury (heavy metal): 
• In the womb: may cause neurological problems including slower reflexes, learning deficits, delayed or incomplete mental development, autism and brain damage
• In adults: Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, and even death

Other notes:

• Water pollution may also result from interactions between water and contaminated soil, as well as from deposition of air contaminants (such as acid rain)
• Damage to people may be caused by fish foods coming from polluted water (a well known example is high mercury levels in fish)
• Damage to people may be caused by vegetable crops grown / washed with polluted water (author’s own conclusion)

Soil Pollution Effects

• Causes cancers including leukaemia
• Lead in soil is especially hazardous for young children causing developmental damage to the brain
• Mercury can increase the risk of kidney damage; cyclodienes can lead to liver toxicity
• Causes neuromuscular blockage as well as depression of the central nervous system
• Also causes headaches, nausea, fatigue, eye irritation and skin rash

Other notes:

• Contact with contaminated soil may be direct (from using parks, schools etc) orindirect (by inhaling soil contaminants which have vaporized)
• Soil pollution may also result from secondary contamination of water supplies and from deposition of air contaminants (for example, via acid rain)
• Contamination of crops grown in polluted soil brings up problems with food security
• Since it is closely linked to water pollution, many effects of soil contamination appear to be similar to the ones caused by water contamination

Environmental Pollution Effects on Animals

Effects of Pollution on Animals - Air Pollution

• Acid rain (formed in the air) destroys fish life in lakes and streams
• Excessive ultraviolet radiation coming from the sun through the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere which is eroded by some air pollutants, may cause skin cancer in wildlife
• Ozone in the lower atmosphere may damage lung tissues of animals

Effects of Pollution on Animals - Water Pollution

• Nutrient pollution (nitrogen, phosphates etc) causes overgrowth of toxic algae eaten by other aquatic animals, and may cause death; nutrient pollution can also cause outbreaks of fish diseases
• Chemical contamination can cause declines in frog biodiversity and tadpole mass
• Oil pollution (as part of chemical contamination) can negatively affect development of marine organisms, increase susceptibility to disease and affect reproductive processes; can also cause gastrointestinal irritation, liver and kidney damage, and damage to the nervous system
• Mercury in water can cause abnormal behavior, slower growth and development, reduced reproduction, and death
• Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may cause declines, deformities and death of fish life
• Too much sodium chloride (ordinary salt) in water may kill animals

Other notes:

• We also assume that some higher forms of non-aquatic animals may have similar effects from water pollution as those experienced by humans, as described above

Effects of Pollution on Animals - Soil Pollution

• Can alter metabolism of microorganisms and arthropods in a given soil environment; this may destroy some layers of the primary food chain, and thus have a negative effect on predator animal species
• Small life forms may consume harmful chemicals which may then be passed up the food chain to larger animals; this may lead to increased mortality rates and even animal extinction

Environmental Pollution Effects on Trees and Plants

Air Pollution

• Acid rain can kill trees, destroy the leaves of plants, can infiltrate soil by making it unsuitable for purposes of nutrition and habitation
• Ozone holes in the upper atmosphere can allow excessive ultraviolet radiation from the sun to enter the Earth causing damage to trees and plants
• Ozone in the lower atmosphere can prevent plant respiration by blocking stomata (openings in leaves) and negatively affecting plants’ photosynthesis rates which will stunt plant growth; ozone can also decay plant cells directly by entering stomata

Water Pollution

• May disrupt photosynthesis in aquatic plants and thus affecting ecosystems that depend on these plants 
• Terrestrial and aquatic plants may absorb pollutants from water (as their main nutrient source) and pass them up the food chain to consumer animals and humans
• Plants may be killed by too much sodium chloride (ordinary slat) in water 
• Plants may be killed by mud from construction sites as well as bits of wood and leaves, clay and other similar materials 
• Plants may be killed by herbicides in water; herbicides are chemicals which are most harmful to plants 

Soil Pollution

• May alter plant metabolism and reduce crop yields 
• Trees and plants may absorb soil contaminants and pass them up the food chain