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Understanding Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is defined as the contamination of the environment that negatively impacts natural processes. Pollution occurs when harmful byproducts of human activities cannot be processed by the environment without damage. It is a global problem in both developed and developing countries, evidenced by loss of vegetation and biodiversity, chemicals in air and food, and threats to life support systems. Pollution results from industrialization and technology. It alters the composition of water, air, and soil by introducing pollutants like chemicals, dust, organisms, heat, and noise. The main types of pollution are air, water, soil, noise, radioactive, and thermal pollution. Air pollution poses health risks from gases, particulates, and biological molecules released from human activities

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99 views3 pages

Understanding Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution is defined as the contamination of the environment that negatively impacts natural processes. Pollution occurs when harmful byproducts of human activities cannot be processed by the environment without damage. It is a global problem in both developed and developing countries, evidenced by loss of vegetation and biodiversity, chemicals in air and food, and threats to life support systems. Pollution results from industrialization and technology. It alters the composition of water, air, and soil by introducing pollutants like chemicals, dust, organisms, heat, and noise. The main types of pollution are air, water, soil, noise, radioactive, and thermal pollution. Air pollution poses health risks from gases, particulates, and biological molecules released from human activities

Uploaded by

dikshasyan123
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

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. Environmental pollution takes place when the
environment cannot process and neutralize harmful by-products of human activities
(poisonous gas emissions) in due course without any structural or functional damage to its
system.
Environmental pollution is a global problem and is common to both developed as well as
developing countries, which attracts the attention of human beings for its severe long-term
consequences. The decline in environmental quality as a consequence of pollution is
evidenced by loss of vegetation, biological diversity, excessive amounts of harmful
chemicals in the ambient atmosphere and in food grains, and growing risks of
environmental accidents and threats to life support systems. Pollution is viewed from
different angles by different people but is commonly agreed to be the outcome of urban-
industrial and technological revolution. Holdgate (1979) defined environmental pollution as
the introduction by man, into the environment, of substances or energy liable to cause
interference with legitimate uses of environment. Singh (1991) has defined pollution in a
very simple manner, i.e., “Disequilibrium condition from equilibrium condition in any
system.” Over the past couple of decades, various sources of pollution were identified that
altered the composition of water, air, and soil of the environment. The substances that
cause pollution are known as pollutants. A pollutant can be any chemical (toxic
metal, radionuclides, organophosphorus compounds, gases) or geochemical substance
(dust, sediment), biological organism or product, or physical substance (heat, radiation,
sound wave) that is released intentionally or inadvertently by man into the environment
with actual or potential adverse, harmful, unpleasant, or inconvenient effects. Such
undesirable effects may be direct (affecting man) or indirect, being mediated via resource
organisms or climate change.

TYPES OF POLLUTION
Depending on the nature of pollutants and also subsequent pollution of environmental
components, the pollution may be categorized as follows:
1. Air Pollution
2. Water Pollution
3. Soil/Land Pollution
4. Noise Pollution
5. Radioactive Pollution
6. Thermal Pollution
 AIR POLLUTION
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to
the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to
materials. There are different types of air pollutants, such as gases (such
as ammonia, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrous
oxides, methane and chlorofluorocarbons), particulates (both organic and inorganic),
and biological molecules.

Air pollution can be defined as the presence of toxic chemicals or compounds


(including those of biological origin) in the air, at levels that pose a health risk. In an
even broader sense, air pollution means the presence of chemicals or compounds in
the air which are usually not present and which lower the quality of the air or cause
detrimental changes to the quality of life (such as the damaging of the ozone layer or
causing global warming).

CAUSES: Air pollution is probably one of the most serious environmental problems
confronting our civilization today. Most often, it is caused by human activities such
as mining, construction, transportation, industrial work, agriculture, smelting, etc.
However, natural processes such as volcanic eruptions and wildfires may also
pollute the air, but their occurrence is rare and they usually have a local effect, unlike
human activities that are ubiquitous causes of air pollution and contribute to the
global pollution of the air every single day.
Environment Pollution is the addition of contaminants into the natural environment that
causes detrimental effects to nature, natural resources and mankind.
and rapacious and speedy exploitation of natural resources, increased rate of exchange of
matter and energy, and ever-increasing industrial wastes, urban effluents, and consumer
goods.

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