Pollution Basics and Soil Pollution

Study Notes

Pollution Basics

Pollution is the contamination of the environment with harmful substances called pollutants.
Pollutants can be naturally formed, like volcanic ash, or created by human activities like trash and factory runoff.
Pollution harms the air, water, and land.
Pollution is a global issue, present in urban, rural, and remote locations, such as the Antarctic ice sheet and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Soil Pollution

Soil pollution occurs when toxic substances are deposited on the earth's surface.
Soil pollution harms human health by entering the food chain and affecting food, water, and air quality.
Significant negative effects of soil pollution include:
- Damage to health: Soil pollutants cause illnesses by entering the human body through the food chain. Overuse of antibiotics in the environment increases pathogen resistance.
- Poorer harvests: Soil pollution reduces harvest quantity and quality, threatening global food security.
- Climate change: Soil degradation releases significant amounts of CO2, contributing to climate change.

Water Pollution

Water pollution occurs when substances are released into groundwater, lakes, rivers, estuaries, and oceans, affecting their use and natural functions.
Main causes of water pollution include:
- Domestic sewage: Sewage decomposition depletes dissolved oxygen, harming aquatic life.
- Toxic waste: Poisonous, radioactive, explosive, carcinogenic, mutagenic, and bioaccumulated substances pollute water sources.
- Sediment: Soil erosion carries sediment into water bodies, blocking sunlight and disrupting ecosystems.
- Petroleum: Runoff from roads and parking lots carries oil into water bodies, causing petroleum pollution.

Air Pollution

Air pollution occurs when pollutants are released into the atmosphere.
Air pollutants harm human health and the environment.
Primary sources of air pollution include:
- Smog and soot: Tiny particles of chemicals, smoke, dust, and allergens cause smog and soot.
- Hazardous air pollutants: Certain pollutants pose severe health risks, even in low concentrations.
- Greenhouse gases: Greenhouse gases trap heat, leading to global warming and its consequences like sea-level rise, extreme weather, heat-related deaths, and increased infectious disease transmission.

Conclusion

Pollution is a significant global issue requiring collective action.
Individuals have a responsibility to protect the environment and reduce pollution.

Description

This quiz covers the basics of pollution and its various forms, with a special focus on soil pollution. Learn about pollutants, their sources, and their impacts on human health and the environment. Understand how pollution affects different ecosystems and the food chain.