The environment is the sum total of physical and biotic conditions influencing the responses of the organisms.(Kendeigh,1974).
Environmental pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that causes adverse change. such as, noise ,heat or light.
A formal definition of environmental pollution can be said as unfavourable modification of the environment by human activity.
Air pollution is a part of environmental pollution.
Air pollution is the contamination of the air by noxious gases and minute particles of solid and liquid matter(particulates) in concentration that endangered for health. Which causes diseases, death of human, damage to other living organisms or the natural or built environment
In order to understand the causes of air pollution ,several division can be made.
it can be caused by primary sources. the pollutants that are a direct result of the process can be called primary pollutants. a classic example of a primary pollutant would be the sulfur dioxide emitted from factories.
secondary pollutants are the ones that are caused by the inter mingling and reactions of primary pollutants. Smog created by the interactions of several primary pollutants is known to be as secondary pollutants.
The major air pollutants are
- OUTDOOR POLLUTANTS
- Carbon monoxide
- Carbon dioxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Nitrogen dioxide
- Particulate matter
- Ground level ozone.
There are many sources in indoor air pollution.
- Tobacco smoke
- Heating appliances
- Vapors from building materials,paints,furniture.
- Other materials within the home that emit unhealthy chemicals.
CAUSES OF AIR POLLUTION
- BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS:sulfur dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and other factory combustibles is one of the major cause of air pollution. Pollution emitting from vehicles including cause immense amount of pollution.
- AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES: ammonia is a very common by product from agriculture related activities and is one of most hazardous gases in the atmosphere. use insecticides ,pesticides and fertilizers in agriculture actives has grown quite a lot.
- EXHAUST FROM FACTORIES ANDINDUSTRIES: manufacturing industries release large amount of carbon monoxide,hydrocarbons,organic compounds and chemicals into the air thereby depleting the quality of air.
- MINING OPERATIONS:mining is a process where in minerals below the earth are extracted using large equipment. during the process dust and chemicals are released in the air causing massive air pollution
- INDOOR AIR POLLUTION: house hold cleaning products ,painting supplies toxic chemicals in the air and causes air pollution.
- SUSPENDED PARTICULATE MATTER:Suspended particulate matter known as SPM,is another cause of pollution. Referring to the particles a float in the air,SPM is usually caused by dust combustion etc.
EFFECTS OF AIR POLLUTION
There are some effects of air pollution . which are pointed as bellow.
- HEALTH PROBLEM: air pollution can cause health problems including burning eyes and nose, breathing problems. some chemicals found in polluted air can causes cancer, birth defects,brain,nerve damage and long term injury to the lungs and breathing passages in certain circumstance.
- ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM: air pollution can also damage the environment and property.trees,lakes and animals have been harmed by air pollution.It damage buildings, monuments and other structure.
- GLOBAL WARMING: global warming-now global warming is a burning problem in the environment. it increased concentration of carbon dioxide and other green house gases in the atmosphere lead to rise in earth’s average temperature.
- DEPLETION OF OZONE LAYER: ozone exist on earth’s stratosphere and is responsible for protecting humans from harmful ultraviolet (uv) rays.earthe’s ozone layer is depleting due to the presence of chlorofluorocarbons,hydro-chlorofluorocarbons in the As ozone layer will go thin, it will emit harmful rays back on earth and can cause skin and eye related problem. uv rays also have the capability to affect crops.
- ACID RAIN: acid rain comes mainly from sulfur dioxide emitted from power plants and from nitrogen oxides DISCHARGES FROM POWER plant and automobiles. these acids are often carried far before falling as a rain or snow. Acid corrode metals and even erode stone buildings and statues.
- EUTROFICATION: it is a condition where high amount of nitrogen present in some pollutants get developed in sea’s surface and turns itself into algae and adversely affect on fish, plants and other animal
SOLUTIONS FOR AIR POLLUTION
- Improve energy efficiency to reduce fossil fuel use .
- Use low polluting natural gas.
- Reduce landfills.
- Rely more on renewable energy (especially, solar cells, wind and solar produced hydrogen)
- Transfer energy efficiency ,renewable energy and pollution prevention technologies toPollution Freedeveloping countries.
- Distribute efficient Cooke stoves or solar cooker to poor families in developing countries
- Reduce or ban indoor smoking.
- Develop simple and cheap tests for indoor pollutants such as,particulates,radon,formaldehyde
This is the general idea of air pollution.
Thank you for reading.
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What is Environmental Pollution?
Pollution is the contamination of the environment by introduction of contaminants that can cause damage to environment and harm or discomfort to humans or other living species. It is the addition of another form 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.Environmental pollution is one the greatest challenges that the world is facing today. It began since industrial revolution, increasing day by day and causing irreparable damage to Mother Earth. Environmental pollution has its own causes, effects and solutions. Looking into these will help you identify the causes and what steps you can take to mitigate those effects. Broadly, environmental pollution consists of six basic types of pollution, i.e. air, water, land, soil, noise, and light.
When people think of environmental pollution, most focus on fossil fuel and carbon emissions, but there are different contributing factors. Chemical pollution in bodies of water contributes to illnesses. Electromagnetic pollution has effects on human health but is uncommonly considered in present times despite the fact we essentially expose ourselves to it on a daily basis. Taking a look at causes and effects of environmental pollution will pull any mind on a rapid downward spiral. Solutions are in the works and, if we work together across the world, there is hope remaining, at least for the time being.
The environment will continue to deteriorate until pollution practices are abandoned.
~ B. F. Skinner
Causes of Environmental Pollution
- Pollution from cars, trucks, and other vehicles is and has been our major environmental pollution issue for almost a century now. The problem is we did not realize this until the problem had manifested to monumental proportions.
- Fossil fuel emissions from power plants which burn coal as fuel contributed heavily, along with vehicles burning fossil fuels, to the production of smog. Smog is the result of fossil fuel combustion combined with sunlight and heat. The result is a toxic gas which now surrounds our once pristine planet. This is known as “ozone smog” and means we have more problems down here than we do in the sky.
- Carbon dioxide is another product from all of the vehicles on the planet as well as unreformed power plants and other industrial facilities. A continually growing population of humans and clear cutting of forests has exacerbated this problem so natural defenses are no longer present and carbon dioxide levels are on the rise.
- Water pollution is a major issue. Many industries dump wastes into rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams in an attempt to hide wastes from EPA inspectors. These water sources feed major crops and food becomes contaminated with a variety of chemicals and bacteria, causing rampant health problems.
- Radiation comes into play as well. This is an exceedingly nasty pollution issue and requires extensive description. Primarily, there is radiation from the sun. As the natural ozone layer around the Earth has become depleted. The sun is wonderful, but the only reason we are able to survive on this planet so close to the sun is due to the fact of natural shielding against solar radiation. As the protective ozone layer around the planet has become thinner, ultraviolet radiation has risen significantly, causing increases in skin cancers and other types of cancer in all countries, killing millions of people every year.
- More radiation is a problem. The sun shining brightly on a naked planet is not the only source of radiation we are exposed to. Electromagnetic radiation is another insidious culprit. Once upon a time, the major concern around this type of radiation was due to high tension wires which carry huge amounts of electricity to cities. Now, we even carry sources of this radiation with us as cell phones, laptops, tablets and other wireless devices.
Effects of Environmental Pollution
- The polluting gases mentioned above have an interesting effect on climate. Essentially, these gases form a veil around the planet which holds heat in, increasing the overall temperature of the planet. The rise in planetary temperature, or global warming, is not immediately noticeable. However, even a rise of a few degrees Centigrade causes catastrophic changes in weather. This is happening now.
- Pollen has increased. It is ironic, but even with fewer trees in the world; the increase of carbon dioxide emissions induces plants such as ragweed and many trees to produce more pollen than ever before. This has resulted in rampant allergies across the world, affecting the health of billions of people.
- One of the solutions to tamp out carbon monoxide emissions from coal burning power plants was and still is to use radioactive power plants. While this does cut down on gas emissions significantly, there is radioactive waste which causes various cancers to bloom in major cities and small towns all around while destroying ecosystems entirely.
- Global temperature has risen significantly over the years. The protective atmosphere is further being polluted by methane gas released from melting icecaps. This is causing rampant weather issues around the planet.
This all seems like a fairly bleak outlook for the planet and all the creatures on it. It is, in fact, a load of dark and very real truth. For much of it, there is little turning back. Being realistic, though solutions are in the works to combat global warming, the hope is dim. Radiation does not go away quickly either, especially in a technological age requiring more power, more gas, and intensified depletion of protective gases around the planet. We are on a significant downhill snowball ride to hell. There are things we can do. Let us take a look at some of the solutions which are currently being implemented to reduce pollution.
Solutions to Environmental Pollution
- Gas emission pollution is being mitigated in a variety of ways with car emission control, electric and hybrid vehicles and public transportation systems. Not all major cities have successful implementation and decent public transportation in place, but the world is working on this issue constantly and we have managed to reduce emissions profoundly over the last decade. There is much catching up to do.
- The cost of radioactive power plants is becoming apparent and the days of coal power plants are nearly dead. The radiation is a serious issue. Radioactive leakage from power plants and nuclear testing have already contaminated oceanic life to such a degree that it will take hundreds of years to return to normal. More radiation solutions are in the works with various ecologically friendly power technologies being built every day.
- Solar power is a fantastic solution. Now that solar radiation is at a climactic peak, we can reap power from the sun using solar panel systems. These range from home systems to larger scale systems powering entire communities and cities.
- Wind power is coming into play. This may not seem like much at first, but when you get about 100 feet off the ground, there is a great deal of wind up there. By building wind turbines to harvest natural wind energy, electricity is produced. Wind turbine power and solar power are both powerful forces against fossil fuel power and radioactive power. The one problem here is power companies. They want to stay with radioactive power plants because they actually can’t be removed. It has become the crusades of many individuals and small corporations to make the switch and there are plenty of people following this as populations cry out for help.
- Electromagnetic radiation (ER) reduction. Once major manufacturers of computers and electronic devices realized the blatant potential for huge ER emissions directly into the eyes and brains of users, they started to implement hardware protocols to minimize risks and reduce ER production significantly. Newer devices are in the lead to knock this problem out and, fortunately, this is working.
Also, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is well aware of all leaks and tricks industries are using to dump wastes. This agency now has extremely strict protocols and testing procedures implemented against such facilities so populations are not affected. Additionally, the EPA is measuring air pollution and implementing regulatory procedures for vehicle emissions. They also monitor pollen issues and, with the help of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they implement solutions to reduce pollen in the air.
Dropping pollen counts is a major focus for EPA and CDC activities. Asthma and other allergic conditions are flooding medical care facilities and pharmaceutical companies with serious public health problems. The response has been swift and various methods to control emissions and reduce pollen counts are in the works. Children and elderly people are at the highest risk for environmental pollution related health problems. The good news is we are directly on the horizon to cut down the causes and risks while providing practical health solutions for the general public throughout the world.
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