Environmental Pollution
Pollution is a word with which we are all very familiar. We have all heard experts talking about the risks of ‘environmental pollution’, and we all have probably complained at one time or another about polluted surroundings. In a broad sense, it is a word used to cover a multitude of contaminants that affect our natural environment, but can we really comprehend how waste disposal or industrial progress affect our planet? Understanding the real problem is vital for restoring the fragile balance of nature.
The major forms of environmental pollution include air pollution, water pollution and soil pollution. While it cannot be denied that nature itself is responsible for pollution due to volcanic eruptions or gas release, far too often various human activities cause certain contaminants to be released into fundamental components of the planet. Each mentioned type of pollution has detrimental effects on physical systems or living organisms.
How Does Pollution Affect the Environment?
Air pollution stems from a wide variety of sources, including harmful gases, vehicle exhaust, forest fires, volcanic eruptions or building demolition. Air pollutants have negative impact on the atmosphere causing the increase of smog, rain acidity or crop depletion. Air pollution can be hazardous to individuals’ health, causing a wide range of diseases, from respiratory tractinfections to severe conditions such as heart attacks.
On this diagram I show you different sources of air pollution, measured in California.
Source:http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/80_BARResources/02_SmogCheck/Air_Pollution_Sources.html
Miscellaneous Processes: residential fuel combustion, farming operations, construction, road dust, wind-blown dust, fires, waste burning, utility equipment and other miscellaneous processes.
This movie shows how big problem an air pollution is. Please watch it.
Water pollution is caused when harmful chemicals or bacteria contaminate water, degrading its quality and purity. Irrespective of their origins, pollutants can occur in oceans, rivers or lakes, spreading from one water resource to another. The risks of water pollution, caused by waste disposal, littering or marine transportation, tend to be underestimated. The seriousness of water contamination becomes vivid in the area where the quantity of drinkable water available decreases or fish and wildlife are in danger of becoming extinct due to the lack of pure water. Also human beings may suffer from various health disorders not only by direct contact with the polluted water, but also the consumption of contaminated fish.
Indonesian Environment Water Pollution
Source: http://poop247.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/poop41.jpg,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollution
Pathways of water pollution
Source: http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/atlas/glat-ch4.html
All human activities has impact adversely upon the water. Water quality is influenced by both point sources (such as discharges from urban wastewater, industry and fish farms ) and diffuse sources (losses from agriculture, losses from atmospheric depositions on water bodies for example marine areas or lakes).
Table below presents how different seas are polluted. As you can see there are variety of problems. Almost 80% of the pollution in seas and oceans comes from land-based activities.
Source: http://www.grinningplanet.com/2005/07-26/water-pollution-facts-article.htm
"Water and air, the two essential fluids on which all life depends, have become global garbage cans." — Jacques Cousteau
Soil, or land pollution, is caused when the soil is contaminated by various sources, preventing the natural growth of plants and living creatures. Such destructive practices as waste spills, heavy use of inorganic pesticides, deforestation or littering may have widespread effects becaus
e the existence of humans and other organisms is dependent on plants. The adverse effects include depletion of soil fertility, poor growth and reduced crop.
Source: http://drazizul.wordpress.com/2009/12/06/lecture-6-soil-contamination-and-bioremediation-of-soil/, http://www.buzzle.com/articles/soil-pollution-causes-and-effects.html
Main causes of soil pollution are ignorance towards soil management, improper septic system, acid rains, fuel leakages from automobiles, unhealthy waste management techniques, harmful irrigation practices.
Questions:
How do you pollute our environment?
What is the biggest problem from mentioned ones in your opinion?
Do you know any ill-effects of different pollutants?
I would wanna say I'm not polluting an environment but its not a true. I do nothing special, but using electricity, water or commute we all have ours parts.
ReplyDeleteI thing there is no bigger problem. All problems are the same. We simply cant manage without water, air or soil.
Every time I hear about pollution, I wonder if there's a chance that people won't contaminate their surroundings. Is it possible that people won't be generating waste? It seems that the only way to achieve this is by getting back to who we were a couple of thousand years ago.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to pollute the environment as little as possible. I do not always succeed, but I often think about it. I am trying to also keep an eye on other people. For example tell my friends that the segregated waste. I think the biggest problem with these is air pollution. We still breathe this air and I can cause many diseases. Even if I try to take care of the environmen I am constantly exposed to polluted air. Therefore, all people should care about the environment. Thanks that we will be all healthier. I know a lot of ill-effects of different pollutants, but this is so much that I will not describe.
ReplyDeleteI think the problem is that even if we want to be environmentally friendly we often can't. The majority of housing estates have no special containers for waste separation. We also have to throw out 0.33 and 0.66 liter bottles instead of returning them to the shop. These seem to be small problems, but on a larger scale it is a big problem for the environment.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying not pollute the environment, but this is not possible because when use electricity, cars, water - I doing it. I think we should pollute as little as possible and we can do it by throwing waste into the containers with segregation, planting or use bicycle instead car to movement.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the biggest problem are big companies which earn money by protecting environment. For example: paid biodegradable leaflet which are not healthier for the environment. This is stupid idea because they dont want good for environment only earn big money. They should really help environment.
I think that most pollution made by me is because of driving car. My car consumes something about 15 liters per hundred kilometers and have just one catalytic converter. I know that's not environment friendly, but I promise that my next car is going to be hybrid or electric one :}
ReplyDeleteYou will soon drive hybrid or better because the government will soon require it on all cars manufactured.
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ReplyDeleteI have heard that we (as simple consumers) can't do anything to directly influence environment in a noticeable level. Most of pollutions come from industry which cannot be changed in a dramatic way because it would cost to much or it would need some revolutionary means which probably would affect employment. We can see how it's difficult to create some common policy that would concern all the countries.
ReplyDeleteBy the way - that graph with water pollution is "a little" out of date - it shows that Gulf of Mexico is the cleanest water area, after last disaster it would be at the end of the list:)
I contribute to environmental pollution as we all do. I drive a car, I use a lot of water, gas, electricity. However, at the same time I try not to pollute it in any other way, I segregate trash before throwing it out, I never throw anything in the street etc. I think people should care about their environment, earth can exist without its population but the people cannot exist without earth and its resources. I think water and soil pollution are the worst problems. On the one hand, they are caused by using earth's resources, on the other hand, however, the result of it is the fact that we can use less and less of those resources. I support legal regulations concerning environment, as well as all actions which make people more conscious about the problem of pollution.
ReplyDeleteHow do you POLLUTE our environment?
ReplyDeleteI pollute the environment by driving my car. this is air pollution. gases emitted from cars cause the increase of the greenhouse effect, and many diseases such as lung cancer or an allergy.
What is the biggest problem from Mentioned ones in your opinion?
In my opinion, the most dangerous pollution is pollution of drinking water. in many scientific publications is mentioned that in the future on Earth people may run out of water to drink, and people will die.
Do you know any ill-effects of different Pollutants?
there are many such effects. all kinds of allergies and skin diseases in humans are the result of pollution. we should also pay attention to the natural environment and tropical deforestation that are green lungs of the world.
Jets cause the majority of transportation pollution. I don't get it how people fly all over and then accuse others of causing pollution if they forgot to recycle one plastic bottle.
ReplyDelete