Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is one of the most serious problems facing humanity and other life forms on our planet today. Environmental pollution is defined as “the contamination of the physical and biological components of the earth/atmosphere system to such an extent that normal environmental processes are adversely affected.”
Pollutants can be naturally occurring substances or energies, but they are considered contaminants when in excess of natural levels. Any use of natural resources at a rate higher than nature’s capacity to restore itself can result in pollution of air, water, and land.

Looking into these will help you identify the causes and what steps you can take to mitigate those effects. Broadly, environmental pollution consists of six basic types of pollution, i.e. air, water, land, soil, noise, and light.

When people think of environmental pollution, most focus on fossil fuel and carbon emissions, but there are different contributing factors. Chemical pollution in bodies of water contributes to illnesses. Electromagnetic pollution has effects on human health but is uncommonly considered in present times despite the fact we essentially expose ourselves to it on a daily basis. Taking a look at causes and effects of environmental pollution will pull any mind on a rapid downward spiral.

Causes of Environmental Pollution

There are many causes for pollution.

• Air pollution can be caused by both human and anthropogenic sources.

• The main contributors for air pollution are human-made pollutants due to activities like combustion, construction; mining, agriculture and warfare are significant.

• Emissions from motor vehicles are one of the leading causes of air pollution.

• Pollution sources that are stationary include chemical plants, coal-fueled power plants, petrochemical plants,
oil refineries, nuclear waste disposal, large live stock farms, incinerators, factories producing PVC, metals, plastics and other heavy industry.

• Pollution from agriculture comes from clear felling, burning and spraying of pesticides and herbicides. Humans are the primary cause of global warming since 1950s.

• Soil contaminants include chlorinated hydrocarbons, heavy metals, solid hospital wastes, lead, fuel. Ordinary landfills are the source of chemical substances entering the soil environment.

• Water pollution can be caused by discharge of toxic pollutants like pesticides, heavy metals and non-degradable chemical compounds into fresh or ocean waters.

• The sources of these can be industries, chemical, heavy metal, hospital wastes. They also can be untreated or partially treated sewage water.

Effects of Environmental Pollution

Now that we have identified the main causes of environmental pollution, let us study the negative effects it has:

1. Effects on Humans: The effects of environmental pollution on humans are mainly physical, but can also turn into neuro-affections in the long term. The best-known troubles to us are respiratory, in the form of allergies, asthma, irritation of the eyes and nasal passages, or other forms of respiratory infections. Notably, these well spread affections can be observed when air pollution is high in cities, when the weather gets hot, for instance.

2. Effects on Animals: Environmental pollution mainly affects animal by causing harm to their living environment, making it toxic for them to live in. Acid rains can change the composition of rivers and seas, making them toxic for fishes, an important quantity of ozone in the lower parts of the atmosphere can cause lung problems to all animals.

3. Effects on Plants: As for animals, plants, and especially trees, can be destroyed by acid rains (and this will also have a negative effect on animals as well, as their natural environment will be modified), ozone in the lower atmosphere block the plant respiration, and harmful pollutants can be absorbed from the water or soil.

4. Effects on the Ecosystem: In short, environmental pollution, almost exclusively created by human activities, has a negative effect on the ecosystem, destroying crucial layers of it and causing an even more negative effect on the upper layers.