What is Pollution?

Pollution, we hear it every other day at school, college and read about it in newspapers. So
what is it? Pollution occurs when pollutants contaminate the natural surroundings; which
brings about changes that affect our normal lifestyles adversely. Pollutants are the key
elements or components of pollution which are generally waste materials of different forms.
Pollution disturbs our ecosystem and the balance in the environment. With modernization and
development in our lives pollution has reached its peak; giving rise to global warming and
human illness.
Pollution occurs in different forms; air, water, soil, radioactive, noise, heat/ thermal and light.
Every form of pollution has two sources of occurrence; the point and the non-point sources.
The point sources are easy to identify, monitor and control, whereas the non-point sources are
hard to control. Let us discuss the different types of pollutions, their causes and effects on
mankind and the environment as a whole.

Kinds of Environmental
Pollution
There are actually SEVEN different kinds of environmental pollution. Most people can name
air, water and land...do you know the other four? Or examples of what constitutes actual
pollution in each category?

Listed below are each kind and examples to help you understand just how we can
affect the environment and each other.

Air Pollution

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According to the dictionary, air pollution is the contamination of air by smoke and
harmful gases, mainly oxides of carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen. (And maybe by that
smelly uncle.) Some examples of air pollution include:

Exhuast fumes from vehicles

The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, or gas
Harmful off-gasing from things such as paint, plastic production, and so on
Radiation spills or nuclear accidents

Air pollution is linked to asthma, allergies and other respiratory illnesses. You can
more about how the environment affects human health here.

Land Pollution

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Land pollution is the degradation of the Earth's surface caused by a misuse of

resources and improper disposal of waste. Some examples of land pollution include:

Litter found on the side of the road

Illegal dumping in natural habitats
Oil spills that happen inland
The use of pesticides and other farming chemicals
Damage and debris caused from unsustainable mining and logging practices
Radiation spills or nuclear accidents

Land pollution is responsible for damage done to natural habitat of animals,

deforestation and damage done to natural resources, and the general ugly-ing up of
our communities. (So stop being a litterbug, eh?)

Light Pollution

Light pollution is the brightening of the night sky inhibiting the visibility of stars and
planets by the use of improper lighting of communities. Some examples of what
causes light pollution:

Street lamps that shine light in all directions, instead of with a hood to point light
downward toward the street.
Extra, unnecessary lights around the home
Cities that run lights all night long

Light pollution uses more energy (by shining more light up instead of down, meaning
you need brighter bulbs for the same amount of light), may affect human health and

our sleep cycles, and most importantly, corrupts our kids telescopes and their
curiosity. (I grew up in a city. My first no-light night in the country blew my mind. Let's
not make that such a rare occasion!)

Noise Pollution

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Noise pollution is any loud sounds that are either harmful or annoying to humans and
animals. Some exmaples of noise pollution:

Airplanes, helicopters, and motor vehicles

Construction or demolition noise
Human activities such as sporting events or concerts

Noise pollution can be disruptive to humans' stress levels, may be harmful to unborn
babies, and drives animals away by causing nervousness and decreasing their
ability to hear prey or predators.

Thermal Pollution

Thermal pollution is the increase of temperature caused by human activity. A few

examples of this include:

Warmer lake water from nearby manufacturing (using cool water to cool the plant
and then pump it back into the lake)
Included in thermal pollution should also be the increase in temperatures in areas
with lots of concrete or vehicles, generally in cities

These kinds of environmental pollution can cause aquatic life to suffer or die due to
the increased temperature, can cause discomfort to communities dealing with higher
temperatures, and will affect plant-life in and around the area.

Visual Pollution

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Visual pollution is what you would call anything unattractive or visualing damaging to
the nearby landscape. This tends to be a highly subjective topic. Some examples of
visual pollution:

Skyscrapers that blocks a natural view

Graffiti or carving on trees, rocks, or other natural landscapes
Billboards, litter, abandoned homes, and junkyards could also be considered
among three kinds of environmental pollution

Mostly, visual kinds of environmental pollution are annoying and ugly, although some
may say they are also depressing, and they of course affect the surrounding
landscape with the changes they cause.
When a man throws an empty cigarette package from an automobile, he is liable to a
fine of $50. When a man throws a billboard across a view, he is richly rewarded. Pat Brown

Water Pollution

Photo Source: Alan Liefting

Water pollution is the contamination of any body of water (lakes, groundwater,

oceans, etc). Some examples of water pollution:

Raw sewage running into lake or streams

Industrial waste spills contaminating groundwater
Radiation spills or nuclear accidents
Illegal dumping of substances or items within bodies of water
Biological contamination, such as bacteria growth
Farm runoff into nearby bodies of water

Environment Affecting
Human Health

22

It's difficult to watch the damage done to the environment affecting human health and
not feel spurred to change. But many people still fail to see the correlation between
our actions and its effects on us, due to denial or simple unawareness of our
relationship with the natural world.
Over time our natural bodies have grown accustomed to living in a natural,
organicenvironment. It has only been in the last century or so that we've
experimented with living in such an inorganic world.
When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
- John Muir

Disease On The Rise

Although disease is by no means new (the first description of cancer was recorded in
1600 BC), the current rates of disease are increasing at alarming speeds and most
are closely linked with known carcinogens that have become abundant in our
environment in the last several decades (such as pesticides, artificial hormones,
chemical cleaners, etc). The information below shows the conditions of the
environment affecting human health in countless ways.
Some cancer rate statistics according to the Cancer Prevention Coalition:

Cancer incidence rates have risen an overall total of 60% from 1950-98,
specifically:
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma has increased nearly 100%
Brain cancer up 80-90%
Breast cancer up 60%
Testicular cancer up 300%
Childhood cancers up 40-50%
1 in 2 American men and 1 in 3 American woman will develop cancer in their lives
Of the 1,400,000 Americans diagnosed with cancer, approximately 43% will not
survive
Cancer rates are estimated to double by 2050

While cancer rates may be the most talked about, there are other more disturbing
trends that all point to the environment affecting human health:

Asthma increased 75% between 1980-1994; 150% in children. According to the

EPA, this was also the timeframe when air pollution was increasing the most.
Type 1 diabetes rates have doubled since the 1980's; Type 2 diabetes rates
doubled between the 1970's and 1990's
Autism cases have increased an alarming 56% between 2002 and 2006 alone.
Approximately 50 million people are affected by autoimmune diseases, with an
estimated one in nine women affected in their lifetim
Infertility rates are expected to increase over the coming decades.
Birth defects affect approximately 150,000 newborns annually. Of the 70% of
unknown causes, most experts believe environmental issues are to blame.
Of 413 chemicals tested for, 287 were found in the umbilical cord blood of
newborn babies.
In one study, various breastmilk samples showed the presence of pesticides,
herbicides, household and industrial cleaners and more.

It's obvious something it going on with our bodies as our cells mutate, break down or
attack themselves and more and more of our natural world is contaminated with
pollutants or toxins. Likewise, science has repeatedly shown that it is in fact our
impact on the environment affecting human health with numerous studies and an
urgent call for more research, stricter health standards and a banning of dangerous
substances.

Pregnancy, Birth Defects and Infants

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Birth defects have been linked to pollution, herbicides, antibiotics, air pollution,
agricultural chemicals, beauty products, plastics, dry cleaning, and household
products and cleaners.
Male factor infertility has been linked to pesticides, air pollution, exposure to lead,
water pollution, household flame retardants and surfactants (found in many soaps
detergents, fabric softners, paint, certain waxes, shampoo, conditioners, toothpastes,
and more).
Female factor infertility has been linked to household flame retardants, herbicides,
pesticides, heavy metals, solvents, plastics, and industrial chemicals.
Artificial infant formulas are linked to a higher rate of SIDS, Parkinsons' disease, and
obesity, as well as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Human Illness and Disease

Childhood leukemia has been linked to electrical wiring, spray paint, dyes, household
pesticides, and incense, as well as vehicle exhaust, insecticides, and nitrites, such
as those found in processed meats. Many cancers have been linked to pesticides,
chemical cleaners, and plastics.
Breast cancer has been linked to underarm shaving and antiperspirant use, a
decrease in the occurrence and duration of breastfeeding, synthetic hormones found
in food production and pharmaceuticals, and various other environmental factors.
Autism has been linked to the pesticides in flea shampoo, agricultural pesticides,
PCBs (found in adhesives, flame-retardants, inks, plastics, etc), solvents and
mercury exposure.
Depression has been linked to processed foods, air pollution, and pesticide
exposure.
Water pollution has been linked to gastrointestinal, skin, and respiratory illnesses,
and E.Coli, Hepatitis and Polio, and other diseases.
Air pollution has been linked to heart failure, respiratory infection, asthma and
allergies, and lung disease.

Processed and Factory Foods

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Processed foods have been linked to food allergies, childhood obesity, and
childhood leukemia.
Factory farming of cattle is less healthy, increases soil erosion and water pollution,
decreases soil fertility, and increases the occurance of antibiotic-resistant
bacteria compared to grass-fed cattle, and is often the most cited case of the
environment affecting human health.
The pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers used in modern farming have been shown
to contribute to water, land and air pollution, childhood leukemia, various type of
cancers, and infertility, just to name a few.
Industrial agriculture contributes to 34% of global greenhouse gas emissions each
year.
Transportation of food accounts for 11% of U.S. energy use and is responsible for
4% of global annual greenhouse gas emissions.

Our Responsibility
While all of this shows the environment affecting human health, it shows nothing of
the secondary affects, such as loss of habitat decreasing our food availability, and
decreased air and water quality.
What happens without clean drinking water, breathable air or an abundance of fertile
soil?
It seems that our treatment of the environment is not only making us sick, it's also
working toward making us extinct.
There is no question it's the environment affecting human health. The only question
is what will we do about it?
This information about the environment affecting human health can be empowering
or it can be fear-inducing. Knowledge and awareness are important, but the most
important part is not what you know, it's what you do with what you know.

Effects of Pollution
1. Environment Degradation : Environment is the first casualty for increase in pollution
weather in air or water. The increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere leads to smog
which can restrict sunlight from reaching the earth. Thus, preventing plants in the process of
photosynthesis. Gases like Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide can causeacid rain. Water
pollution in terms of Oil spill may lead to death of several wildlife species.
2. Human Health : The decrease in quality of air leads to several respiratory problems
including asthma or lung cancer. Chest pain, congestion, throat inflammation, cardiovascular
disease, respiratory disease are some of diseases that can be causes by air pollution. Water
pollution occurs due to contamination of water and may pose skin related problems including
skin irritations and rashes. Similarly, Noise pollution leads to hearing loss, stress and sleep
disturbance.

3. Global Warming : The emission of greenhouse gases particularly CO2 is leading to

global warming. Every other day new industries are being set up, new vehicles come on roads
and trees are cut to make way for new homes. All of them, in direct or indirect way lead to

increase in CO2 in the environment. The increase in CO2 leads to melting of polar ice caps
which increases the sea level and pose danger for the people living near coastal areas.
4. Ozone Layer Depletion: Ozone layer is the thin shield high up in the sky that stops ultra
violet rays from reaching the earth. As a result of human activities, chemicals, such as
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), were released int to the atmosphere which contributed to the
depletion of ozone layer.
5. Infertile Land : Due to constant use of insecticides and pesticides, the soil may become
infertile. Plants may not be able to grow properly. Various forms of chemicals produced from
industrial waste is released into the flowing water which also affects the quality of soil.
Pollution not only affect humans by destroying their respiratory, cardiovascular and
neurological systems; it also affects the nature, plants, fruits, vegetables, rivers, ponds,
forests, animals, etc, on which they are highly dependent for survival. It is crucial to control
pollution as the nature, wildlife and human life are precious gifts to the mankind.

Solid-Waste Management
Solid waste can broadly be classified into two categories. According to Indian MSW, Rules 2000
"Municipal Solid Waste" includes commercial and domestic wastes generated in a municipal or
notified area in either solid or semi-solid form excluding industrial hazardous wastes but including
treated bio-medical wastes. Solid waste also includes hazardous waste generated by various
industries.
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) can further be classified into biodegradable waste (such as food and
kitchen waste); recyclable materials (such as paper, glass, bottles, metals and certain plastics) and
domestic hazardous waste (such as medication, chemicals, light bulbs and batteries).
Solid waste management is one of the major challenges faced by many countries around the globe.
Inadequate collection, recycling or treatment and uncontrolled disposal of waste in dumps can lead to
severe hazards, such as health risks and environmental pollution.
The management of solid waste typically involves its collection, transport, processing and recycling
or disposal.
Collection includes the gathering of solid waste and recyclable materials, and the transport of these
materials, after collection, to the location where the collection vehicle is emptied. This location may
be a material processing facility, a transfer station or a landfill disposal site.
Waste disposal today is done primarily by land filling or closure of existing dump sites. Modern
sanitary landfills are not dumps; they are engineered facilities used for disposing of solid wastes on
land without creating hazards to public health or safety, such as the breeding of insects and the
contamination of ground water.

Conclusion:
Pollution is Day by Day Increasing and Is Being Very Dangerous To Earth, As We See That
Due To Rise In Pollution The Human Race Will Soon Vanquish From Earth. And We Need To
Curb This In Order To Sustain Our Nature and Keep The Balance Of The Earth Intact, Even
In Management We Need To Keep In Mind The Care Of Environment While Carrying Our
Activities and thus It Is The Most Need Of Human Race To Reduce The Pollution In Every
Possible Manner In Order To Survive.

Bibliography:
www.wikipedia.com
www.sustainablebabysteps.com
www.conserve-energy-future.com