Environmental Pollution: Causes, Effects and Solutions

INTRODUCTION

Today, pollution is happening on an incomprehensible and remarkable scale far and wide. Pollution occurs in different forms which include air, water, land, radioactive, light, heat and noise. These pollution are mainly caused by developmental activities such as construction, transportation and manufacturing. 

Pollution is one of the results of our scientific achievements with the purpose of improving our lifestyles. We can say that science is the key to human kind’s development but at the same time it is also the cause of many problems including environmental pollution in which will lead to human downfall in a long run. Environmental pollution has become the major problem to the human race more than any other crisis happening these days and it is unlikely to ease except to broaden our transitions.

WHAT IS POLLUTION?

We see and hear about pollution anywhere and anytime. But do we fully understand the actual causes and effects behind those actions made by us with or without realizing it? By definition, environmental pollution means the existence of contaminants in the environment that leads to an imbalance in the ecosystem and undesired effects to us mankind as well as our mother Earth. Components that are damaging to our nature include hazardous chemical substances or energy called pollutants. These pollutants cause our nature surroundings to be imbalance either directly or indirectly. With these developments made by our kind, pollution has reached its peak leading to the rise of global warming and other significant health hazards.

TYPES OF POLLUTION

Pollution comes in different forms mainly air, water and land. Now, let us discuss further on the cause, effects and ways to overcome each of these pollution.



Air Pollution

Air pollution occurs when gases, dust or smoke are emitted into the atmosphere which leads negative effects on the health of humans, animals and our environment. This pollution can be said is the most significant pollution among all. This is due to the fact that the particles that we breathe in from the air can’t be seen by our naked eyes. Air pollution happens almost everywhere especially in the cities. Statistics from World Health Organization shows that air pollution level is higher in cities and lower in rural areas in most countries (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Annual Median Concentration of Particulate Air Pollution

           Causes

a.       Burning of fossil fuels

·    Sulfur dioxide emitted from the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, petroleum and other factory combustibles is one the major cause of air pollution which is very difficult to manage. This is because humans rely mainly on vehicles and engines for transportation of people, goods and other services.

·     Incomplete combustion fumes from car exhausts also cause the emission of harmful pollutants such as carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons from vehicles which are very harmful to be inhaled.

b.      Biomass burning

·   Biomass burning is the human-initiated burning of corps residue for land clearing and land-use (Figure 2).

·   Burning of vegetation releases a huge amount of harmful gases such as greenhouse gases which contributes in global warming. These greenhouse gases can cause to the rise in global climate change.

·   Biomass burning particulates impact climate and affect human health for instance, respiratory problems.

Figure 2: Biomass Burning

c.       Forest Fire

·     Evidence shows that due to the longer, hotter, and drier seasons in certain regions as a result of global warming, forest fires (Figure 3) are more likely to occur as well as become more difficult to prevent.

Figure 3: Forest Fire

            Effects

a.       Respiratory and heart problems

·  Air pollution caused by industrial activity is not just an environmental concern but it is also leading to a major public health problem too. It is known to cause several respiratory and heart conditions. Millions of people are known to have died due to the effects of inhaling toxic gases. Children exposed to air pollutants usually suffer from pneumonia and asthma.

b.      Acid Rain

·     Harmful gases like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are released from the burning of fossil fuels. When it rains, the water droplets combines with these harmful gases and becomes acidic which can cause great damage to human, animals and crops (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Process Cycle of Acid Rain

c.       Global warming

·   Chemical reactions involving air pollutants can create acidic compounds which can cause harm to plants and buildings. When a pollutant such as sulfuric acid combines with the water droplets that make up clouds, the water droplets become acidic which lead to acid rain. When acid rain falls over a region, it can kill trees and harm animals, fish, and other wildlife.

·      With increased temperatures worldwide, rise in sea levels due to melting of ice and loss of habitat, our mother nature is already in a critical condition and signaled an impending disaster if no action is being implemented.

d.      Eutrophication

·    Rain can carry and deposit nitrogen in some air pollutants on rivers and soils. This will affect the nutrients in the soil and water bodies in a negative way which can result in algae growth in lakes and water bodies and make conditions for other living organisms harmful.

            Solutions

a.       Use Public Mode of Transportation (Figure 5)

·    Encourage people to use public transportation and carpooling. This option can help reduce emission of carbon-based emission and toxic fumes from vehicles.

Figure 5: Benefit of Using Public Transportation

b.      Conserve Energy

·         Use energy only when it is needed. Actions such as switching the lights and fans off before going out (Figure 6) can save huge amount energy because tons of fossil fuels are used up to generate electricity.

·         If we all cut down the usage of energy, the amount of pollution we create will also decrease.

Figure 6: Conserving Energy by Switching Lights and Fans Off 

    Land Pollution

     Land pollution (Figure 7) is the destruction of land surface as a result of human’s activities and their misconduct of land resources either directly or indirectly.

Figure 7: Land Pollution

    

                  Causes

a)      Deforestation and soil erosion

·         Dry or barren land is often caused by deforestation. Land that is already converted to dry land can never be change back to its original state or be made fertile again no matter how much effort is put into it.

b)      Agricultural Activities

·   Contamination and poisoning of soil results from the overuse of toxic fertilizers and pesticides by farmers to get rid of insects, fungi and bacteria from crops.

c)      Overcrowded landfills

·         Garbage from household or municipal waste that cannot be recycled and decay become a part of landfills leading to land pollution.

Figure 8: Landfills

a)      Mining Activities

·         Mining activities clear the land surfaces causing it to be exposed to erosion which destroys the quality of the land.

·         Other than that, substances such as iron, copper, mercury and lead from mining activities leach into the soil, polluting it and leaving it exposed to water bodies as well.

                     Effects

a)      Soil Pollution

·      This pollution is different from land pollution but both are inter-related to each other where soil pollution is the damage of the upper surface or the land. Fertilizers are the main cause for the loss of fertile land.

b)      Effect on Human Health

·         Illnesses such as skin cancer and human respiratory system can happen due to toxic chemicals from contaminated land.

·     The toxic substances can reach our body from eating foods and vegetables that are grown on polluted soil.

c)      Loss of Habitat

·  For these past few decades, the wildlife has suffered the most consequences due to our intention to make us man kinds’ lives better.

·        Animals are forced to move away from their habitat and adapt into a new place caused by the constant development on land such as deforestation (Figure 9).

·     Some species of animals are extinct or at the edge of extinction just because they have nowhere to live or died trying to adjust to a new unsuitable place.

Figure 9: Effect of Deforestation on Wildlife 

           

                    Solutions

a)      Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

·      This approach can reduce the amount of garbage thrown into landfills and thus reduce the areas of land used to contain these wastes.

b)      Reduce the Usage of Harmful Products

·     Purchase biodegradable products (Figure 10) and organic food that does not contain any pesticides or fertilizers.

·         Buy products with less packaging.

Figure 10: Decomposition Period for Biodegradable Product

c)      Stop Deforestation and Begin Reforestation

·        Deforestation is the major factor in causing soil erosion (Figure 11). Soil erosion can occur when there are no trees to avoid the top layer of soil from being removed and transported by water and air, which contribute to soil pollution.

·        Soil erosion can be avoided by reforestation and planting vegetation in areas that are prone to erosion.

Figure 11: Soil Erosion

d)     Avoid Intensive Farming Practices

·   Reduce the usage of pesticides and fertilizers as these chemicals substances are the major cause of land pollution.

·       Also, prevent over-cropping and over-grazing as these actions will lead to flood and also soil erosion.

  Water Pollution

By definition, water pollution is the contamination of water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans and groundwater by human activities that has adverse effects on its quality chemically, biologically or physically. Specifically, water pollution mainly revolves around the quantity that have accumulate in water bodies to an extent that they cause problems for animals or people. For instance, if a ship spilled a little amount of toxic chemical into the sea, it may have only caused a small impact as the toxics are dispersed harmlessly around the endless ocean. Having said that, if the same amount of toxics is released in a lake or river, it would have caused a bigger impact where there is less clean water to disperse it.

               Causes

a)      Industrial Waste

·         Asbestos has cancer-causing properties. When it is inhaled, it can cause illnesses such as asbestosis, an inflammatory condition affecting the lungs that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, and permanent lung damage

·         Lead and mercury are metallic elements that can cause environmental and health problems. It is also poisonous and also extremely hard to clean from the environment once it gets into it because it is non-biodegradable.

·         Nitrates and phosphates are found in fertilizers and are washed from the soils to nearby water streams. They can cause eutrophication, which can be a huge problem to marine environments.

·         Oils form a thick layer on the water surface and causes marine plants to not receive enough light for photosynthesis. It is also harmful to fish and marine birds.

Figure 7: Industrial Waste

                Effects

a)      Eutrophication

·   Eutrophication leads to the creation of dense blooms of noxious, foul-smelling phytoplankton that harm water quality.

·     Algal blooms limit light penetration, reducing growth of plants while also lowering the success of predators that need light to pursue and catch prey.

·   When these dense algal blooms eventually die, microbial decomposition severely depletes dissolved oxygen, creating a hypoxic or anoxic dead zone that are lacking of oxygen to support most organisms in the water.

b)      Death of Aquatic Life

·   Water pollution mainly kills organisms that live in these water bodies. Dead fish (Figure 8), crabs, birds and sea gulls, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches caused by the pollutants in their habitat.

Figure 8: Death of Aquatic Life

c)      Illnesses

·     Eventually, humans are affected by this pollution as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned. In many undeveloped nations, there are always diseases such as cholera as a result of bad drinking water treatment from contaminated waters.

                 

               Solutions

a)      Practice Responsible Use of Fertilizer, Herbicides  & Pesticides

·     These chemicals can kill plants, insects and animals in (and around) the contaminated waters.

·     Use organic options whenever possible.

·     Prevent spills and also prepare in advance to contain and absorb the solution if there is a spill.

·     Dispose of the leftover chemicals in a container properly as instructed in the product description.

b)      Green Agricultural Practices

·     Sediments are washed off from agricultural lands into lakes, rivers, and oceans causing silt depositions.

·     Green agricultural practice techniques like crop rotation, mulching, planting perennial crops, contour plowing, and installing silt fences can prevent silt depositions.

c)      Anti-pollution Laws and Policies

·     Anti-pollution laws can establish measures that put restrictions for major water pollution problems such as sewage and industrial waste treatments and garbage management.

·     These laws should be directed to marketplaces, industries, hospitals, schools, and the local councils.