Environmental
Pollution
Environmental
Pollution is an international journal that seeks to
publish papers that report results from original, novel research that addresses
significant environmental pollution issues and problems. Includes details on
ways to control various types of pollutions, ways to conserve heritage sites,
trees, parks and playgrounds.
Environmental pollution is the
biggest menace to the human race on this planet today. It means adding impurity
to environment. The environment consists of earth, water, air, plants and
animals. If we pollute them, then the existence of man and nature will be
hampered.
It is true that trees are
being cut down rapidly. Our earth is becoming warmer. If pollution continues,
the day is not far when our earth will be a boiling pan and become a desert. Or
it will be covered with sea water causing destruction of mankind.
Pure air is always needed for
inhaling. If we take pure air, our health improves. On the other hand impure
air causes diseases and impairs our health and causes our death. Smoke pollutes
the air. It is the root of air pollution. The smoke which is discharged from
industries, automobiles and kitchens is the mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon
dioxide, methane etc. These are all poisonous gases. These cause lung-cancer,
tuberculosis etc. which take a heavy toll of life. The glaring incident is the
Bhopal gas leak in December 1984. Thousands of the residents of Bhopal died due
to lungs problem which was caused by methyl amine gas from the Union Carbide
Plant.
The garbage emitting foul
smell, the decaying plants and animals also cause air pollution. Hence the
doctors advise the patients having lungs trouble to settle in some rural places
because the air of villages is pure and free from population.
Then comes sound pollution.
The harsh sounds of buses, its, mopeds etc. affect our power of hearing and
causes fart trouble. It has been reported that there are two villages named
Biraspalli and Devadas Palli near Dum airport m Calcutta where a large number
of people have lost their power of hearing. This is because of the frequent
sounds of planes coming in and going out of Dum Airport. The evils of sound
pollution can be imagined from this example.
The water of rivers and seas
is being constantly polluted all over the world by various dangerous chemical
and biological wastes. Mills and factories discharge very harmful waste waters
into many rivers and sea. The water of the Ganges flowing by the side of both
Varanashi and Calcutta is extremely polluted and contains all sorts of
dangerous bacteria. It is really very strange and laughable that large number
of the Indians regard this water as holy. They even drink this water for
salvation. There is no doubt that the fish that grow in such waters are
poisonous too.
Reckless application of
chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides pollutes the soil. Vegetables
and fruits are quite injurious today, because they contain the poison of
insecticides and pesticides.
If the air we breathe, the
water we drink and the soil which produces our crops, vegetables and fruits,
all become more and more impure, then our chances of good health and longevity
will be very less and less. Environment pollution is a serious menace to our
existence. Realising the danger, we must plant trees in large number to absorb
impure air. Impure water from industries can be sent back for purification and
then it can be used for irrigation purpose. Our government is well aware of the
fact and is taking steps to save environment from pollution. We have also I
minister to look after the environment.
Although
pollution had been known to exist for a very long time, it had seen the growth of truly global proportions only since
the onset of the industrial revolution during the 19th century.
The
industrial revolution brought with it technological progress such as discovery
of oil and its virtually
universal use throughout different industries.
Technological
progress facilitated by super efficiency of capitalist business practices division
of labour cheaper production costs
overproduction over consumption over pollution had probably become one of the
main causes of serious deterioration of natural resources.
At
the same time, of course, development of natural sciences led to the better
understanding of negative effects produced by pollution on the environment.
Environmental
pollution is a problem both in developed and developing countries.
Factors such as population growth and urbanization invariably place
greater demands on the planet and stretch the use of natural resources to the
maximum.
It
has been argued that the carrying capacity of Earth is
significantly smaller than the demands placed on it by large numbers of human
populations. And overuse of natural resources often results in nature’s
degradation.
Pollution
Water
Pollution
Thermal
Pollution
Land
Pollution
Pestiside
Pollution
Radiation
Pollution
Noise
Pollution
Air
Pollution
Environmental pollution is any discharge of
material or energy into water, land, or air that causes or may cause acute or
chronic detriment to the Earth's ecological balance or that lowers the quality
of life. Pollutants may cause primary damage, with direct identifiable impact
on the environment, or secondary damage in the form of minor perturbations in
the delicate balance of the biological food web that are detectable only over
long time periods.
Until relatively recently in humanity's history,
where pollution has existed, it has been primarily a local problem. The
industrialization of society, the introduction of motorized vehicles, and the
explosion of the human population, however, have caused an exponential growth
in the production of goods and services. Coupled with this growth has been a
tremendous increase in waste by products. The indiscriminate discharge of
untreated industrial and domestic wastes into waterways, the spewing of
thousands of tons of particulates and airborne gases into the atmosphere, the throwaway attitude toward solid wastes,
and the use of newly developed chemicals without considering potential
consequences have resulted in major environmental disasters, including the
formation of smog in the Los Angeles area since the late 1940s and the
pollution of large areas of the Mediterranean Sea. Technology has begun to
solve some pollution problems, and public awareness of the extent of pollution
will eventually force governments to undertake more effective environmental
planning and adopt more effective antipollution measures.
Different Types of Pollution
WATER POLLUTION
Water pollution is the introduction into fresh or ocean waters of chemical, physical, or biological material that degrades the quality of the water and affects the organisms living in it. This process ranges from simple addition of dissolved or suspended solids to discharge of the most insidious and persistent toxic pollutants.
Conventional
Conventional or classical pollutants are
generally associated with the direct input of waste products. Rapid
urbanization and rapid population increase have produced sewage problems
because treatment facilities have not kept pace with need. Untreated and
partially treated sewage from municipal waste water systems and septic tanks in
unsewered areas contribute significant quantities of nutrients, suspended
solids, dissolved solids, oil, metals arsenic, mercury, chromium, lead, iron,
and manganese, and biodegradable organic carbon to the water environment.
Conventional pollutants may cause a myriad of
water pollution problems. Excess suspended solids block out energy from the Sun
and thus affect the carbon dioxide-oxygen conversion process, which is vital to
the maintenance of the biological food chain. Also, high concentrations of
suspended solids silt up rivers and navigational channels, necessitating
frequent dredging. Excess dissolved solids make the water undesirable for
drinking and for crop irrigation.
Although
essential to the aquatic habitat, nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus may
also cause over fertilization and accelerate the natural aging process of
lakes. This acceleration in turn produces an overgrowth of aquatic vegetation,
massive algal blooms, and an overall shift in the biologic community from low
productivity with many diverse species to high productivity with large numbers
of a few species of a less desirable nature. Bacterial action oxidizes
biodegradable organic carbon and consumes dissolved oxygen in the water. In
extreme cases where the organic carbon loading is high, oxygen consumption may
lead to an oxygen depression, less than 2 mg/l compared with 5 to 7 mg/l for a
healthy stream is sufficient to cause a fish kill and seriously to disrupt the
growth of associated organisms that require oxygen to survive.
Nonconventional
The
nonconventional pollutants include dissolved and particulate forms of metals,
both toxic and nontoxic, and degradable and persistent organic carbon compounds
discharged into water as a by-product of industry or as an integral part of
marketable products. More than 13,000 oil spills of varying magnitude occur in
the United States each year. Thousands of environmentally untested chemicals
are routinely discharged into waterways, an estimated 400 to 500 new compounds
are marketed each year. In addition, coal strip mining releases acid wastes
that despoil the surrounding waterways. Nonconventional pollutants vary from
biologically inert materials such as clay and iron residues to the most toxic
and insidious materials such as halogenated hydrocarbons. The latter group may
produce damage ranging from acute biological effects complete sterilization of
stretches of waterways to chronic sublethal effects that may go undetected for
years. The chronic low-level pollutants are proving to be the most difficult to
correct and abate because of their ubiquitous nature and chemical stability.
Thermal pollution is the discharge of waste heat via energy dissipation into cooling water and subsequently into nearby waterways. The major sources of thermal pollution are fossil-fuel and nuclear electric-power generating facilities and, to a lesser degree, cooling operations associated with industrial manufacturing, such as steel foundries, other primary-metal manufacturers, and chemical and petrochemical producers.
The discharge temperatures from electric-power plants generally range from 5 to 11 C degrees above ambient water temperatures. An estimated 90% of all water consumption, excluding agricultural uses, is for cooling or energy dissipation.
The discharge of heated water into a waterway often causes ecologic imbalance, sometimes resulting in major fish kills near the discharge source. The increased temperature accelerates chemical biological processes and decreases the ability of the water to hold dissolved oxygen. Thermal changes affect the aquatic system by limiting or changing the type of fish and aquatic biota able to grow or reproduce in the waters. Thus rapid and dramatic changes in biologic communities often occur in the vicinity of heated discharges.
LAND POLLUTION
Land pollution is the degradation of the Earth's land surface through misuse of the soil by poor agricultural practices, mineral exploitation, industrial waste dumping, and indiscriminate disposal of urban wastes.
Soil Misuse
Soil erosion a result of poor agricultural practices removes rich humus topsoil developed over many years through vegetative decay and microbial degradation and thus strips the land of valuable nutrients for crop growth. Strip mining for minerals and coal lays waste thousands of acres of land each year, denuding the Earth and subjecting the mined area to widespread erosion problems. The increase in urbanization due to population pressure presents additional soil erosion problems, sediment loads in nearby streams may increase as much as 500 to 1,000 times over that recorded in nearby undeveloped stretches of stream. Soil erosion not only despoils the Earth for farming and other uses, but also increases the suspended-solids load of the waterway. This increase interferes with the ecological habitat and poses silting problems in navigation channels, inhibiting the commercial use of these waters.
Solid Waste
In the United States in 1988 municipal wastes
alone that is, the solid wastes sent by households, business, and
municipalities to local landfills and other waste disposal facilities equalled
163 million metric tons, or 18 k per person, according to figures released by
the Environmental Protection Agency. Additional solid wastes accumulate from
mining, industrial production, and agriculture. Although municipal wastes are
the most obvious, the accumulations of other types of wastes are the most
obvious, the accumulations of other types of waste are far greater, in many
instances are more difficult to dispose of, and present greater environmental
hazards.
The most common and convenient method of
disposing of municipal solid wastes is in the sanitary landfill. The open dump,
once a common eyesore in towns across the United States, attracted populations
of rodents and other pests and often emitted hideous odors, it is now illegal.
Sanitary landfills provide better aesthetic control and should be odor free.
Often, however, industrial wastes of unknown content are commingled with
domestic wastes. Groundwater infiltration and contamination of water supplies
with toxic chemicals have recently led to more active control of landfills and
industrial waste disposal. Careful management of sanitary landfills, such as providing
for leachate and runoff treatment as well as daily coverage with topsoil, has
alleviated most of the problems of open dumping. In many areas, however, space
for landfills is running out and alternatives must be found.
Recycling of materials is practical to some
extent for much municipal and some industrial wastes, and a small but growing
proportion of solid wastes is being recycled. When wastes are commingled,
however, recovery becomes difficult and expensive. New processes of sorting
ferrous and nonferrous metals, paper, glass, and plastics have been developed,
and many communities with recycling programs now require refuse separation.
Crucial issues in recycling are devising better processing methods, inventing
new products for the recycled materials, and finding new markets for them.
Incineration is another method for disposing of
solid wastes. Advanced incinerators use solid wastes as fuel, burning
quantities of refuse and utilizing the resultant heat to make steam for
electricity generation. Wastes must be burned at very high temperatures, and
incinerator exhausts must be equipped with sophisticated scrubbers and other
devices for removing dioxins and other toxic pollutants. Problems remain,
however, incinerator ash contains high ratios of heavy metals, becoming a
hazardous waste in itself, and high efficiency incinerators may discourage the
use of recycling and other waste-reduction methods.
Composting is increasingly used to treat some
agricultural wastes, as well as such municipal wastes as leaves and brush.
Composting systems can produce usable soil conditioners, or humus, within a few
months.
Pesticides are organic and inorganic chemicals
originally invented and first used effectively to better the human environment
by controlling undesirable life forms such as bacteria, pests, and foraging
insects. Their effectiveness, however, has caused considerable pollution. The
persistent, or hard, pesticides, which are relatively inert and non degradable
by chemical or biologic activity, are also bio accumulative, that is, they are
retained within the body of the consuming organism and are concentrated with
each ensuing level of the biologic food chain. For example, DDT provides an
excellent example of cumulative pesticide effects. DDT may be applied to an
area so that the levels in the surrounding environment are less than one part
per billion. As bacteria or other microscopic organisms ingest and retain the
pesticide, the concentration may increase several hundred to a thousand fold.
Concentration continues as these organisms are ingested by higher forms of life
algae, fish, shellfish, birds, or humans. The resultant concentration in the
higher life forms may reach levels of thousands to millions of parts per
billion.
The long term effects of persistent pesticides
are virtually unknown, but many scientists believe they are as much an
environmental hazard as are the acute effects. Non persistent pesticides or
substitutes, insect sterilization techniques, hormone homologues that check or
interfere with maturation stages, and introduction of animals that prey on the
pests present a potentially brighter picture for pest control with
significantly reduced environmental consequences.
RADIATION POLLUTION
Radiation pollution is any form of ionizing or no ionizing radiation that results from human activities. The most well known radiation results from the detonation of nuclear devices and the controlled release of energy by nuclear power generating plants. Other sources of radiation include spent fuel reprocessing plants, by products of mining operations, and experimental research laboratories. Increased exposure to medical X rays and to radiation emissions from microwave ovens and other household appliances, although of considerably less magnitude, all constitute sources of environmental radiation.
Public
concern over the release of radiation into the environment greatly increased
following the disclosure of possible harmful effects to the public from nuclear
weapons testing, the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power generating
plant near Harrisburg, and the catastrophic 1986 explosion at Chernobyl, a
Soviet nuclear power plant. In the late 1980s, revelations of major pollution
problems at U.S. nuclear weapons reactors raised apprehensions even higher.
The
environmental effects of exposure to high level ionizing radiation have been
extensively documented through postwar studies on individuals who were exposed
to nuclear radiation in Japan. Some forms of cancer show up immediately, but
latent maladies of radiation poisoning have been recorded from 10 to 30 years
after exposure. The effects of exposure to low level radiation are not yet
known. A major concern about this type of exposure is the potential for genetic
damage.
Radioactive
nuclear wastes cannot be treated by conventional chemical methods and must be
stored in heavily shielded containers in areas remote from biological habitats.
The safest of storage sites currently used are impervious deep caves or
abandoned salt mines. Most radioactive wastes, however, have half-lives of
hundreds to thousands of years, and to date no storage method has been found
that is absolutely infallible.
NOISE POLLUTION
Noise pollution has a relatively recent origin. It is a composite of sounds generated by human activities ranging from blasting stereo systems to the roar of supersonic transport jets. Although the frequency of noise may be of major importance, most noise sources are measured in terms of intensity, or strength of the sound field. The standard unit, one decibel, is the amount of sound that is just audible to the average human. The decibel scale is somewhat misleading because it is logarithmic rather than linear; for example, a noise source measuring 70 dB is 10 times as loud as a source measuring 60 dB and 100 times as loud as a source reading 50 dB. Noise may be generally associated with industrial society, where heavy machinery, motor vehicles, and aircraft have become everyday items. Noise pollution is more intense in the work environment than in the general environment, although ambient noise increased an average of one dB per year during the 1980s. The average background noise in a typical home today is between 40 and 50 decibels. Some examples of high level sources in the environment are heavy trucks, freight trains, and air conditioning.
The
most readily measurable physiological effect of noise pollution is damage to
hearing, which may be either temporary or permanent and may cause disruption of
normal activities or just general annoyance. The effect is variable, depending
upon individual susceptibility, duration of exposure, nature of noise, and time
distribution of exposure. On the average an individual will experience a
threshold shift when exposed to noise levels of 75 to 80 dB for several hours.
This shift will last only several hours once the source of noise pollution is
removed. A second physiologically important level is the threshold of pain, at
which even short term exposure will cause physical pain. Any noise sustained at
this level will cause a permanent threshold shift or permanent partial hearing
loss. At the uppermost level of noise, even a single short term blast may cause
traumatic hearing loss and physical damage inside the ear.
Although
little hard information is available on the psychological side effects of
increased noise levels, many researchers attribute increased irritability,
lower productivity, decreased tolerance levels, increased incidence of ulcers,
migraine headaches, fatigue, and allergic responses to continued exposures to
high level noises in the workplace and the general environment.
AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is the accumulation in the atmosphere of substances that, in sufficient concentrations, endanger human health or produce other measured effects on living matter and other materials. Among the major sources of pollution are power and heat generation, the burning of solid wastes, industrial processes, and, especially, transportation. The six major types of pollutants are carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulates, sulfur dioxide, and photochemical oxidants.
Local and Regional
Smog has seriously affected more persons than
any other type of air pollution. It can be loosely defined as a multisource,
widespread air pollution that occurs in the air of cities. Smog, a contraction
of the words smoke and fog, has been caused throughout recorded history by
water condensing on smoke particles, usually from burning coal. The infamous
London fogs about 4,000 deaths were attributed to the severe fog of 1952 were
smog of this type. Another type, ice fog, occurs only at high latitudes and extremely
low temperatures and is a combination of smoke particles and ice crystals.
As a coal economy has gradually been replaced by
a petroleum economy, photochemical smog has become predominant in many cities.
Its unpleasant properties result from the irradiation by sunlight of
hydrocarbons. The products of the reactions include organic particles, ozone,
aldehydes, ketones, peroxyacetyl nitrate, and organic acids and other oxidants.
Sulfur dioxide, which is always present to some extent, oxidizes and hydrates
to form sulfuric acid and becomes part of the particulate matter. Furthermore,
automobiles are polluters even in the absence of photochemical reactions. They
are responsible for much of the particulate material in the air, they also emit
carbon monoxide, one of the most toxic constituents of smog.
All types of smog decrease visibility and, with
the possible exception of ice fog, are irritating to the respiratory system.
Statistical studies indicate that smog is a contributor to malignancies of many
types. Photochemical smog produces eye irritation and lacrimation and causes
severe damage to many types of vegetation, including important crops. Acute
effects include an increased mortality rate, especially among persons suffering
from respiratory and coronary ailments. Air pollution also has a deleterious
effect on works of art.
Air pollution on a regional scale is in part the
result of local air pollution including that produced by individual sources,
such as automobiles that has spread out to encompass areas of many thousands
of square kilo meters. Meteorological conditions and landforms can greatly
influence air pollution concentrations at any given place, especially locally
and regionally. For example, cities located in bowls or valleys over which atmospheric
inversions form and act as imperfect lids are especially likely to suffer from
incidences of severe smog. Oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, carried long
distances by the atmosphere and then precipitated in solution as acid rain, can
cause serious damage to vegetation, waterways, and buildings.
Global
Humans
also pollute the atmosphere on a global scale, although until the early 1970s
little attention was paid to the possible deleterious effects of such
pollution. Measurements in Hawaii suggest that the concentration of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing at a rate of about 0.2% every year. The
effect of this increase may be to alter the Earth's climate by increasing the
average global temperature. Certain pollutants decrease the concentration of
ozone occurring naturally in the stratosphere, which in turn increases the
amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth's surface. Such radiation
may damage vegetation and increase the incidence of skin cancer. Examples of
stratospheric contaminants include nitrogen oxides emitted by supersonic
aircraft and chlorofluorocarbons used as refrigerants and aerosol-can
propellants. The chlorofluorocarbons reach the stratosphere by upward mixing
from the lower parts of the atmosphere. It is believed that these chemicals are
responsible for the noticeable loss of ozone over the polar regions that has
occurred in the 1980s.
Urban Environmental
Pollution
The
aim of Urban Environmental Pollution is to provide an international
forum to continue to explore and characterize urban environments and how they
affect human health and well being.
Urbanization continues at a
record pace all over the world, especially in emerging and developing
economies. China has decided that the best way for the government to deliver
essential goods and services to rural people is to encourage them to move to
existing and or new cities and become urban dwellers. Cities are seen as
destinations, especially for young people in search of employment, education,
social contacts and cultural advantages. The future for the human race is in
cities.
We need to learn more about
cities and how they function. We know that they consume enormous quantities of
materials and energy and release large quantities of wastes. Cities are the
source of air, water and soil pollutants. Heat islands and CO2 domes, combined
with particulates and ozone affect human health. Lack of park and green space
disconnects urban residents from the natural world and may have adverse
psychological effects. In we will continue to explore the nature of the urban
environment and how it affects human health and well being.
Urban environments and how
they function
CO2 greenhouse gases and
warming
Air, water and soil
pollutants
Human health in the city
Vegetation in the city
Built environment and urban
climate
Alleviation of urban stress
problems
Pollution Environmental
Pollution, also called environmental pollution, the
addition of any substance solid, liquid, or gas or any form of such as heat,
sound, or to the environment at a rate faster than it can be dispersed,
diluted, decomposed, recycled, or stored in some harmless form. The major kinds
of pollution are classified by environment air pollution, water pollution, and
land pollution. Modern society is also concerned about specific types of
pollutants, such, and even plastic pollution.
Although
environmental pollution can be caused by natural events such as an active, use
of the word pollution generally
implies that the contaminants have an anthropogenic source that is, a source
created by human activities. Pollution has accompanied humankind ever since
groups of people first congregated and remained for a long time in any one
place. Indeed, ancient human settlements are frequently recognized by their
pollutants and rubble heaps, for instance. Pollution was not a serious problem
as long as there was enough space available for each individual or group.
However, with the establishment of permanent settlements by great numbers of
people, pollution became a problem, and it has remained one ever since.
Cities of ancient times were often noxious places,
fouled by human wastes and debris. Beginning about 1000 ce, the use of for fuel caused considerable, and the
conversion of to for iron smelting beginning in the 17th century exacerbated
the problem. In Europe, from the Middle Ages well into the early modern era,
unsanitary urban conditions favored the outbreak of population decimating
epidemics of disease, from and. Through the 19th century, water and air
pollution and the accumulation of solid wastes were largely problems of
congested urban areas. But, with the rapid spread of industrialization and the
growth of the human population to unprecedented levels, pollution became a
universal problem.
By the middle of the
20th century, an awareness of the need to protect air, water, and land
environments from pollution had developed among the general public. In
particular, the publication in 1962 of book focused attention on environmental damage
caused by improper use of such as and other persistent chemicals that
accumulate in the and disrupt the
natural balance of on a wide scale.
The presence of
environmental pollution raises the issue of pollution control. Great efforts
are made to limit the release of harmful substances into the environment
through air pollution control, waste water treatment, solid waste management,
hazardous waste management, and recycling.
Causes and Effects of
Environmental Pollution
There are various sources of environmental pollution, such as vehicles, industries,
pesticides, deforestation, etc. These include air pollution by
vehicles and industries, water
pollution by industrial waste and residential sewage, soil pollution by dumping of
garbage, radiation pollution
by leakage from nuclear plants, noise pollution by vehicles in heavily
populated areas, or by supersonic air jets and heavy engineering units.
However, the most significant pollution, which is the seed of
all other types of pollution,
is mental pollution. Every verbal directive an
physical action is essentially preceded by thoughts originating in the mind.
A polluted mind conceives polluted thoughts, which were then translated into
polluted and contaminated words and actions. Negative influences of tin;
vices and in particular, sex lust, have led to an unprecedented rise in a
global population. This is happening despite the availability of
contraceptive methods. To sustain such a progressively multiplying
population, more and more commodities are required. Besides essential
commodities, the demand for non essential commodities is on the increase,
that too merely to satisfy requirements of luxury of the populace. These cull
for more and more industries which in turn increasingly contribute In the
pollution of the atmosphere, to the ultimate detriment of humanity at huge
Due to thought of hatred, jealousy, greed, ego anger, and intolerance, etc,
the life especially in megacities is plagued by exploitation, uncertainly,
insecurity, worry, anxiety, phobia and stressful mind leading to psycho
somatic disease, like high blood pressure, peptic ulcer, hyperacidity, etc
Corruption, crime and terrorism are increasing globally at an alarming rate
due to mental vices. A large
part of GDP of the nations is going towards policing and defense of the countries.
The whole world appeals to the on the verge of war, riots due to intensified
struggle between those have and those have not Nuclear bombs and missiles,
biological weapons, chemical weapons me capable of destroying the humanity in
the event of wars Sex bomb has already exploded into the form of AIDS virus.
Depletion in the ozone layer, due
to leakage of ferns used in air conditioners, refrigerators, aerosol cans
etc, causes skin cancer and other related diseases, adversely affecting human
and animal life though ultra violet radiation Nitrous oxide and Sulfur
dioxide present in industrial emissions are formed into nitric oxide and
Sulfuric acid after interacting with the moisture and water vapor in the
atmosphere. When these precipitate they cause acid rain. Marine and vegetable
life are seriously affected by acid rain. About 40,000 lakes in different
parts of the world have become devoid of marine life because of this
phenomenon. Similarly, thousands of square kilo meters of forests have been
adversely affected by acid rain. Green house effect due to rise in carbon Dl oxide
content in the earth's atmosphere has contributed to me in global temperature.
The increase in carbon Dl oxide is due to various reasons, the primary ones
being the use of fossil fuel, widespread deforestation and an increase in
world population. A long term effect of this is a gradual rise in sea level
due to melting of polar ice caps, thus rendering the habitations situated in
The proximity of oceans uninhabitable. Atmospheric pollution, resulting from
vehicular and industrial emissions, is a constant source of irritation to the
eyes, and is primarily responsible for various eye ailments. In addition, the
carbon monoxide present in such emissions, when absorbed in large quantities
inactivates the haemoglobin in the blood, which is very vital for human
health, resulting in serious complications. Excessive noise levels generated
by vehicles, industries and machinery give rise to noise pollution, which creates severe mental tension,
headaches, irritation and other related complications. Medical studies have
revealed that due to Carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide and sulphur dio oxide
emitted into the atmosphere, an oily coating gradually develops in the lungs,
and this can play havoc with human health Pesticides, fungicides and other
artificial chemical fertilizers, are liberally used in the production of
grains, vegetables and other agricultural products. These Chemical substances
that escape into the atmosphere due to inadequate safely standards cause skin
dryness and burning sensation to people.
Hence, it is essential to safeguard
ourselves from environmental
as well as mental pollution,.
Whereas, environmental pollution creates only physical
health problems, mental pollution
is harmful to physical, mental, social and spiritual health of the
individual, ultimately leading to degeneration of society
Environmental
Pollution Causes Effects and Solutions
The purpose of this book is to
examine and highlight some pollution and environmental issues currently
prevalent in our communities, our society and the country and to suggest ways
of addressing them and dealing with them.
|
List the Main Causes of
Environmental Pollution
Motor
vehicle emissions are one of the leading causes of air pollution. China, United
States, Russia, Mexico, and Japan are the world leaders in air pollution
emissions; however, Canada is the number two country, ranked per capita.
Principal stationary pollution sources include chemical plants, coal-fired
power plants, oil refineries, petrochemical plants, nuclear waste disposal
activity, incinerators, large livestock farms, PVC factories, metals production
factories, plastics factories, and other heavy industry.
Some of the more common soil contaminants are chlorinated hydrocarbons heavy metals such as chromium, cadmium found in rechargeable batteries, and lead found in lead paint, aviation fuel and still in some countries, gasoline, MTBE, zinc, arsenic and benzene. In 2001 a series of press reports culminating in a book called Fateful Harvest unveiled a widespread practice of recycling industrial byproducts into fertilizer, resulting in the contamination of the soil with various metals. Ordinary municipal landfills are the source of many chemical substances entering the soil environment, emanating from the wide variety of refuse accepted, especially substances illegally discarded there, or from pre 1970 landfills that may have been subject to little control in the U.S. or EU. There have also been some unusual releases of poly chlorinated dibenzodioxins, commonly called dioxins for simplicity, such as TCDD.
Pollution can also be the consequence of a natural disaster. For example, hurricanes often involve water contamination from sewage, and petrochemical spills from ruptured boats or automobiles. Larger scale and environmental damage is not uncommon when coastal oil rigs or refineries are involved. Some sources of pollution, such as nuclear power plants or oil tankers, can produce widespread and potentially hazardous releases when accidents occur.
In the case of noise pollution the dominant source class is the motor vehicle, producing about ninety percent of all unwanted noise worldwide.
Some of the more common soil contaminants are chlorinated hydrocarbons heavy metals such as chromium, cadmium found in rechargeable batteries, and lead found in lead paint, aviation fuel and still in some countries, gasoline, MTBE, zinc, arsenic and benzene. In 2001 a series of press reports culminating in a book called Fateful Harvest unveiled a widespread practice of recycling industrial byproducts into fertilizer, resulting in the contamination of the soil with various metals. Ordinary municipal landfills are the source of many chemical substances entering the soil environment, emanating from the wide variety of refuse accepted, especially substances illegally discarded there, or from pre 1970 landfills that may have been subject to little control in the U.S. or EU. There have also been some unusual releases of poly chlorinated dibenzodioxins, commonly called dioxins for simplicity, such as TCDD.
Pollution can also be the consequence of a natural disaster. For example, hurricanes often involve water contamination from sewage, and petrochemical spills from ruptured boats or automobiles. Larger scale and environmental damage is not uncommon when coastal oil rigs or refineries are involved. Some sources of pollution, such as nuclear power plants or oil tankers, can produce widespread and potentially hazardous releases when accidents occur.
In the case of noise pollution the dominant source class is the motor vehicle, producing about ninety percent of all unwanted noise worldwide.
What is Environmental Pollution
Environmental
pollution is the contamination of the earth biological and physical components
which include water, air and land. This leads to their depletion to an extent
that normal environmental processes are seriously affected.
Environmental
pollution is known as the act of man contaminating the earth. For example,
throwing a plastic bottle on the ground would be environmental pollution.
Environmental pollution is caused by various
contaminants that affect the air, water and ground. Environmental pollution can
be reduced and help the environment when awareness is made on how to reduce
this pollution.
Environmental pollution is the discharge of
energy that has the potential to cause deterioration of water and land. The
quality of life is also affected. Pollution
of the open seas by human activities has become a serious problem. Ocean
dumping is the dumping or placing of materials in designated places in the
ocean, often on the continental shelf.
One of the greatest problems that
the world is facing today is that of environmental pollution, increasing with
every passing year and causing grave and irreparable damage to
the earth. Environmental pollution consists of five basic types of pollution, namely, air, water, soil, noise and
light.
Air
pollution is by far the most harmful form
of pollution in our environment. Air pollution is cause by the injurious smoke
emitted by cars, buses, trucks, trains, and factories, namely sulphur dioxide,
carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. Even smoke from burning leaves and
cigarettes are harmful to the environment causing a lot of damage to man and
the atmosphere. Evidence of increasing air pollution is seen in lung cancer,
asthma, allergies, and various breathing problems along with severe and
irreparable damage to flora and fauna. Even the most natural phenomenon of
migratory birds has been hampered, with severe air pollution preventing them
from reaching their seasonal metropolitan destinations of centuries.
Chlorofluorocarbons, released
from refrigerators, air conditioners, deodorants and insect repellents cause
severe damage to the Earth’s environment. This gas has slowly damaged the
atmosphere and depleted the ozone layer leading to global warming.
Water pollution caused industrial
waste products released into lakes, rivers, and other water bodies, has made
marine life no longer hospitable. Humans pollute water with large scale
disposal of garbage, flowers, ashes and other household waste. In many rural
areas one can still find people bathing and cooking in the same water, making
it incredibly filthy. Acid rain further adds to water pollution in the water.
In addition to these, thermal pollution and the depletion of dissolved oxygen
aggravate the already worsened condition of the water bodies. Water pollution
can also indirectly occur as an offshoot of soil pollution through surface
runoff and leaching to groundwater.
Noise pollution, soil pollution
and light pollution too are the damaging the environment at an alarming rate.
Noise pollution include aircraft noise, noise of cars, buses, and trucks,
vehicle horns, loudspeakers, and industry noise, as well as high-intensity
sonar effects which are extremely harmful for the environment.
Maximum noise pollution occurs
due to one of modern science’s best discoveries the motor
vehicle, which is responsible for about ninety percent of all unwanted
noise worldwide.
Soil pollution, which can also be
called soil contamination, is a result of acid rain, polluted
water, fertilizers etc, which leads to bad crops. Soil contamination occurs
when chemicals are released by spill or underground storage tank leakage which
releases heavy contaminants into the soil. These may include hydrocarbons,
heavy metals, MTBE, herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Light
Pollution includes light trespass, over illumination and astronomical
interference.
Environment Degradation
Environment is the first casualty for increase
in pollution weather in air or water. The increase in the amount of CO2 in the
atmosphere leads to smog which can restrict sunlight from reaching the earth.
Thus, preventing plants in the process of photosynthesis. Gases like Sulfur
dioxide and nitrogen oxide can cause acid rain. Water pollution in terms of Oil
spill may lead to death of several wildlife species.
Definition
Environmental
pollution is the build-up and concentration of toxic levels of chemicals in the
air, water, and land, which reduces the ability of the affected area to support
life. Pollutants may be gaseous ozone and carbon monoxide, for example liquid discharge
from industrial plants and sewage systems or solid landfills and junkyards.
Environmental changes over
the last ten years
The
ecosystem of the lake is under threat due to the rise in human population
density leading to intensive irrigation, farming, land subdivision, and
intensive use of agro-chemicals and deforestation around the lake. The growth
of the township has also led to more runoff, siltation and nutrients being
discharged into the lake via inflowing rivers and drainage channels along roads
and the other infrastructure. Inadequately treated effluents from the ton's
sewage treatment plan are also finding their way into the lake.
The
intensive agriculture to the south of the Township is itself a grave
environmental threat. This is because intensive agricultural practices are
concentrated on the riparian of the lake whereby we have large horticultural,
floricultural and vegetable farms drawing enormous quantities of water from the
lake for irrigation. The study area is located on an ecosystem that is of low
carrying capacity and as such this has necessitated
excessive use of agro-chemicals to enhance productivity. The effects from these
practices are that the chemicals find their way into the lake through runoff from
the agricultural parcels of land. Because the land generally slopes towards the
lake. Poor tillage practices often result in soil erosion and the loose soil is
carried awash into the lake. All these result in increased eutrophication of the
lake’s waters.
The
lake has no river outlet except for underground outlets in the southern part of
the municipality. This is around Longonot and Olkaria Power Generation, and the
importance of this is that storm water and urban agricultural run off finding
its way into the lake should not have any deleterious effects. Poor waste
disposal practices, given the topography of the area would result in enhanced
cultural eutrophication of the lake, a threat to aquatic life and water contamination.
Urban runoff from roads, laden with soil particles, garbage and petroleum
products from petrol filling stations within the municipality,
ends up in the lake.This further increases eutrophication and water pollution.
List of proposed actions or
solutions
Terracing the sloppy areas: This will reduce the speed of run off by giving
it
time
to infiltrate into the soil. This will reduce the rate of soil erosion which
inturn will reduce the rate of siltation of the lake.
Afforestation and conservation
of vegetation cover:
trees are very important in reducing the impact of raindrop on the soil through
interception storage. The roots help in holding the soil particles together.
When trees die or shed their leaves they increase the humus content of the soil
hence improving the soil structure.
Digging dry wells: dry wells are pits dug on the ground to harvest
run off. They increase the rate of infiltration of the runoff into the soil.
Rain water harvesting: this should be done by use of gutters to
collect water from buildings and then stored in tanks. This will provide fresh
clean water for domestic use and if well managed will reduce over dependency on
boreholes and surface water sources which must be treated before consumption.
Town planning: the municipal council should come up with sound
development
plan for the area around the lake to get rid off of the unplanned
mushrooming
slums where the fishermen reside.
Naivasha
Municipal Council needs to improve its
revenue collection so as to boost the capacity to manage environmental
degradation problems occurring within the area. In order to tap all the
available revenue sources and counter financial management
problems, the council needs to ensure adequate supervision
and accountability in the revenue collection exercise, modernise its water and
sewerage billing so as make it more efficient and eliminate illegal
connections; and lastly reduce the amount of debts owed to the council by
individuals, organisations and the government departments and agencies present
in the municipality. Other suggestions would be to make improvements in
staffing and on accounting. This could be through staff training and
computerisation of operations especially putting up management information system
for the budget, and register of all clients, creditors debtors and a license
register when funds become available.
There
is need to diversify urban development activities within the municipality. An
outward spread of these development activities and the creation of satellite
towns in areas such as Olkaria, Sulmac and Shalimar would minimise the pressure
on the natural environment, land, forests, air and water resources, as well
as on the capacities of socio-economic infrastructures such as sewerage and
water supply facilities and roads. This will also result in a reduction of land
use conflicts, which is a major cause of environmental degradation in any given
urban scenario.
Proper
planning and provision of infrastructure is the responsibility of the local
authority, non-governmental organisations and the community in the area and
this ought to be improved upon. The general public should also utilize and
maintain the services offered more efficiently.
The
Physical Planning Act provides for the preparation, approval and implementation
of physical development plans irrespective of whether they are on government,
trust and or private land. Participatory planning approach should be applied in
planning and development processes for a more sustainable urban development in
the lake Naivasha basin. Otherwise, physical planning risks being rendered
irrelevant to the landowners, the community and other stakeholders in land
development. This is very important bearing in mind that with the current
scarcity of land almost all towns now can only expand into private land or land
earmarked for other activities like wildlife conservation and agriculture.
Monitoring
settlement growth around the lake should be carried out regularly. In the
study, Impact of Urban Land use in Naivasha, M.Mbathi, it was surprising that
some settlements in the area grew without proper documentation and planning.
The example given was the Karagita settlement, which covered an area
of approximately 200 hectares and had a resident population of more than 15,000
people but did not have a layout plan. Many other settlements continue to grow
under the same circumstances. The situation could go out of hand if left
unchecked.
The
local authority and other key players in the development of Naivasha,
especially the riparian owners association and the flower growers, should
always consider the proper planning and maintenance of the settlements as a
priority.
Provision
of basic services in Naivasha town itself and other considerably large
urbanised area in the municipality will help reduce the amount of wastes
released into the environment. A point in hand is the case of the town’s
sewerage treatment plant. From the Project Information Sheet, Naivasha
Municipality’s 2000-2004 Local Authority
Development Plan, the new treatment
plant has been rendered in operational due to vandalism of the
electrical components in 1994. This has meant that the facility is currently
being used as a lagoon and that untreated municipal effluents are being
discharged directly into the lake thereby raising serious concerns over
contamination of Lake Naivasha.
The
lake is an important and reliable source of fresh water. The disposal of
untreated sewage into the lake has serious ecological implications particularly
relating to cultural eutrophication nutrient enrichment, increase in
biochemical oxygen demand and toxicity of available chemicals to biota. It also
raises public health concerns relating to the spread of water-borne diseases
such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid.
The
sewage system should be rehabilitated and guarded to avoid incidences of
vandalism in future. A greater concern and that ought to be addressed urgently
is the location of the sewage treatment plant a mere 500 meters only from the
lake. This is in spite of the town’s topography that slopes towards the lake.
Measures
should be put in place to ensure that the system is not used beyond its
capacity and also insuring against urban runoff overflowing and carrying awash
raw sewage from the plant into the lake. The local authority and government
agencies responsible are proposed to take up this responsibility. The large and
financially capable horticulture and floriculture firms should put up their own
sewage treatment plant so as to increase the overall capacity of the municipality
to treat and dispose of wastes properly.
The
role of the community is an important one indeed. These are the people who
suffer most in the event of the environment being degraded beyond its carrying
capacity. It is important therefore to involve them in various decision-making processes and also educate the general public on the impacts of
environmental degradation and how their actions can contribute to or help
reduce this.
The
development of an urban information system as well as the use of GIS in
Environmental Planning and Management, right from decision making support to
policy formulation, implementation and monitoring, is necessary in Naivasha
town just as it is in other urban areas in the country. This would provide a
good base for monitoring specific trends that may be associated with
environmental degradation. The lack of readily available data hampered this
research and this led to much time and resources being spent on data
collection. This is an indication that the town planners could also be lacking
updated information for most of their decisions. Making appropriate decisions
in future depends entirely on the data that is collected now and placed in a
system in which it is easily accessible for manipulation and regular up-dates.
However, it is understandable to the author that this may be a difficult
proposition given the financial and other technical implications. This thus
calls for the need by the municipal council to approach donors and other
charitable organisations for assistance.
The
Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act should be applied and enforced
by the concerned parties. This will discourage polluters and others who may
practice activities that are likely to lead to environmental degradation. Other
legislature like the Water Act and the Public Health Act must be enforced to
ensure compliance and a more efficient use of water and the riparian of Lake
Naivasha. Means could be devised to ensure that the flower farmers, who
currently draw the largest proportion of water from the lake at no cost, aid
the council in service provision. The local authority should
develop ordinances aimed at
restricting or prohibiting developers within Naivasha Municipality from putting
up buildings if proper sanitation and waste disposal is not provided.
Environmental Pollution its sources and Effects
Environmental
pollution is the contamination
of the physical and biological components of the earth atmosphere system to
such an extent that normal environmental processes
are adversely affected.
Pollution
is the introduction of contaminants
into the environment that cause harm
or discomfort to humans or other
living organisms, or that damage the environment which can come “in the form of
chemical substances, or energy such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants can be naturally occurring
substances or energies, but are considered contaminants when in excess of natural levels.
Pollution
is the addition of any substance
or form of energy to the environment
at a rate faster than the
environment can accommodate it by dispersion, breakdown, recycling, or storage
in some harmless form.
Pollution
is a special case of habitat destruction, it is chemical destruction rather than the more obvious physical
destruction. Pollution occurs in all habitats land, sea, and fresh water and in
the atmosphere.
Much
of what we have come to call pollution is in reality the non recoverable matter
resources and waste heat.
Any
use of natural resources at a rate higher than nature capacity to restore
itself can result in pollution of air, water, and land. Pollution is habitat
contamination.
Perhaps the
overriding theme of these definitions is the ability of the environment
to absorb and adapt to changes brought about by human
activities.
In
one word, environmental pollution takes place when the environment cannot
process and neutralize harmful by products of human activities in due course
without any structural or functional damage to its system.
In
fact, the due course itself may last many
years during which the nature will attempt to decompose the pollutants,
in one of the worst cases that of radioactive pollutants it may take as long as
thousands of years for the decomposition of such pollutants to be completed.
Pollution
occurs, on the one hand, because the natural environment does not know how to
decompose the unnaturally
generated elements, and, on the other, there is a lack of knowledge on the part
of humans on how to decompose these pollutants artificially.
Environmental pollution
Causes effects and control of air
India
today is one of the first ten industrialized countries of the world. Today we
have a good
industrial
infrastructure in core industries like metals, chemicals, fertilizers, petroleum,
food etc. what
has
come out of these pesticides, detergents, plastics, solvents, fuels, paints,
dyes, food additives etc.
are
some examples. Due to progress in atomic energy, there has also been an
increase in radioactivity in the
biosphere. Besides these, there are a number of industrial effluents and
emissions particularly
poisonous
gases in the atmosphere. Mining activities also added to this problem
particularly as solid
waste.
Thus, pollution is a necessary evil of all development. Due to lack of
development of a culture of pollution
control, there had resulted a heavy backlog of gaseous, liquid and solid
pollution in our
country.
It is to be cleaned. Thus pollution control in our country is a recent
environmental concern.
What are Pollutants
Any
substance which causes pollution is called a pollutant. A pollutant may thus
include any chemical or geochemical, substance, biotic component or its
product, or physical factor that is released intentionally by man into the
environment in such a concentration that may have adverse harmful or unpleasant
effects.
What is Pollutants
A pollutant is a form of material that is harmful to the environment.
Pollutants create environmental problems and put
dangerous substances into natural habitats.
Environmental Pollutants
The various principal pollutants which pollute
our air, water, land are as follows,
·
Deposited matter: soot, smoke, tar, dust, grit etc.
·
Gases: Oxides
of nitrogen (NO, NO2), sulphur (SO2), carbon monoxide, halogens, chlorine, bromine,
iodine,
·
Acids droplets: Sulphruric, acid nitric acid etc.
·
Fluorides
·
Metals: Mercury,
lead, iron, zinc, nickel, tin, cadmium, chromium etc.
·
Agrochemicals: Biocides
pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, nematicides, bactericides, weedicides etc,
and fertilizers.
·
Complex organic substances Benzene, ether,
acetic acid, benzopyrenes etc.
·
Photochemical
oxidants: Photochemical smog, ozone, peroxyacetyl nitrate
PAN, peroxybenzoil nitrate PBzN, nitrogen oxides, aldehydes, ethylene etc.
·
Solid wastes
·
Radioactive waste
·
Noise
Collection Pollutants
Often
the most serious problem in air pollution control is the collection of the
pollutants so as to provide
treatment. Automobiles are most dangerous, but only because the emissions can
not be readily collected.
If we could channel the exhausts from automobiles to some central facilities,
their treatment would
be much more reasonable than controlling each individual car. One success in
collecting pollutants
has been the recycling of blow by gases in the internal combustion engine. By
reigniting these gases
and emitting them through the car’s exhaust system, the need of installing a
separate treatment device
for the car can be eliminated.
Kinds of Pollution
Various
types of pollutions are classified in different ways. On the basis of the type
of environment being polluted, we may recognize air pollution, water pollution,
land soil pollution, marine pollution etc. on the basis of the kind of pollutant
involved, we may have sulphur dioxide pollution, fluoride pollution, car bonmonoxide
pollution, smoke pollution, lead pollution, mercury pollution, solid waste
pollution, radioactive pollution, noise pollution etc. Of the variety of
pollutants, we recognize the following two basic types of pollutants: non
degradable and biodegradable.
Nondegradable pollutants
These
are the materials and poisonous substances like aluminium cans, mercuric salts,
long chain phenolics, DDT etc. that either do not degrade or degrade only very
slowly in nature. They are not cycled in ecosystem naturally but by subsequent
movement in food chains and biogeochemical cycles.
Biodegradable
pollutants
They
are the domestic wastes that can be rapidly decomposed under natural condition.
They
may
create problems when they accumulate their input into the environment exceeds
their
decomposition.
Atmosphere
The earth’s vertically extended atmosphere, an
envelope of gases is divided into the following
layers, the lowest atmosphere in which
temperature decreases with height bounded by land or sea surface below and by t
ropopause above, stratosphere 5 to 45 km the region above the troposphere, in
which temperature increases up to 900C with height. This is limited by
stratopause, mesosphere 45 to 80 km the part between stratosphere and
thermosphere. Temperature again decreases up to 800C. Thermosphere above 80 km, the upper part in
which temperature increases with height. There is no boundary between the atmosphere
and void of outer space. About 75% of the earth’s atmosphere lies within 16 km.
of the surface and 99% of the atmosphere lies below an altitude of 30 km. The
atmosphere is an insulating blanket around the earth. It is source of essential
gases, maintains a narrow difference of day and night temperatures and provides
a medium for long distance radio communication. It also acts as shield around
the earth against lethal UV radiations and meteors. Without atmosphere, there
will be no lightening, no wind, no clouds, no rains, no snow and no fire.
Environmental Pollution and
Impacts of Exposure
Heavy metals are metallic elements that are
present in both natural and contaminated environments. In natural environments,
they occur at low concentrations. However at high concentrations as is the case
in contaminated environments, they result in public health impacts. The
elements that are of concern include lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, chromium,
zinc, nickel and copper. Heavy metals may be released into the environment from
metal smelting and refining industries, scrap metal, plastic and rubber industries,
and various consumer products and from burning of waste containing these
elements. On release to the air, the elements travel for large distances and
are deposited onto the soil, vegetation and water depending on their density.
Once deposited, these metals are not degraded and persist in the environment
for many years poisoning humans through inhalation, ingestion and skin
absorbtion. Acute exposure leads to nausea, anorexia, vomiting,
gastrointestinal abnormalities and dermatitis.
Environmental Evaluation
The concentration of lead in the soil samples
ranged from 50-590 ppm. 42% of the samples had levels above 400 ppm and only
one sample had Pb levels at 50 ppm reference standard in the Netherlands and
Taiwan, with the rest above 60 ppm. Samples from within the waste dump
manifested a value of 13,500 ppm and this is a clear indication that the
dumpsite is the major source of high lead levels found in the surrounding
environment. Mean concentrations of lead in soil samples from the dumpsite were
over seven times more than those found in Waithaka. For mercury, samples
collected from the waste dump exhibited a value of 46.7 ppm while those
collected along the river bank registered a value of 18.6 ppm. Both of these
values greatly exceeded the WHO acceptable exposure level of 2 ppm. The rest of
the samples were inconclusive due to the fact that the analytical method used
was only capable of detecting high levels of mercury.
Mean concentrations of cadmium in the soil
samples adjacent to the site were eight times higher than those prescribed by
the Dutch and Taiwanese authorities. High concentrations were found in both
surface and sub surface soil levels. Waithaka soil samples had copper concentrations
that were below the detection limit of 15 ppm while concentrations from the
Dandora dumping site greatly exceeded the prescribed standard values as well as
the natural range and registered between 7 and 80 ppm. Mean chromium concentrations were slightly above the
critical standard soil levels hence had no major negative impact on the
environment. Zinc concentrations from Dandora soils were four times greater
than those from Waithaka and these values exceeded the recommended standard
levels as well.
Impacts on Public Health
From the environmental evaluation conducted, it
was determined that the dumpsite exposes the residents around it to
unacceptable levels of environmental pollutants with adverse health impacts. A
high number of children and adolescents living around the dumping site had
illnesses related to the respiratory, gastrointestinal and dermatological
systems such as upper respiratory tract infections, chronic bronchitis, asthma,
fungal infections, allergic and unspecified dermatitis purities inflammation
and itchiness of the skin.
Environmental pollution is a major health hazard
that affects any ecosystems on Earth. The types of environmental pollution are
water, land, pesticide, thermal, radiation, air and noise pollution. The main
sources of the pollutants are man made waste from industries, farming, trading
as well as from the transportation industry.
Pollution of the open seas by
human activities has become a serious problem. Ocean dumping is the dumping or
placing of materials in designated places in the ocean, often on the
continental shelf.
Pollution is the
result of exponential growth and development in the nation. By all means it is
hampering the quality of human life and creating an imbalance in the ecology.
Pollution is the result of
progression and development that is occurring on a regular basis. With the
growth of technology more and more development is taking place in order to
improve the quality of human life. This series is certainly giving high level
of comfort and a rich lifestyle to all humans but is sadly diminishing the
worth of human health, the need to have a good and healthy environment is
ignored.
Many new inventions and
introductions are causing a danger to human life as they are done artificially.
This artificial and unsystematic way of generating high level of comforts is
producing components that are inevitable to human life.
Noise Pollution
Any kind of noise that is unpleasant to human ears is considered as noise pollution. Loud and hard sounds coming from factories, machinery, automobiles, trains, fire crackers, and explosives are also contributing to noise pollution. It is also caused by some natural calamities like harsh winds and volcanic eruptions. Both natural and artificial factors contributing to noise or sound pollution have their impact on human health. This kind causes irritation, hearing issues, and headache. However these are not major issues but extremely unpleasant sounds can be very harmful as they can cause an increase in the cholesterol, constrict arteries, an increase in the flow of adrenaline, and also forces the heart to function at a faster pace. All these can be life threatening as these factors can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Water Pollution
Any kind of harmful components or contaminants entering the water bodies like river, oceans, lakes, ponds, and streams cause water pollution. Many human activities like washing cleaning, and dumping waste significantly contribute to water pollution. The soaps and detergents used these days are also made of harmful chemicals and synthetic materials that produce more contaminants in water. Furthermore, dumping waste like cans, bottles, and plastic materials also pose danger. It not only destroys marine life but is also hazardous to human life. This kind of polluted water is not safe for drinking, agriculture or even industrial use.
Any kind of noise that is unpleasant to human ears is considered as noise pollution. Loud and hard sounds coming from factories, machinery, automobiles, trains, fire crackers, and explosives are also contributing to noise pollution. It is also caused by some natural calamities like harsh winds and volcanic eruptions. Both natural and artificial factors contributing to noise or sound pollution have their impact on human health. This kind causes irritation, hearing issues, and headache. However these are not major issues but extremely unpleasant sounds can be very harmful as they can cause an increase in the cholesterol, constrict arteries, an increase in the flow of adrenaline, and also forces the heart to function at a faster pace. All these can be life threatening as these factors can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Water Pollution
Any kind of harmful components or contaminants entering the water bodies like river, oceans, lakes, ponds, and streams cause water pollution. Many human activities like washing cleaning, and dumping waste significantly contribute to water pollution. The soaps and detergents used these days are also made of harmful chemicals and synthetic materials that produce more contaminants in water. Furthermore, dumping waste like cans, bottles, and plastic materials also pose danger. It not only destroys marine life but is also hazardous to human life. This kind of polluted water is not safe for drinking, agriculture or even industrial use.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is caused by discharge of harmful substances in the air. One of the key contributing factors is automotive pollution. With the growing technology, the number of vehicles on road is dramatically increasing which is eventually giving a pushing up the level of air pollution. Apart from this, industries indulged into thermal power plant, cement, steel, mines, petro-chemicals, and steel also generate harmful substances that are released into the atmosphere. This kind of pollution has caused harm to the protective ozone layer in the atmosphere. This layer protects the earth from the harmful effects of ultra-violet rays but thinning of this layer is causing a danger to human life.
Radioactive Pollution
Radioactive pollution is a rare kind but is detrimental. It is caused by accidents in the nuclear power plant, improper disposal of nuclear waste, and operations of uranium mining. Radioactive pollution causes cancer, various kinds of birth defects, and many other serious health issues.
Soil Pollution
Soil pollution, also known as land pollution, is defined as the contamination of soil. These days many artificial substances and synthetic pesticides are used for agriculture. Such substances release contaminants that create an imbalance in the soil and also prevent natural growth of the plants cultivated on polluted land. Key factors contributing to soil pollution are sewage pills, hazardous waste, non-sustainable agriculture practice, use of inorganic pesticides, deforestation, strip mining, and certain human activities like dumping and littering. Including the basic needs of life like clothing and even food is now being produced synthetically. Just one insight into the depth of ecology will make us realize that the increasing need of the present day lifestyle is eventually creating an imbalance in the ecology. Here are some of the most common types of environmental pollution that are gradually bringing people to a morbid stage.
No comments:
Post a Comment