Pollution means the introduction into the environment of substances or energy that is liable to cause hazards to human health, harm to living resources and ecological systems, damage to structure or interfere with the legitimate use of environment. (Eloise, 2003) Polluting is to make impure and to contaminate with man made waste. It means introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in the whole world. Pollution not only damages the environment but also damages our vital life sustaining needs such as the water we drink. Pollution problem have arisen in all industrialized areas as well as various inland and coastal waters.
Everyone at one time or another has heard the phrase’ every dollar counts” this is true to big business operations and companies because they make every dollar count even if it pollutes the water which organisms depend on pollution is an obvious problem in our world today. Therefore it is ultimately important that we take action by making companies pay for their own mess, because soon there will be serious consequences that we may face in the future which might lead to our extinction on earth. (Eloise, 2003).
Substances that cause pollution are known as pollutants and they include; Industrial affluent, Pesticides and insecticides, Fertilizers, Ultra – violet rays from nuclear plants, Dust, Smoke, Noise, Waste heat, Exhaust geysers from automobiles, Radioactivity and electromagnetic pulses Major types of pollutions include; Land, Air, Water and Noise.
Land Pollution
This is any physical or chemical alteration to land which causes change in it’s use and renders it incapable of beneficial use without treatment. Land is polluted when solid and semisolid waste from industries, commercial, medical and domestic buildings is left on the land surface. Such industrial waste corrodes or degrades the land surface and makes it unproductive.
Garbage heaps in urban areas has destroyed the beauty of the environment. They also contain dangerous contents like broken glasses which may cause injury. The heaps are also a breeding ground for disease transmitting insects, for example, mosquitoes which cause malaria. The rotten garbage produces foul smell and act like hiding places for muggers and thieves thus making the place uninhabitable. Some of the dumped waste causes obstruction and may cause accidents especially at night. (Eloise, 2003).
Land pollution also occurs through the use of chemicals such as fertilizers herbicides and pesticides which make land acidic and eventually infertile. When chemical substances enter the natural cycles and eco-systems they affect the food, health and life of animals’ plants and human beings.
Air Pollution
- Air pollution is another form of pollution that negatively affects the earth. It is the presence of contaminants or objects like metal which are injurious to human plant or animal life in the atmosphere. Air pollutant may be transported for long distances causing adverse effects in environment far removed from the source of emission.
- Major atmosphere pollutants include gases such as Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), Sulphuric dioxide (SO2) Hydrocarbons (Hcs) and Nitrogen Oxide (NO).
- Increasing levels of natural gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as a result of human activity is another form of pollution. Air is also polluted by fumes from industries, automobiles, aircrafts and ships. (Eloise, 2003)
Effects of Air pollution includes
- Depletion of ozone layer which protects life forms from Ultra – violet rays and infra – red rays from the sun. This causes eye problems like contracts, reduction in immunity in people skin cancer and low plant fields.
- Rusting of roofs and other iron and steel is caused by air pollution.
- Formation of acidic rain also causes major changes in the eco-systems and damages to buildings, destruction of trees and cause leading of magnesium and calcium from soils and from damaged leaves.
- Build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which has led to global warming and green – house effect. Carbon dioxide is transparent to incoming shortwave radiation from the sun but absorbs strongly the long-wale radiation which the earth re-radiates into the space. It traps the outgoing radiation warming the lower atmosphere which in turn radiates energy back to the surface of the earth thus raising temperature.
- Global warming has been known to cause ocean warming, rising sea levels and also causes less rainfall in the middle of continents making them very dry.
- The ozone molecules which occur as a result of pollution wind -up near the earth surface and damage lung tissues of animals and prevent plant respiration by blocking opening in leaves. Without respiration the plant is unable to photosynthesize.
- Formation of smog (thick fog) especially in temperate countries which reduce visibility in cities and urban centers thus increasing chances of accidents by motorists
- Air pollution also results to formation of foul smell which is associated with gaseous products in the atmosphere like sulphur dioxide.
- There is also formation of colored rain as a result of concentration of large amounts of dust in the atmosphere.
- Air pollution also causes loss of eye sight as a result of gas leakages from industrial plants. (Eloise, 2003)
Water Pollution
This is the increase of substances in water in excess of its rightful chemical components thus making it unsuitable for human, animal and plant use. Inland waters and rivers are polluted with nitrogen and phosphorus run-off from fertilizers used in extensive agriculture and sewage affluents which contain phosphate. Water pollution is also caused by eroded soil and other impurities deposited in water bodies. Also oil spoils and leakages is a major hazard for marine environment. Water pollution is rampant in urban industrial and heavily cultivated rural areas. Water may be made unfit for consumption when animals and people excrete into the rivers, people may also dump dead animals and plants wash clothes and bathe in rivers lakes and oceans. Water pollution also occurs when water is used as a coolant in industries like hydro-electric power plants (thermal pollution). Such water is warm and contains lower levels of dissolved oxygen.
Effects of Water Pollution
The water becomes unfit for human consumption. If taken it may cause epidemics in human beings. Untreated sewage may contain pathogenic bacteria such as those causing typhoid and cholera hence killing aquatic animals. Water corrodes metal appliances in industries and homes. Poisonous heavy metals such as mercury lead and silver discharged into water bodies kill organisms in water and other food chains. (Monarty, 2001).
Hot water affluents from power stations expel dissolved oxygen which causes suffocation of aquatic animals causing death. Oil spilled from tankers in seas and oceans kill aquatic animals such as fish, sea birds and whales. Radio active waste from nuclear reactors can cause mutation death and deformation in plants and animals.
Water pollution generates direct health hazards for swimmers and other users. There is contamination of drainage systems with heavy metals or hydrocarbons.
Soil erosion due to poor forming methods reduces depth of water bodies thus making them prone to adverse biotic factors such as high temperatures which are destructive to marine life.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution is experienced in areas near roads, running water, factories, mining areas quarries, aerodromes (airports), matatu terminals, bars, night clubs and public open air crusades.
Effects of Noise Pollution
- Shock due to sudden loud noise.
- It may cause hearing problems.
- Noise pollution may cause lack of sleep especially in children and patients.
- It may lead to public nuisance leading to frustrations and irritation.
- It may lead to poor communication leading to misunderstanding where instructions fail to be received correctly.
- It may also lead to cracking of walls where very loud sounds are involved.
Environmental Pollution
When all the other types of pollution are put together they result to environmental pollution. That is water pollution, air pollution, land pollution and noise pollution.
The increase in environmental pollution has led to a significant degradation on earth’s air, water and soil. There is growing amount of atmospheric degradation which causes several repercussions on a global scale. The air on earth is becoming more and more dangerous to breathe without the artificial filters. The most obvious cause of pollution in the air is the continuous augmentation of motorized vehicles that send carbon monoxide in the air resulting in the de-purification of air.
Water Pollution
Water pollution increases with each passing year. This increase in water pollution continuous to be responsible for killing plant and animal life as well as polluting rivers beaches and other water ways. This pollution represents potentially harmful effects on human health and environment. The pollution is typically generated by industries, waste treatment facilities, illegal dumping and other sources of water pollution such as the effluent from pig farming. The pollution from pig farming in Maryland led to the discovery of pfiesteria a toxic virus that has affected plant and fish species along Maryland waterways. Pollution is responsible for disruption in plants and animals and deforestation. (Monarty, 2001).
Land Pollution
This is the degradation of earths land surface often caused by human activities and its misuse, haphazard disposal of urban and industrial wastes. Exploitation of minerals and improper use of soil by inadequate agricultural practices are a few of the contributing factors. Also increasing urbanization, industrialization and other demands on the environment and its resources is of great consequences to many countries. The industrial revolution set in motion a series of events which impinged on the countryside destroying many natural habitats and introduced pollution causing diseases in both animals and humans.
Land pollution has resulted due to increased agricultural land and field size. Increased waste disposals increased leisure and available military presence. (Monarty, 2001).
Increased mechanization has resulted in land pollution in that in some areas more metal ores had to be attracted out of the ground melted and vast using water. This increased water temperature reducing the Oxygen carrying capacity affecting living things in water. The extraction of these metals led to large scale quarrying and defacing on the countryside. Though this is controlled and efforts are made to use the holes profitably. For example in central Scotland the scars of fears of coal mining with pit binges and slag heaps is visible from the motorways.
Increased urbanization resulted as the demand for labor grew. The areas around the factories and mines were given over to housing. This took over former agricultural land. The demand for more housing meant the increase need for raw materials like bricks which increased quarrying and destruction of forests. The increase in population led to increased number of roads and other infrastructure which led to more destruction of land.
Increased agricultural land and field size resulted due to increase in demand for food which led to loss of habitat and shelter for wild life. More intensive agriculture led to monoculture which depletes the soil nutrients, allow diseases and pests to spread which introduced use of chemical substances into the soil, for example, pesticides used to kill pests, herbicides – used to kill weeds, fungicides used to control fungi and insecticides used to control insects. (Monarty, 2001).
Increased leisure and available wealth has also led to land pollution in that the people are able to travel more to the countryside increasing litter usually in form of packaging cans and bottles. This leads to land degradation. This also posses’ threat to wildlife through razor sharp glasses which can be trodden on plastic bags can also be eaten by the wild animals.
Increased military presence has also led to land degradation due to use of bombs and grenades and also other explosives which are left lying on land and when they explode they cause a lot of harm to the land. They burn the land thus depriving the land off its nutrients.
Work Cited
Edwin, K. Waste and Pollution, New York, Prentice Hall, 1997.
Eloise, S. A Study of the Treatment of Ecology, Air Pollution, and Water Pollution, Florida, Florida State University press, 2003.
Monarty, F. Ecotoxicology; The study of pollutants in ecosystems. New York: Academic press, 2001.
Seager, Spence and Stephen Stacker. Environmental chemistry; Air and water pollution. Glenview Scott foreman and company, 1999.