Environmental Pollution and Control

Environmental Pollution

• Environmental pollution is defined as any undesirable change in physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of the environment (air, water, soil) that can cause harmful effects on various forms of life or property.
• Pollution can be defined as the influence of any substance causing nuisance, harmful effects, or uneasiness to organisms.

Types of Pollution

• Water pollution: alteration in physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of water through natural or human activities, making it unsuitable for its designated use.
• Air pollution: introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment.
• Land pollution: demolition of Earth's land surfaces often caused by human activities and their misuse of land resources.
• Noise pollution: excessive, displeasing human, animal, or machine-created environmental noise that disrupts the activity or balance of human or animal life.

Water Pollution

• Sources of water pollution:
  • Municipal wastewater
  • Industrial waste
  • Inorganic pollutants (e.g., metals, chlorides, sulfates, acids, and alkalies)
  • Organic pollutants (e.g., oils, fats, phenols, organic acids, grease)
  • Agricultural wastes (e.g., chemical fertilizers, pesticides)
  • Marine pollution (e.g., ocean dumping, sewage, garbage)

Air Pollution

• Causes of air pollution:
  • Deforestation and fossil fuel burning (carbon dioxide)
  • Burning of sulfur-containing compounds (sulfur dioxide and sulfur oxides)
• Consequences of air pollution:
  • Global warming (greenhouse effect)
  • Acid rain

Land Pollution

• Causes of land pollution:
  • Construction
  • Agriculture
  • Domestic waste
  • Industrial waste
• Effects of land pollution:
  • Destruction of natural habitats
  • Soil pollution
  • Loss of biodiversity

Noise Pollution

• Sources of noise pollution:
  • Construction
  • Transportation systems
  • Industrial noise
  • Loud speakers and other noise-generating devices
• Effects of noise pollution:
  • Health problems (e.g., high blood pressure, stress, sleep disruption, hearing loss, depression)
  • Productivity loss

Solutions to Pollution

• Ways to stop pollution:
  • Increase recycling
  • Implement regulations to restrict noise pollution
  • Plant bushes and trees to reduce noise pollution
  • Educate the public about the causes and effects of pollution
  • Implement proper waste disposal and management practices

Global Warming and the Greenhouse Effect

• Global warming refers to a rise in the temperature of the Earth's surface.
• The Greenhouse Effect is a process by which thermal radiation from a planetary surface is absorbed by atmospheric greenhouse gases and re-radiated in all directions.
• Evidence of global warming:
  • Melting of glaciers (e.g., Portage Glacier, Alaska)
  • Changes in river flows (e.g., Colorado River)

Learn about environmental pollution, its effects on living organisms and property, and ways to control it. Understand the definition of pollution and pollutants.