Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change.

[1] Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution.

Air pollution: the release of chemicals and particulates into the atmosphere. !ommon gaseous pollutants include carbon mono"ide, sulfur dio"ide,chlorofluorocarbons #!$!s% and nitrogen o"ides produced by industry and motor vehicles. Photochemical o&one and smog are created as nitrogen o"ides and hydrocarbons react to sunlight. Particulate matter, or fine dust is characteri&ed by their micrometre si&e P'1( to P').*.

+oise pollution: ,hich encompasses road,ay noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as ,ell as high intensity sonar.

-ater pollution, by the discharge of ,aste,ater from commercial and industrial ,aste #intentionally or through spills% into surface ,aters. discharges of untreated domestic se,age, and chemical contaminants, such as chlorine, from treated se,age. release of ,aste and contaminants into surface runoffflo,ing to surface ,aters #including urban runoff and agricultural runoff, ,hich may contain chemical fertili&ers and pesticides%. ,aste disposal and leaching into ground,ater. eutrophication and littering.

Air pollution can result from both human and natural actions. Natural events that pollute the air forest fires, volcanic eruptions, wind erosion, pollen dispersal, evaporation of organic compound natural radioactivity. Pollution from natural occurrences are not very often. Human activities that result in air pollution include:

1. Emissions from industries and manufacturing activities Have you seen a manufacturing company before? You will notice that there are long tubes calle chimneys! erected high into the air, with lots of smo"e and fumes coming out of it. #aste incine manufacturing industries and power plants emit high levels of carbon mono$ide, organic compo and chemicals into the air. %his happens almost everywhere that people live. Petroleum refineri release lots of hydrocarbons into the air.

2. Burning Fossil Fuels After the industrial age, transportation has become a "ey part of our lives. &ars and heavy duty trains, shipping vessels and airplanes all burn lots of fossil fuels to wor". 'missions from autom engines contain both primary and secondary pollutants. %his is a ma(or cause of pollution, and o is very difficult to manage. %his is because humans rely heavily on vehicles and engines for tran people, good and services.

)umes from car e$hauts contain dangerous gases such as carbon mono$ide, o$ides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons and particulates. *n their own, they cause great harm to people who breath them Additionally, they react with environmental gases to create further to$ic gases. &lic" here to see effects

3. Household and Farming Chemicals &rop dusting, fumigating homes, household cleaning products or painting supplies, over the cou insect+pest "illers, fertili,er dust emit harmful chemicals into the air and cause pollution. -n man when we use these chemicals at home or offices with no or little ventilation, we may fall ill if we them.

What are the effects of air pollution?

Acidification &hemical reactions involving air pollutants can create acidic compounds which can cause harm to vegetation and buildings. .ometimes, when an air pollutant, such as sulfuric acid combines with the water droplets that ma"e up clouds, the water droplets become acidic, forming acid rain. #hen acid rain falls over an area, it can "ill trees and harm animals, fish, and other wildlife.

Acid rain destroys the leaves of plants. #hen acid rain infiltrates into soils, it changes the chemistry of the soil ma"ing it unfit for many living things that rely on soil as a habitat or for nutrition. Acid rain also changes the chemistry of the la"es and streams that the rainwater flows into, harming fish and other a/uatic life. Eutrophication 0ain can carry and deposit the Nitrogen in some pollutants on rivers and soils. %his will adversely affect the nutrients in the soil and water bodies. %his can result in algae growth in la"es and water bodies, and ma"e conditions for other living organism harmful. !round"level o#one &hemical reactions involving air pollutants create a poisonous gas o,one *1!. 2as *,one can affect people3s health and can damage vegetation types and some animal life too. $articulate matter Air pollutants can be in the form of particulate matter which can be very harmful to our health. %he level of effect usually depends on the length of time of e$posure, as well the "ind and concentration of chemicals and particles e$posed to. Short-term effects include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, and upper respiratory infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia. *thers include headaches, nausea, and allergic reactions. .hort4 term air pollution can aggravate the medical conditions of individuals with asthma and emphysema. Long-term health effects can include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even damage to the brain, nerves, liver, or "idneys. &ontinual e$posure to air pollution affects the lungs of growing children and may aggravate or complicate medical conditions in the elderly.

Air pollution prevention% monitoring and solution.

.olution efforts on pollution is always a big problem. %his is why prevention interventions are always a better way of controlling air pollution. %hese prevention methods can either come from government laws! or by individual actions. -n many big cities, monitoring e/uipment have been installed at many points in the city. Authorities read them regularly to chec" the /uality of air. 5et6s see more below: !overnment &or communit'( level prevention 2overnments throughout the world have already ta"en action against air pollution by introducing green energy. .ome governments are investing in wind energy and solar energy, as well as other renewable energy, to minimi,e burning of fossil fuels, which cause heavy air pollution. 2overnments are also forcing companies to be more responsible with their manufacturing activities, so that even though they still cause pollution, they are a lot controlled. &ompanies are also building more energy efficient cars, which pollute less than before. )ndividual *evel $revention 'ncourage your family to use the bus, train or bi"e when commuting. -f we all do this, there will be less cars on road and less fumes.

7se energy light, water, boiler, "ettle and fire woods! wisely. %his is because lots of fossil fuels are burned to generate electricity, and so if we can cut down the use, we will also cut down the amount of pollution we create. 0ecycle and re4use things. %his will minimi,e the dependence of producing new things. 0emember manufacturing industries create a lot of pollution, so if we can re4use things li"e shopping plastic bags, clothing, paper and bottles, it can help.

What is +ater pollution?

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies e.g. la"es, rivers, oceans, a/uifers and groundwater!, very often by human activities.

Water pollution occurs when pollutants particles, chemicals or substances that ma"e water contaminated! are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without enough treatment to get rid of harmful compounds. Pollutants get into water mainly by human causes or factors. #ater pollution is the second most imperative environmental concern along with air pollution. An' change or modification in the ph'sical% chemical and ,iological properties of +ater that +ill have a detrimental conse-uence on living things is +ater pollution. .he +ater pollution pro,lem#ater covers over 89: of the 'arth3s surface. -t is a very important resource for people and the environment. #ater pollution affects drin"ing water, rivers, la"es and oceans all over the world. -n many developing countries, it is usually a leading cause of death, by people drin"ing from polluted water sources.

;ore to this, water pollution affects not only individual living species, but also populations and entire functioning ecosystems that e$ists in the waters. Humans have now realised the importance of clean water as a foundation for life. -n recent time, more and more organisations and councils are wor"ing hard to educate, protect, restore waterways and encourage practices that help "eep waters from contamination, and also to preserve water ecosystems from destruction. -n this lesson, we shall learn all about water pollution, the types of water pollution, causes of water pollution, effects and some preventive practices that we can all use to help deal with water pollution. 7se the menus on your left to learn more. 'n(oy.

/ther causes of +ater pollution.

Apart from the industrial causes of water pollution, as we saw in theprevious page, here are some more: 0e+age and +aste +ater 'veryday, we coo", do laundry, flush the toilet, wash our cars, shower and do many things that use water. %hin" about how we use water in schools, hospitals and public places. #here do you thin" all the water, li/uid waste, toilet and urine ends up? -n many developed communities, this waste water and soluble waste called sewage! is treated, cleaned and dumped into the sea. 'ven though they are

treated, they are never the same as fresh water. &lic" this red button to see how sewage is treated:

-n some not4so4developed countries, the sewage is not treated, but /uic"ly dumped into the sea or water bodies. %his is <'0Y dangerous because they contaminate the environment and water bodies and bring many deadly diseases to us. 0eptic .an1s 'very domestic home! toilet is connected to septic tan" usually located outside the house. 'ach time poop is flushed down the toilet, it goes into this tan", where the solid part is separated from the li/uid part. =iological processes are used to brea" down the solids and the li/uid is usually drained out into a land drainage system. )rom this stage, it can escape into the soil and nearby water bodies. /cean and marine dumping Again, thin" of the rubbish we all ma"e each day. Paper waste, food waste, plastic, rubber, metallic and aluminum waste. -n some countries, there are deposited into the sea. All these waste types ta"e time to decompose. '$ample, it is "now that paper ta"es about > wee"s, aluminum ta"es about ?99 years and glass ta"es even more. #hen these end up in the sea, they harm sea animals and cause a lot of deaths. 2nderground storage and tu,e lea1ages ;any li/uid products petroleum products! are stored in metal and steel tubes underground. *ther sewage systems run in underground tubes. *vertime, they rust and begin to lea". -f that happens, they contaminate the soils and the li/uids in them end up in many nearby water bodies. Atmospheric Atmospheric deposition is the pollution of water bodies caused by air pollution. 'ach time the air is polluted with sulphur dio$ide and nitrogen o$ide, they mi$ with water particles in the air and form a to$ic substance. %his falls as acid rain to the ground, and gets washed into water bodies. %he result is that, water bodies also get contaminated and this affects animals and water organism

Effects of +ater pollution.

You will notice in the previous pages that water pollution is very harmful to humans, animals and water life. %he effects can be catastrophic, depending on the "ind of chemicals, concentrations of the pollutants and where there are polluted. =elow, we shall see a summary of the effects of water pollution. (Make sure you see the factsheet page for some very unfortunate incidents of water pollution in recent time) %he effects of water pollution are varied and depend on what chemicals are dumped and in which locations. ;any water bodies near urban areas cities and towns! are highly polluted.

%his is the result of both garbage dumped by individuals and dangerous chemicals legally or illegally dumped by manufacturing industries, health centers, schools and mar"et places. 3eath of a-uatic &+ater( animals %he main problem caused by water pollution is that it "ills life that depends on these water bodies. @ead fish, crabs, birds and sea gulls, dolphins, and many other animals often wind up on beaches, "illed by pollutants in their habitat living environment!. 3isruption of food"chains Pollution disrupts the natural food chain as well. Pollutants such as lead and cadmium are eaten by tiny animals. 5ater, these animals are consumed by fish and shellfish, and the food chain continues to be disrupted at all higher levels.

3iseases 'ventually, humans are affected by this process as well. People can get diseases such as hepatitis by eating seafood that has been poisoned. -n many poor nations, there is always outbrea" of cholera and diseases as a result of poor drin"ing water treatment from contaminated waters. 3estruction of ecos'stems 'cosystems the interaction of living things in a place, depending on each other for life! can be severely changed or destroyed by water pollution. ;any areas are now being affected by careless human pollution, and this pollution is coming bac" to hurt humans in many ways. &an you thin" of some other effects that water pollution is having in your area?

$revention of +ater pollution.

@ealing with water pollution is something that everyone including governments and local councils! needs to get involved with. Here are a few things you can do to help. 5earning about the issue li"e you are doing! is the greatest and most important step to ta"e. Here are a few more:

4ou can help Never throw rubbish away anyhow. Always loo" for the correct waste bin. -f there is none around, please ta"e it home and put it in your trash can. %his includes places li"e the beach, riverside and water bodies.5earn more about waste disposal here. 7se water wisely. @o not "eep the tap running when not in use. Also, you can reduce the amount of water you use in washing and bathing. -f we all do this, we can significantly prevent water shortages and reduces the amount of dirty water that needs treatment. @o not throw chemicals, oils, paints and medicines down the sin" drain, or the toilet. -n many cities, your local environment office can help with the disposal of medicines and chemicals. &hec" with your local authorities if there is a chemical disposal plan for local residents. =uy more environmentally safe cleaning li/uids for the use at home and other public places. %hey are less dangerous to the environment. -f you use chemicals and pesticides for your gardens and farms, be mindful not to overuse pesticides and fertili,ers. %his will reduce runoffs of the material into nearby water sources. .tart loo"ing at options ofcomposting and using organic manure instead. -f you live close to a water body, try to plants lots of trees and flowers around your home, so that when it rains, chemicals from your home does not easily drain into the water.

!overnments% local councils and la+s ;any governments have very strict laws that help minimi,e water pollution. %hese laws are usually directed to industries, hospitals, schools and mar"et areas on how to dispose, treat and manage sewage. @o you "now the laws in your country? %his is the time to find out. -n many developed cities, waste or sewage treatment is very efficient, and designed to minimise pollution of water bodies. &lic" on the button below to see an e$ample of how a good sewage wastewater! treatment wor"s.

hat is 5oise $ollution?

.ound is essential to our daily lives, but noise is not. Noise is generally used as an unwanted sound, or sound which produces unpleasant effects and discomfort on the ears.

.ound becomes unwanted when it either interferes with normal activities such as sleeping, conversation, or disrupts or diminishes one3s /uality of life. Not all noise can be called noise pollution. -f it does not happen re/ularly, it may be termed as 6Nuisance6 .cientists also believe that its not only humans who are affected. )or e$ample, water animals are sub(ected to noise by submarines and big ships on the ocean, and chain4saw operations by timber companies also create e$treme noise to animals in the forests. 2enerally, noise is produced by household gadgets, big truc"s, vehicles and motorbi"es on the road, (et planes and helicopters hovering over cites, loud spea"ers etc. Noise or sound! is measured in the units of decibels and is denoted by the d=. Noise which is more than AAB d= is tolerant. %he industrial limit of sound in the industries must be 8B d= according to the #orld Health *rgani,ation. Noise is considered as environmental pollution, even though it is thought to have less damage on humans than water, air or land pollution. =ut people who are affected by severe noise pollution "now that it is a massive issue that needs attention. 5et us learn more.

Effects of noise pollution

2enerally, problems caused by noise pollution include stress related illnesses, speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost productivity. ;ost importantly, there are two ma(or effects we can loo" at: Hearing %he immediate and acute effect of noise pollution to a person, over a period of time, is impairment of hearing. Prolonged e$posure to impulsive noise to a person will damage their eardrum, which may result in a permanent hearing.

Effects on general health Health effects of noise include an$iety and stress reaction and in e$treme cases fright. %he physiological manifestations are headaches, irritability and nervousness, feeling of fatigue and decreases wor" efficiency. )or e$ample, being pounded by the siren of fire fighters, police or ambulance in your city all night everyday leave people especially elderly people! stresses and tired in the morning. -ts is worth noting that these effects may not sound troubling, but the truth is, with time, the conse/uences can be very worrying.

oise pollution prevention and control tips

=elow are a few things people and governments can do to ma"e our communities and living laces /uieter: &onstruction of soundproof rooms for noisy machines in industrial and manufacturing installations must be encouraged. %his is also important for residential buildingCnoisy machines should be installed far from sleeping and living rooms, li"e in a basement or garage. 7se of horns with (arring sounds, motorbi"es with damaged e$haust pipes, noisy truc"s to be banned. Noise producing industries, airports, bus and transport terminals and railway stations to sighted far from where living places. &ommunity law enforcers should chec" the misuse of loudspea"ers, worshipers, outdoor parties and discos, as well as public announcements systems. &ommunity laws must silence ,ones near schools + colleges, hospitals etc. <egetation trees! along roads and in residential areas is a good way to reduce noise pollution as they absorb sound.

What are the sources of noise pollution?

Noise can come from many places. 5et us see a few good sources: Household sources 2adgets li"e food mi$er, grinder, vacuum cleaner, washing machine and dryer, cooler, air conditioners, can be very noisy and in(urious to health. *thers include loud spea"ers of sound systems and %<s, ipods and ear phones. Another e$ample may be your neighbor3s dog bar"ing all night everyday at every shadow it sees, disturbing everyone else in the apartment. 0ocial events Places of worship, discos and gigs, parties and other social events also create a lot of noise for the people living in that area. -n many mar"et areas, people

sell with loud spea"ers, others shout out offers and try to get customers to buy their goods. -t is important to note that whey these events are not often, they can be called 6Nuisance6 rather than noise pollution. Commercial and industrial activities Printing presses, manufacturing industries, construction sites, contribute to noise pollutions in large cities. -n many industries, it is a re/uirement that people always wear earplugs to minimi,e their e$posure to heavy noise. People who wor" with lawn mowers, tractors and noisy e/uipment are also re/uired to wear noise4proof gadgets. .ransportation %hin" of aero planes flying over houses close to busy airports li"e Heathrow 5ondon! or *hare &hicago!, over ground and underground trains, vehicles on roadCthese are constantly ma"ing a lot of noise and people always struggle to cope with them. &an you thin" of your own e$amples in your city, town or village?