POLLUTION-Causes and Prevention

[Navneet]

Introduction to Environmental Pollution
Although pollution had been known to exist for a very long time (at least since people started using fire thousands of years ago), it had seen the growth of truly global proportions only since the onset of the industrial revolution during the 19th century.

It’s interesting to note that natural resources had been stored virtually untouched in the Earth for millions of years. But since the start of the industrial revolution vast amounts of these resources had been exploited within a period of just a couple of hundred of years at unimaginable rates, with all the waste from this exploitation going straight in to the environment (air, water, land) and seriously damaging its natural processes.
Water pollutants include insecticides and herbicides, food processing waste, pollutants from livestock operations, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), heavy metals, chemical waste and others.

Sources of Environmental Pollution
Fossil Fuel Sources of Environmental Pollution

Fossil Fuel Pollution
Not only do we use fossil fuels for our obvious everyday needs (such as filling a car), as well as in the power-generating industry, they (specifically oil) are also present in such products as all sorts of plastics, solvents, detergents, asphalt, lubricating oils, a wide range of chemicals for industrial use, etc. (8)

Combustion of fossil fuels produces extremely high levels of air pollution and is widely recognized as one of the most important “target” areas for reduction and control of environmental pollution.

Fossil fuels also contribute to soil contamination and water pollution. For example, when oil is transported from the point of its production to further destinations by pipelines, an oil leak from the pipeline may occur and pollute soil and subsequently groundwater. When oil is transported by tankers by ocean, an oil spill may occur and pollute ocean water.

Power-generating plants and transport are probably the biggest sources of fossil fuel pollution.
Fossil fuel combustion is also a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and perhaps the most important cause of global warming. Learn more about the causes and effects of global warming here.



Other (Non-Fossil Fuel) Sources of Environmental Pollution
Among other pollution sources, agriculture (livestock farming) is worth mentioning as the largest generator of ammonia emissions resulting in air pollution. Chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers are also widely used in agriculture, which may lead water pollution and soil contamination as well.

Residential sector is another significant source of pollution generating solid municipal waste that may end up in landfills or incinerators leading to soil contamination and air pollution.



How can we control environmental pollution?
It's clear that fossil fuels are among the biggest sources of pollution. We need to find alternative renewable sources of energy which can replace fossil fuels in the future.

Green investment provides a great platform to explore and develop new and clean sources of energy such as solar electricity.

Building your own solar panels and using diy solar energy systems to meet at least part of your home electricity needs is another emerging opportunity for diy enthusiasts. This can really make a positive difference to the environment and reduce current pollution levels
Environmental Pollution Effects on Humans, Other Animals & Plants



This effect occurs with radioactive substances as well as mercury, lead, cadmium and asbestos.

In the greater-than-linear effect, environmental damage increases with an increase in pollution concentrations but at a decreasing rate. This means that, as pollution concentrations continue to increase the environmental damage will continue to decrease.

This is the case with thermal pollution.



This effect is found with biodegradable pollutants.

It is also important to mention synergistic effects of pollutants on the environment. While interacting with each other, pollutants can produce greater impacts than when acting individually. (16)

A good example of that is a synergy between asbestos exposure and smoking in causing lung cancer. (17)



There is no doubt that excessive levels of pollution are causing a lot of damage to human & animal health, plants & trees (including tropical rainforests) as well as the wider environment.

All types of environmental pollution – air, water and soil pollution – have an impact on the living environment.

The effects in living organisms may range from mild discomfort to serious diseases such as cancer to physical deformities (for example, extra or missing limbs in frogs).

Experts admit that environmental pollution effects are quite often underestimated and that more research is needed to understand the connections between pollution and its effects on all life forms.



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 effects of environmental pollution on humans have been reported:

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

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 contamination

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) or indirect (by inhaling soil contaminants which have vaporized)
Soil contamination 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


An Extreme Oil Pollution Case
Pollution of pristine Ecuador rainforest by Texaco / Chevron oil corporation represents perhaps one of the most outrageous cases of oil pollution ever.

Some levels of pollutants left by the company on its sites of oil exploration have been calculated to exceed the US safety standards by as much as 1,000 times, causing such side effects as children born with fused fingers and deformed eyes, high cancer rates, etc.

For more details, check out the Oil Pollution of Ecuador Rainforest article.

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Environmental Pollution Effects 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


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 (author’s own conclusion
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 Contamination
May alter plant metabolism and reduce crop yields
Trees and plants may absorb soil contaminants and pass them up the food chain

Environmental Pollution Effects on Wider Environment
Apart from destroying the aquatic life in lakes and streams, acid rain can also corrode metals, damage surfaces of buildings and monuments, and cause soil acidification.

Pollution of water may cause oxygen depletion in marine environments and severely affect the health of whole ecosystems.


Environmental Pollution - Conclusion
Environmental pollution is causing a lot of distress not only to humans but also animals, driving many animal species to endangerment and even extinction.

Perhaps we should adopt a holistic view of nature – it is not an entity that exists separately from us; the nature is us, we are an inalienable part of it, and we should care for it in the most appropriate manner. Only then can we possibly solve the problem of environmental pollution.


What is the way forward?
The nature is not going to survive the demands that we currently place on it, for much longer.

We certainly need to get our act together and stop using dirty technologies.

Investing in green technologies may help us sort out the environmental chaos we are in.

[NIRMAL GAUTAM]

It is a nice work on environmental pollution .

[Subodh Kumar]

Happy to see the blog like this, its very detailed work with all micro information, its worth to have work like this on ning. Please keep it up. Thanks.

[Ranbeer Chauhan]

GOOD WORK ! CARRY ON.