Polluti

on

Andreea Maria
10AB

Pollution can be defined by the contamination of air, water and soil by

introducing harmful substances into a natural environment. It occurs in different
forms: air, water, soil, noise and radioactive.

Causes:
Excessive burning of fuel which is a necessity of our daily lives for cooking, driving
and other industrial activities and the release of a huge amount of chemical substances
in the air every day can cause air pollution. This includes smoke from chimneys,
factories, vehicles or burning of wood as it occurs due to the burning of coal. This
releases sulphur dioxide into the air making it toxic, and along with other hazardous
gases released into the air it causes global warming and acid rain.

Water pollution occurs due to several factors, and it not only harms the aquatic
beings but it also contaminates the entire food chain by severely affecting humans
dependent on these. The industrial wastes dumped into the rivers and other water
bodies cause an imbalance in the water leading to its severe contamination, death of
aquatic species and an increase of water-borne diseases like cholera and diarrhoea.
Soil pollution occurs due to incorporation of unwanted chemicals in the soil. The use
of insecticides and pesticides absorbs the nitrogen compounds from the soil making it
unfit for plants to use for nutrition. In addition, the release of industrial waste, mining
and deforestation also exploits the soil. Since plants cant grow properly, they cant
hold the soil and this leads to soil erosion.
Noise pollution is caused when noise, which is an unpleasant sound, affects our ears
and leads to psychological problems like stress, hypertension, hearing impairment, etc.
Unlike all the other forms, radioactive pollution is highly dangerous when it occurs.
Its cause can be due to nuclear plant malfunctions, improper nuclear waste disposal or
accidents. It causes cancer, infertility, blindness, and defects at the time of birth, and it
can also sterilise soil and affect air and water.

Results:

Environment Deterioration:
o Environment is the first casualty for increase in pollution weather in air or
water. The increase in the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere leads to smog
which can restrict sunlight from reaching the earth, thus preventing plants
in the process of photosynthesis. Gases like Sulphur Dioxide and Nitrogen
Oxide can cause acid rain, and water pollution in terms of Oil spills may
lead to death of several wildlife species.
Human Health :
o The decrease in quality of air leads to several respiratory problems
including asthma or lung cancer. Chest pain, congestion, throat
inflammation, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease are some of
diseases that can be caused by air pollution. Water pollution occurs due to
contamination of water and may pose skin related problems including skin
irritations and rashes. Similarly, Noise pollution leads to hearing loss, stress
and sleep disturbance.
Global Warming:
o The emission of greenhouse gases, particularly CO 2, is leading to global
warming. Every other day new industries are being set up, new vehicles
come on roads and trees are cut to make way for new homes. All of them,
in direct or indirect way lead to increase in CO 2 in the environment and this
increase leads to melting of polar ice caps which increases the sea level
and pose danger for the people living near coastal areas.
Ozone Layer Depletion:
o Ozone layer is the thin shield in the sky that stops ultra violet rays from
reaching the earth. As a result of human activities, chemicals, such as
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), were released into the atmosphere which
contributed to the depletion of ozone layer.
Infertile Land:
o Constant use of insecticides and pesticides can cause the soil to become
infertile, not allowing proper growth in plants. Various forms of chemicals
produced from industrial waste that is released into the flowing water also
affect the quality of soil.

Pollution not only affect humans by destroying their respiratory, cardiovascular and
neurological systems, it also affects the nature, plants, fruits, vegetables, rivers, ponds,
forests, animals, etc., on which they are highly dependent for survival. It is crucial to
control pollution as the nature, wildlife and human life are precious gifts to the
mankind.

How to Reduce Pollution:

Save energy around the house. It can reduce carbon emissions as most energy
sources require burning fossil fuels.

Cut back on the amount of packaging purchased and the amount of household
waste produced. The process of manufacturing packaging releases harmful
emissions into the atmosphere, so patronize brands that use as little packaging
as possible. Recycle everything you can: aluminium, paper, glass, plastic and
cardboard are usually easy to recycle. When disposing of chemical-based
substances like paint, batteries, pesticides or solvents, checking for a safe ecofriendly method is advised.

Reducing the amount of time spent in the car. Carpooling or use of public
transportation whenever possible,s and for shorter distances, walk or ride your
bike to do errands.

Improve your fuel economy. Avoid accelerating quickly, braking hard and
driving at high speeds, particularly when in heavy traffic. Also, remove excess
weight from your car and remove unused roof racks or bike carriers, which
cause drag.