Pollution: Ollution

Pollution
Figure 1 types of pollution
Pollution: is one of the most important and top challenges that

face all the world because it causes diseases that lead to death; as a
result of damaging things like (forests, oceans, ETC); rubbishing and
burning the garbage and insensibility people the result of this
damaging .
In Egypt: pollution is a very big problem that threaten the public health. As a result of
unknowing people about the danger of this pollution on their health.
 Types of pollution:
1- Water pollution:
2- Water pollution can affect surface water such as rivers and lakes, soil moisture and
groundwater in aquifers, and the oceans. As you know from Study Session 4, the
actions of the water cycle connect all these different reservoirs of water. For
example, a polluted river will discharge into the ocean and could damage the
marine environment. However, the volume of water in the ocean can disperse and
dilute the pollutant so that its worst effects are only felt near the mouth of the river.
3- Water pollution is characterised by the presence of excess physical, chemical or

biological substances that change the qualities of the water and are capable of
causing harm to living organisms. We mentioned earlier that natural or unpolluted
water is colourless, odourless and transparent. Water that tastes or smells bad or is
cloudy can be said to have the symptoms of water pollution. However, some water
pollutants cannot be seen or tasted, for example some chemicals, such as
pesticides, and most of the micro-organisms that cause waterborne diseases. So,
water pollution involves more than just the appearance of the water. Polluted water
should not be used for drinking, washing, bathing or agriculture. If polluted water is
used by humans, then it can adversely affect the body in different ways, depending
on the type and concentration of pollutant.
4- You also read that most rivers and streams in Ethiopia contain significant quantities
of suspended solids that are carried along in the flow and make the water look
brown in colour, especially in the rainy season (Figure 7.9). Most of the solids are
fine particles of soil that have been washed into the river from surrounding land by
rain, often following cultivation or construction
work. Large quantities of solids in the water can
reduce light penetration into the water which can
affect the growth of plants.
5- Biological water pollutants are micro-organisms

that are harmful to humans and other forms of life.
They are responsible for many different
waterborne diseases. The original source of these
pollutants is people or animals already infected
with the micro-organisms concerned. If faeces
from infected people are not correctly contained
and treated, the pollutants can get into surface
and groundwater. The main groups of biological Figure 21- Akaki River: suspended solids
pollutants are bacteria, viruses, protozoa and carried in the flow make the water look brown.
helminths (worms).
6- Chemical water pollutants take many different forms depending on their source.
They include plant nutrients (compounds of phosphorus and nitrogen) used as
fertilisers which, as you read earlier, can be washed from fields into rivers. These
nutrients are also produced by the breakdown of human and animal wastes and are
common pollutants of surface waters.
7- Chemical pollutants also include heavy metals, pesticides and other persistent

pollutants. Heavy metals are a group of toxic chemical pollutants that contain
compounds of persistent metals such as mercury, cadmium, lead and chromium.
The presence of heavy metals in water in excess of acceptable levels can cause
illness and death among animals and humans if consumed through drinking and
food (Zinabu and Pearce, 2003).
8- Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are also toxic to humans and wildlife. They
include many different synthetic organic chemicals manufactured for use as pesticides
and in industrial processes, e.g. DDT, aldrin and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).
Many of these persistent chemicals have been banned in some countries.
2- air pollution:
Air pollution can exist at all scales, from local to

global, and can include gases and solid particles.
It can affect you in your own home, or in your
town or city, and can contribute to global
atmospheric changes. The most common
sources of air pollution in the urban centres of
Ethiopia include the burning of wood, charcoal
and other biomass fuel by households, small
businesses such as bakeries, manufacturing
industries, and vehicles.
Air pollution is defined as the presence in the air of abnormal amounts of chemical
constituents capable of causing harm to living organisms. Clean air consists of
nitrogen (78% by volume), oxygen (21%) and trace gases (< 1%). Polluted air may
contain particulate matter (such as black soot) and many different gaseous
chemicals such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur
oxides, ozone, nitrates, sulphates, organic hydrocarbons and many others. Many of
these are also found in clean air as trace gases but they become pollutants if present
in abnormal quantities.
The emission of black smoke is an indication of intense pollution. However, not all air
pollution is visible or can be smelled. Gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon
dioxide are invisible and odourless. Carbon monoxide is very dangerous to humans.
It can be produced by inefficient burning of fuel (for example a charcoal stove in a
home with inadequate air supply) and if breathed in large quantities it can be deadly.
Carbon dioxide is an important pollutant that is involved in climate change.
3- Soil and land pollution:
Soil pollution, also called land pollution, is linked

to water pollution. Liquid wastes containing toxic
chemicals or pathogenic micro-organisms on the
surface of the land can seep slowly into the soil
and may percolate down to contaminate
groundwater, which can affect people using
springs or wells in the area. Possible sources
include open defecation, pit latrines or leaking storage containers for industrial
chemicals and wastes.
Solid waste can cause soil pollution. A collection of solid wastes in one place or
scattered around is unsightly and might smell bad to you as you pass by (Figure 3).
Household waste typically consists mostly of food waste that will gradually
decompose. This produces a bad odour and attracts insects and rats, both of which
contribute to the transmission of disease. As the waste decomposes it produces a
liquid called leachate which trickles down into the soil. Leachate is a highly
concentrated liquid pollutant that may contain toxic chemicals and pathogenic micro-
organisms as well as high levels of organic compounds. Rainwater falling on, and
washing through, solid waste adds to the problem.
4- noise pollution:
Noise pollution is generally defined
as regular exposure to elevated
sound levels that may lead to
adverse effects in humans or other
living organisms. According to the
World Health Organization, sound
levels less than 70 dB are not
damaging to living organisms,
regardless of how long or
consistent the exposure is.
Exposure for more than 8 hours to
constant noise beyond 85 dB may be hazardous. If you work for 8
hours daily in close proximity to a busy road or highway, you are
very likely exposed to traffic noise pollution around 85dB.
type of pollution is so omnipresent in today’s society that we often

fail to even notice it anymore:
 street traffic sounds from cars, buses, pedestrians, ambulances etc.

 construction sounds like drilling or other heavy machinery in operation
 airports, with constant elevated sounds from air traffic, i.e. planes taking off
or landing
 workplace sounds, often common in open-space offices
 constant loud music in or near commercial venues
 industrial sounds like fans, generators, compressor, mills
 train stations traffic
Human Diseases Caused by Noise Pollution
Whether we realize we are subjected to it or not, noise pollution can
be hazardous to our health in various ways:
1- Hypertension
2- Hearing loss
3- Sleep disturbances
4- Child development.
5- Dementia
Some solutions to tackle the problem:
▪Do proper scientific planning at the state level for new industrial
facilities and by designing scientific map of the geographic to distribute of
new polluting industries in the nature far away in the desert.
▪Expand the use of filters in industrial sites to filter and purify the
water.
▪Put some strict rules to prevent factories from throwing their garbage
in the water
1-
https://www.open.edu/openlearncreat
e/mod/oucontent/view.php?
id=79946&printable=1
2-
https://www.environmentalpollutioncenters.org/noise-pollution/

Pollution: Ollution

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pollution: Ollution

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pollution: Ollution

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Pollution

Figure 1 types of pollution

Pollution: is one of the most important and top challenges that

3- Water pollution is characterised by the presence of excess physical, chemical or

5- Biological water pollutants are micro-organisms

7- Chemical pollutants also include heavy metals, pesticides and other persistent

Air pollution can exist at all scales, from local to

3- Soil and land pollution:

Soil pollution, also called land pollution, is linked

type of pollution is so omnipresent in today’s society that we often

 street traffic sounds from cars, buses, pedestrians, ambulances etc.

Some solutions to tackle the problem:

You might also like