Environmental Pollution

Pollution

• Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment, damaging the quality of air, water, and land.
• Sources of pollution include natural pollution (e.g., volcanoes, thunderbolts, storms) and industrial pollution (human activity).

Chemical Pollution

• Chemical pollution refers to the presence or increase of chemical pollutants in the environment, not naturally present or exceeding natural background values.
• Most chemical pollutants are man-made, resulting from various activities using toxic chemicals.
• Chemical pollutants can exist in gaseous, liquid, and solid states, characterized by their efficacy, toxicity, or explosive potential.
• Effects of chemical pollution include:
  • Exposure to high amounts and accumulation of chemicals in the body, leading to serious diseases.
  • Consuming poisonous food, drinking contaminated water, or breathing contaminated air.
  • Chemicals can react with tissues, change organ structure and function, cause abnormal growth, or bind with genetic material, leading to cancer.

Types of Chemical Pollution

• Inorganic pollutants: released from mining, industry, transportation, and urban activities.
• Organic pollutants: used in industry, medicine, and daily life, causing pollution through exposure to drugs, cleaning products, solvents, fuels, paints, inks, preservatives, and pesticides.
• Nuclear (Radiation) pollutants: leakage of radioactive materials into the environment, causing hidden and visible damage to the body.

Biological Pollutants

• Biological pollutants: living organisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses) in the environment, causing disease through contaminated food, water, and air.

Industrial Pollutants

• Industrial pollutants are divided into three types:
  • Solid pollutants (e.g., dust from cement industry)
  • Liquid pollutants (e.g., chemical solutions in waterways)
  • Gas pollutants (e.g., harmful smoke and gases)

Environmental Pollution

• Environmental pollution: any undesirable change in physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of the environment, causing harm to life or property.
• Types of environmental pollution include:
  • Water pollution
  • Air pollution
  • Land pollution
  • Noise pollution

Water Pollution

• Water pollution: alteration of water's physical, chemical, or biological characteristics, making it unsuitable for designated use.
• Most water pollution is man-made, but can also occur naturally through soil erosion, animal waste, and mineral leaching from rocks.

Air Pollution

• Air pollution: introduction of pollutant materials into the air, harming human health and the environment.
• Causes of air pollution include:
  • Burning of fossil fuels
  • Automobiles
  • Agricultural activities
  • Factories and industries
  • Mining activities
  • Domestic sources
  • Smoking

Land Pollution

• Land pollution: degradation of the earth's land surfaces, both above and below ground level.
• Causes of land pollution include:
  • Accumulation of solid and liquid waste products, contaminating groundwater and soil.
• Effects of land pollution include:
  • Harm to human body through ingestion of toxic waste and contaminants.
  • Disposal of hazardous radioactive wastes contributing to land contamination.
  • Chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and brain damage.