Defination, Causes, Sources and Types of Pollutions

Defination, Causes, Sources and Types of Pollutions

• 1.
  POLLUTION Pollution Is TheIntroduction Of Harmful Materials Into The Environment. These Harmful Materials Are Called Pollutants. Pollutants Can Be Natural, Such As Volcanic Ash. They Can Also Be Created By Human Activity, Such As Trash Or Runoff Produced By Factories.
• 2.
  TYPES OF POLLUTION Followingare the different types of pollution:  Water Pollution  Air Pollution  Soil Pollution  Noise Pollution  Other types of Pollution like light Pollution, Thermal Pollution, Radioactive Pollution.
• 4.
  WATER POLLUTION THE CONTAMINATIONOF WATER SOURCES BEYOND PERMISSIBLE LIMITS IS CALLED WATER POLLUTION. IT INCLUDES THE CONTAMINATION OF BOTH SURFACE WATER AND GROUNDWATER. MOST MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES REQUIRE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF WATER AS AN INPUT IN THEIR PRODUCTION PROCESS. CONTAMINATED WATER WHICH GETS RELEASED INTO WATER BODIES LETS CHEMICALS ENTER INTO THE FOOD CYCLE.
• 5.
  SOURCE OF WATERPOLLUTION
• 6.
  CAUSES OF WATERPOLLUTION DOMESTIC SEWAGE: Untreated sewage water that contains soaps, chemicals, food waste, human waste etc is the single largest source of water pollution. INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENTS: Manufacturing units are generally located near rivers. Untreated wastewater from these factories is high on toxic content and resistant to breakdown by microorganisms. AGRICULTURAL WASTE: Runoff of fertilizers, pesticides and manure used in agricultural production contaminate the water. This process of toxic chemicals entering the food chain is called Biomagnifications. SPILLAGE OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS: Petroleum products contaminating sea water as a result of accident spillover is a regular news item.
• 7.
  AIR POLLUTION AIR POLLUTION REFERSTO THE CONTAMINATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE BY HARMFUL GASES, PARTICULATE MATTER AND CHEMICALS. AIR POLLUTION LEADS TO A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION OF THE QUALITY OF AIR.
• 8.
  SOURCE OF AIRPOLLUTION
• 9.
  CAUSES OF AIRPOLLUTION The harmful effects of air pollution on the environment are:  DISEASES: Air pollution has caused several respiratory disorders and heart diseases among humans. Children living near industrial areas are more prone to pneumonia and asthma.  GLOBAL WARMING: Emission caused by greenhouse gases results in an imbalance of the gaseous composition of the air. This has caused an increase in the temperature of the earth. This increase in the temperature of the earth is known as global warming.  ACID RAIN: The combustion of fossil fuels releases harmful gases such as nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides in the air. The water vapor in the atmosphere combines with these pollutants, becomes acidic, and fall as acid rain which damages human, animal and plant life.  OZONE LAYER DEPLETION: The release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), halons, and hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere is the major cause of the depletion of the ozone layer. The depleting ozone layer causes the harmful UV-B rays coming from the sun and causes skin diseases and eye problems among individuals.  EFFECT ON ANIMALS: The air pollutants suspend on the water bodies and affect the aquatic lifeforms.
• 10.
  SOIL POLLUTION SOIL POLLUTIONREFERS TO THE CONTAMINATION AND CONSEQUENT DEGRADATION OF LAND. PRESENCE OF POLLUTANTS OR CONTAMINANTS THAT DISRUPT THE BALANCE OF NUTRIENTS IN THE SOIL IS A GROWING CONCERN. IT LEADS TO LAND BECOMING UNSUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE AND BARREN.
• 11.
  SOURCE OF SOILPOLLUTION
• 12.
  CAUSES OF SOILPOLLUTION There is numerous cause of soil pollution that can be natural or anthropogenic causes: NATURAL POLLUTION OF SOIL: Sometimes, some pollutants are naturally accumulated in soils. This may be due to the differential deposition of soil by the atmosphere. Another way through which this type of soil pollution can occur is via the transportation of soil pollutants with precipitation water. ANTHROPOGENIC SOIL POLLUTION: Various man-made activities also lead to the cause the contamination of soil. PESTICIDES: Earlier, the chemical nicotine which is present in the tobacco plants was used as the pest controlling substance in agricultural practices. However, DDT was found to be extremely useful for malaria control and pest control of many insects but a high concentration of pesticides may cause soil pollution. INORGANIC FERTILIZERS: Excessive use of inorganic nitrogen fertilizers leads to acidification of soil and thus contaminates the agricultural soil.
• 13.
  NOISE POLLUTION NOISE POLLUTIONIS THE PRESENCE OF UNWANTED AND EXCESSIVE SOUND THAT HARMS HUMAN BEINGS AND ANIMALS. NOISE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DISRUPT ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES LIKE SLEEPING, REDUCING ONE’S QUALITY OF LIFE. THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAD PASSED RULES IN 2000 THAT STIPULATED PERMISSIBLE SOUND LIMITS FOR DIFFERENT AREAS LIKE RESIDENTIAL, INDUSTRIAL ETC.
• 14.
  SOURCE OF NOISEPOLLUTION
• 15.
  CAUSES OF NOISEPOLLUTION Following are the causes and sources of noise pollution: Industrialization: Industrialization has led to an increase in noise pollution as use of heavy machinery such as generators, transformers, mills, and huge exhaust fans are used, resulting in the production of unwanted noise. Vehicles: Increased number of vehicles on the roads is also the reason for noise pollution. Events: Weddings and the public get together involve loudspeakers to play music resulting in the production of unwanted noise in the neighborhood. Construction sites: Mining, construction of buildings, quarrying, etc add to the noise pollution.
• 16.
  RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION, ALSOCALLED RADIOLOGICAL POLLUTION, IS THE DEPOSITION OF, OR PRESENCE OF RADIOACTIVE SUBSTANCES ON SURFACES OR WITHIN SOLIDS, LIQUIDS, OR GASES (INCLUDING THE HUMAN BODY), WHERE THEIR PRESENCE IS UNINTENDED OR UNDESIRABLE (FROM THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY (IAEA) DEFINITION).
• 17.
  CAUSES OF RADIOACTIVEPOLLUTION Radioactive contamination occurs when objects are exposed to ionizing radiation from radioactive releases. The most significant causes of radioactive contamination include:  Harmful exposure to X-rays. Although X-rays are useful in clinical imaging, frequent exposure to this high-frequency energy is dangerous. The gamma rays passing through a person's body may cause radiation sickness or burns in high quantities.  Detonation of nuclear weapons. Nuclear explosions have contributed to the single highest concentration of radioactive radiation in human history. The nuclear bombs detonated in Japan and the extensive nuclear tests carried out during the Cold War have had far-reaching effects on people and the environment.  Handling and disposal of nuclear waste. Radioactive waste is produced through mining radioactive ores, nuclear power plants, and the production of nuclear weapons. This waste cannot be treated in the traditional sense before safe disposal, and can only be stored in remote areas to allow for its slow decay. Unfortunately, the radiation from this waste often finds its way into water sources, soil, and even the air.  Mining radioactive ores. The mining of radioactive ores, such as uranium and plutonium, also produces radioactive waste. Radioactive ores are chemically unstable and thus tend to release radiation during crushing and processing, which contaminates the surrounding land, air, and water.  Nuclear accidents or meltdowns in nuclear power plants. Although nuclear energy is considered clean, nuclear reactors and cores found in nuclear power plants may accidentally fail or malfunction. If unmitigated, a nuclear disaster will occur, whereby radioactive waste will explode into the surrounding areas. The most infamous nuclear disaster was in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986. The resulting radiation contamination made the area an uninhabitable wasteland.