“ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION”

Pollution:
Pollution occurs when an amount of any substance or any form of
energy is put into the environment at a rate faster than it can be dispersed or safely
stored. The term pollution can refer to both artificial and natural materials that are
created, consumed, and discarded in an unsustainable manner.

Environmental Pollution:
Environment Pollution is the addition of
contaminants into the natural environment that causes detrimental effects to
nature, natural resources mankind and to the environment at a rate faster than it
can be dispersed, diluted, decomposed, recycled, or stored in some harmless form.
Any unnatural and negative changes in all the dimensions like chemical, physical
and biological characteristics of any component of the ecosystem i.e. air, water or
soil which can cause harmful effects on various forms of life and property is called
environmental pollution.
What is Pollutant?
Any substance which causes harmful effects or uneasiness in the organisms, then
that particular substance may be called as the pollutant.
The materials that cause pollution are:
1. Persistent pollutants: Those pollutants which remain consistent in the
environment for a long period of time without any change in its original form
are called persistent pollutants. For example pesticides, nuclear wastes, and
plastics etc.
2. Non-persistent pollutants: These pollutants are the opposite of persistent
pollutant and break down in the simple form. If this process of breaking
down is done by living organisms, then such pollutants are referred to as
biodegradable pollutants.
Pollutants can be classified as follows:
1. Primary Pollutants: Primary pollutants are those which remain in the form
in which they were added to the environment for ex. DDT, Plastic
2. Secondary Pollutants: Secondary pollutants are formed due to interaction of
primary pollutants amongst themselves viz. PAN by the interaction of NOx &
Hydrocarbons.
According to their existence in nature:
1. Man-made Pollutants
2. Natural Pollutants
According to the nature of disposal:
1. Biodegradable Pollutants – can be broken down by micro-organisms.
2. Non-biodegradable Pollutants – cannot be broken down by micro-
organisms (original form)

Types Of Environmental Pollution:

AIR POLLUTION:
What is Air Pollution?
Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air that are detrimental to
human health and the planet as a whole.
Importance of Air:
Air is just a mixture of gases. It is made up of 78% Nitrogen 21% oxygen and 15%
includes other stuff (Carbon dioxide is 0.03%). Air pollution has become very
devastating over the past years and has many serious issues over the years. Like;
heart attack, head ache, chest pain, eye irritation etc. As air has a major role in our
daily life. We breathe air in and out and the process of respiration takes place. It
plays a role in our food(photosynthesis) without it humans and many animals
would not be able survive.

SOURCES:
The sources of Air Pollution are

 mobile sources – such as cars, buses, planes, trucks, and trains

 stationary sources – such as power plants, oil refineries, industrial
facilities, and factories
  area sources – such as agricultural areas, homes, cities, and wood burning
fireplaces
 natural sources – such as wind-blown dust, wildfires, volcanoes and fossil
fuels
Pollutants:
1. Nitrogen oxides 2. Carbon monoxide
3. Carbon dioxide 4. Sulphur oxide
5. Chlorofluorocarbons 6. Dioxins
7. Benzene

CAUSES AND EFFECTS:

Air Pollution has many effects on the environment (animals, climate, nature, soil)
just like on humans and economic system. As every living organism is dependent
on air Plants us it for the process of photosynthesis. Human and animals use it for
respiration. Marine use the oxygen dissolved in water. Even a minor disturbance in
air can affect the whole cycle.
 Industries and Factories: The factories release their waste directly into the
environment specifically speaking into the Air and it contaminates the air
and the pollutants present in it cause serious complications on the animals,
marine life, plants, nature, the environment and humans. It can also give
arise to Acid Rain which is a devastating disaster in itself.
 Automobiles: automobiles play a major role in Air Pollution. There are millions of
cars being used in present time. And these cars have become a major source of our
transportation and we think that our life is meaningless or nothing without it.

 Which pollute the air and the Ozone as well causes ozone hole there have been two
major cases of ozone hole. First one is in the layer above Antarctica. The second one
is in Tasmania, southern Victoria and the southern part of New Zealand's South
Island located in Australia.
 Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas, emitted from the exhaust system
of a combustible engine of automobiles that use petrol or diesel as a fuel is
odourless, colourless, tasteless and non-irritating.
 Fossils Fuels: As the advanced life of the present is growing rapidly so it
need energy for its for its projects. So Fossil fuels fill this void. As they are
non-renewable energy sources When used it releases large amount of energy
as heat and many other chemicals which affect the temperature of the
surrounding by increasing the concentration of CO2 in the environment and
causes rise in greenhouse gases.
The problems which arise from these are:
1. Human Health:
o Respiratory Problems; Problems in the lungs like irritation and causes
asthma and bronchitis, and reduces development of RBC, carcinogenic effects
on lungs and pulmonary malfunctioning.
o Heart Problems; pollutants can penetrate the lungs and bloodstream and
worsen bronchitis, lead to heart attacks, and even hasten death.
o Skin Problem, Eyes; Vision problem; Irritation in eyes and lead to severe
headache, hypertension and head strain. Throat; Irritation to mucous
membrane, throat, allergies, cough etc.
2. Environmental Effects: Poisonous air pollutants (toxic chemicals in the
air) can form acid rain. It can also form dangerous ground level ozone.
These destroy trees, crops, farms, animals and continue to make water
bodies harmful to humans and animals that live and depend on water.

PREVENTION:
Solution effort on pollution are always a big problem. This is why prevention
interventions are always a better way of controlling air pollution.. Everyone needs to
work individually as well as a group to eradicate this evil bud from the roots. We
can prevent Air Pollution by;
Individually:
The tasks we can do individually as well in a group are:
 Reduce or eliminate forest fire, fireplace, smoking and wood stove use.

 Using public transports and reduce the number of trips you take in your
car. And by using electric cars.

 Avoid burning leaves, trash, and other materials.

 Avoid using gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.

 Use wind energy and solar energy, as well as other renewable energy, to
minimize burning of fossil fuels, which cause heavy air pollution.
 Use of fans instead of Air Conditioner
 Avoid using of chemicals

Government:
The government should force the companies to be more responsible with their
manufacturing activities, so that even though they still cause pollution, they are a
lot controlled.
  Companies should build more energy efficient cars, like electric cars. And
use energy from the natural energy developing processes (wind, solar energy
etc.).
 Companies should treat their gases before releasing them into ye
environment. Because it may give arise to Acid Rain (as we know that can
be devastating
 Encourage your family to use the bus, train or bike when commuting. If we
all do this, there will be fewer cars on road and less fumes.
 Use energy (light, water, boiler, kettle and fire woods) wisely. This is because
lots of fossil fuels are burned to generate electricity, and so if we can cut
down the use, we will also cut down the amount of pollution we create. Or
by using alternate energy producing processes i.e. wind energy, solar
energy, biogas,
 Recycle and re-use things. This will minimize the dependence of producing
new things. Remember manufacturing industries create a lot of pollution, so
if we can re-use things like shopping paper bags, clothing, paper and
bottles, it can help. And reduce the use of plastic bags it is an emerging
source of many kinds of pollution.

WATER POLLUTION:
What is Water Pollution?
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies (like oceans, seas, lakes,
rivers, aquifers, and groundwater) usually caused due to human activities. Water
pollution is any change in the physical, chemical or biological properties of water
that will have a detrimental consequence of any living organism.
Importance of water:
Water is the most Important source on the planet, it is the essence of all life on
earth. All life on Earth is directly dependent on water. Without water there would be
no existence of life. Two-thirds of the Earth’s surface is covered by water, 76% of
your body is made up of water. Water is used for many purposes like; drinking, in
agriculture, plants use water in the ground, washing,
As shown in the image above, the water cycle is a natural process that is
continuous in nature. It is the pattern in which the water from oceans, seas, lakes
etc. gets evaporated and turns to vapours. After which it goes through the process
of condensation, and finally precipitation when it falls back to earth as rain or
snow.

SOURCES:
Some of the most commonly occurring water pollutants are;
 Domestic Waste
  Industrial effluents
 Insecticides and pesticides
 Detergents and Fertilizers (Sewage- waste water and Houses)
 Oil spillage
 Dumping
The sources are divided as;
Direct Sources, such as factories, waste management facilities. refineries etc. that
directly release waste and harmful by-products into the water source without
treating them.
Indirect sources include pollutants that enter the water bodies via groundwater or
soil or via the atmosphere as acid rain
Pollutants:
1. Nitrogen 2. Bleach   3. Pesticides Metals
4. Toxins produced by Bacteria 5. Human or Animal drugs
6. Pharmaceuticals 7. Algal toxins 8. Microorganisms.

CAUSES AND EFFECTS:

Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a “universal solvent,” water is
able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth. This the reason
why water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories
readily dissolve into and mix with it, causing water pollution.
 Sewage or wastewater: The waste from households, factories or agricultural
land gets discharged into rivers or lakes. This waste can either be in the form
of liquid waste, garbage, or sewage. The harmful chemicals oozing out of this
waste can damage aquatic life. Not just the aquatic life, even when the
humans end up drinking polluted water, they make themselves vulnerable to
various life-threatening illnesses like hepatitis, cholera, typhoid, and many
other water-borne diseases.
 Dumping: Most water bodies get converted into dumping grounds by nearby
localities. And this causes a huge problem because the dump contains
everything from plastic, aluminum to glass, Styrofoam, etc. And since all the
waste takes different time to degrade in the water, they tend to harm the
aquatic life until degraded.
 Oil pollution: One of the worst types of water pollution is oil pollution. This
is because the oil spills from tankers and ships tend to create a thick layer
above the water in seas or oceans. And since oil doesn’t dissolve, the sludge
stays forever, and makes drinking water unsafe to drink. A substantial
amount of oil released into oceans and seas will destroy wildlife and the
 ecosystems that sustain them. Oil spills also reduce oxygen supplies within
the water environment. And it may be caused by:
1.loss of storage facilities 2. spillage during deliveries.
3.deliberate disposal of water in drainage system.

 Acid rain: It may seem like a natural problem but it is wise to note that Acid
rains are caused due to acidic particles in the contaminated air, and get
mixed with water vapour and result in acid rains. And cause damage to
aquatic life, soil, building and human skin.
 Industrial waste: Industrial waste is filled with lead, asbestos,
petrochemicals, and even mercury. All of these are highly hazardous for both
humans and aquatic life. Many industries tend to discharge the hazardous
waste into major water bodies like rivers and lakes contaminating the fresh
water
 lack of portable water: with the rapid increase in water pollution less
drinkable water is available so people survive on the contaminated water.
 Adverse impact on the food chain: If the aquatic life tends to accommodate
as per the polluted water, it is highly possible that the marine species may
have toxins and pollutants in their body. When humans tend to feed on
fishes, shellfishes, or other aquatic species, they end up consuming the
toxins and pollutants too.
PREVENTION:
The best way to prevent large-scale water pollution is to try and reduce its harmful
effects. There are various small changes we can make to protect ourselves from a
scary future where water is scarce.
Individually:

 Save Water: Conserving water is our first aim. Water wastage is a major
problem. Simply small changes you can make domestically will make a huge
difference.
 Use environmentally friendly products: By using soluble products that do
not go on to become pollutants, we can reduce the amount of water pollution
caused by a household.
 Reduce your plastic consumption and reuse or recycle plastic when you
can
 Maintain your car so it doesn’t leak oil, antifreeze, or coolant
Government:
 Better treatment of sewage: So treating waste products before disposing of
it in a water body helps reduce water pollution on a large scale. Agriculture or
other industries can reuse this wastewater by reducing its toxic contents
 Properly dispose of chemical the power plants and factories should
prevent the disposal of hazardous chemicals, cleaners, oils, and non-
 biodegradable into the ecosystem without proper treatment. Reduce the use
of chemical pesticides and nutrients on crops.
 Have a proper system of disposal of waste and it should be managed that
there should be a proper way to dispose of waste because the waste it is
ultimately thrown in ocean and it causes acidification of the oceans.
 Restrict the use of plastic as it is a non-biodegradable product.

SOIL POLLUTION:
What is soil pollution?
Soil pollution occurs when the presence of toxic chemicals, pollutants or
contaminants in the soil is in high enough concentrations to be of risk to plants,
wildlife, humans and of course, the soil itself.
In the case of contaminants which occur naturally in soil, even when small dose of
pollutants is enough to pose a risk, soil pollution is still said to occur if the levels of
the contaminants in soil exceed the levels that should naturally be present.
Importance of soil:
Soil is a natural source of food our food is directly or indirectly related to soil. The
food we eat vegetables and fruits are grown from the soil and we get meat from
animals which eat the things grown on the land. soil plays a great role in storing
nutrients and water. It filters and cleans our water and helps prevent natural
hazards such as flooding. Soils are home to myriad micro-organisms that fix
nitrogen and decompose organic matter, and armies of microscopic animals as well
as earthworms and termites. Plants need only soil for its growth. Soil is a source of
life. All naturals resources are present in soil.

SOURCES:
Soil pollution consists of pollutants and contaminants. The main pollutants of the
soil are the biological agents and some of the human activities. Soil contaminants
are all products of soil pollutants that contaminate the soil.

 Agriculture (excessive/improper use of pesticides)

 Excessive industrial activity
 Poor management or inefficient disposal of waste.
 Acid rain
 Industrial an urban waste
 Deforestation.
 Excessive use of fertilizers.
Pollutant:

1. Arsenic 2. Mercury 3. Lead

4. Antimony 5. Zinc 6. Nickel
7. Cadmium 8. Selenium 9. Beryllium
10. Thallium 11. Chromium 13. Copper

CAUSES AND EFFECTS:

The soil acts as a source and a store for gases. It also influences the flow of
chemical substances and water between the earth and the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, over the years, human activities like the use of pesticides,
fungicides, and herbicides have had an adverse effect on soil quality

 Agricultural Practices- The soil of the crops is polluted to a large extent with
pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, slurry, debris, and manure.
 Radioactive Pollutants- Radioactive substances such as Radium, Thorium,
Uranium, Nitrogen, etc. can infiltrate the soil and create toxic effects.
 Urban Waste- Urban waste consists of garbage and rubbish materials, dried
sludge and sewage from domestic and commercial waste.
 Industrial Waste- Steel, pesticides, textiles, drugs, glass, cement, petroleum,
etc. are produced by paper mills, oil refineries, sugar factories, petroleum
industries and others as such.
Soil pollution and air: It affects plants, animals and humans alike. As no
one thinks that soil pollution can affect them but they are misguided as soil
is near to us then air and the soil absorbs the pollutants from the air and
deliver it to us; such type of pollutant or contaminant inhaled or ingested.
Adverse impact on the food chain: As all of the food related products are
grown from the soil so if the soil is to be polluted somehow then it will cause
a direct impact on the human and animal life. And cause various diseases
like; Norovirus, Nontyphoidal Salmonella, Salmonella Typhi, E. coli, Shigella,
and Hepatitis A.
Health issues: Humans can be affected by soil pollution through the
Inferior crop Quality: Therefore, human activities are responsible for the
majority of the soil pollution. We as humans buy things that are harmful and
not necessary, use agricultural chemicals (fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides,
etc.), drop waste and garbage here and there, which gives rise to diseases like
malaria, typhoid, dysentery etc. With the increase of soil pollution, the
fertility of soil is also at risk as the fertilizers are wearing out the natural
 capacity of soil and a time will come when no crops will be able to grow on it.
So the Quality of crops will also decrease due to the contaminents.

PREVENTION:
As the pollution in soil is increases so some measures are needed to be taken to
resolve it. Some of them are:
Individual:

 Proper disposal method of household the garbage should not be thrown

everywhere there should be systematic way to dispose of water.
 The Communities should be educated and taught the importance of soil and
be made aware of its consequences
 Every person should grow plants or trees in life it’s like contributing to the
environment. No only plant but also care and nourish that plant
 We should get a better understanding of the soil environment so we know
what the nutrients the soil is going to need to remain fertile.
Government:

 Reforestation: It need to plants more and more trees and make campaigns to
promote the plantation of trees. These are our main defense against soil
Pollution as the trees dissolve most of the materials for its use.
 The government needs to Properly manage the use of agricultural land as no
land should be left uncultivated every piece of land should be put to use the
farmers should be trained and taught the practice of organic farming.
 The government need to teach the farmers the proper way to utilize a land
without causing any damage to it.
 It need to develop a proper plan to recycle the waste before disposal or reuse
it by converting into other forms or make simple uses of the product.
 Proper maintenance of sewage system: the sewage system needs to
maintained because if small amount of this toxic water gets mixed with can
cause serious problems leading to contaminated food and drinking water.

NOISE POLLUTION:
What is noise pollution?
Unwanted or excessive sound that can have deleterious effects on human health,
wildlife, and environmental quality. Noise pollution is commonly generated inside
many industrial facilities and some other workplaces, but it also comes from
highway, railway, and airplane traffic and from outdoor construction activities.
Sound:
Hearing is like a blessing. Without it we would not be able to hear the beautiful
voices of different creatures and not hear anything the people around us are talking
we would have a hard time in communication. When we speak we produce sound
waves and these sound travel in the mediums to their destinations. and these
sound waves are measured by;
Sound is typically described in terms of the loudness (amplitude) and the pitch
(frequency) of the wave
The normal human ear can detect sounds that range between 0 dB (hearing
threshold) and about 140 dB, with sounds between 120dB and 140 dB
causing pain (pain threshold).
The rate at which sound energy is transmitted, called sound intensity
The human eardrum is a very sensitive organ with a large dynamic range, being
able to detect sounds at frequencies as low as 20 Hz (a very low pitch) up to about
20,000 Hz (a very high pitch). The pitch of a human voice in normal conversation
occurs at frequencies between 250 Hz and 2,000 Hz.

SOURCES:
 loud music
 transportation (traffic, rail, airplanes, etc.)
 construction sites
 electrical generators
 explosions
 people.
CAUSES AND EFFECTS:
Noise is more than a mere nuisance. At certain levels and durations of exposure, it
can cause physical damage to the eardrum. Hearing loss does not usually occur at
SPLs below 80 dBA (eight-hour exposure levels are best kept below 85 dBA), but
most people repeatedly exposed to more than 105 dBA will have permanent hearing
loss to some extent.
 Traffic noise: is the main cause of noise pollution as the numbers of vehicles
increases so the when trapped in a traffic the people start honking their
horns. As everyone in traffic jam starts to honk their horn so it amplifies the
sound and becomes a source of noise pollution. And this noise pollution then
goes in our ears and cause hearing loss, headaches or damage our ear canal.
 Loud music: every modern teenager loves to hear music at loud speaker but
little they know that hearing loud speaker can eventually cause various
problems relate to hearing.
 Animals: animals use sounds in communication, especially in relation to
reproduction and navigation, noise can have a detrimental effect on animals,
increasing risk of death. Hearing loss and rapid increase in heart rate are
some ill-effects of noise pollution on animals. High intensity sound induces
 fear, which forces species to abandon their habitat. some birds have to sing at
higher frequencies, bats and owls can have trouble finding prey. Terrestrial
insectivores have to lose habitat by avoiding areas with roads and
construction.
 Psychological: As the sound enters through our ears and it travels through
our canal and directly effects our brain. Constantly hearing noises can make
a person angry, stubborn and make a person go nuts or insane. And this
ultimately effects his health and sleep behavior as he may not be getting the
right amount sleep and cause irritation, anxiety, and mental fatigue. These
eventually effects or memory storing part of brain.

PREVENTION:
The Hierarchy of Controls concept is often used to reduce noise in the environment
or the workplace.
Individually:
 Every person can also take steps to protect themselves from the harmful
effects of noise pollution.
 If people must be around loud sounds, they can protect their ears with
hearing protection (e.g., ear plugs or ear muffs).
 Reduce the use of loud speaker and listening to loud music
 Talk in low voice. Do not talk in a loud voice .as it is also unethical deed.
 Reduce the use of horns it seems like every person has their hands on the
horn.
Government:

 Noise from roadways and other urban factors can be mitigated by urban
planning and better design of roads.
 Roadway noise can be reduced by the use of noise barriers, limitation of
vehicle speeds, alteration of roadway surface texture, limitation of heavy
vehicles, use of traffic controls that smooth vehicle flow to reduce braking and
acceleration, and tire design. An important factor in applying these strategies
is a computer model for roadway noise, that is capable of addressing local
topography, meteorology, traffic operations, and hypothetical mitigation.
 Costs of building-in mitigation can be modest, provided these solutions are
sought in the planning stage of a roadway project.
 Aircraft noise can be reduced by using quieter jet engines. Altering flight
paths and time of day runway has benefited residents near airports.

CONCLUSION:
All these Pollutions have many effects on the environment, the animals, humans,
the marine life, ecosystem and the plants. It can cause serious problems, diseases,
disastrous damages to the earth itself. So we need to play our role in it to protect
our environment so it able to live on for our future generations and every person
needs to plant at least a tree in his. If every individual does job for the protection of
the environment the world will one day a place beyond our imagination.