What are the different types of pollution?

Different Types of pollution are categorized based on the part of the environment
which they affect or result which the particular pollution causes. Each of these types
has its own distinctive causes and consequences. Categorized study of pollution helps
to understand the basics in more detail and produce protocols for the specific types.
Accordingly, the main types of pollution are:

 Water Pollution
 Air Pollution
 Soil Pollution
 Thermal Pollution
 Radioactive Pollution
 Noise Pollution
 Light Pollution

Let us observe these types of pollution in a more comprehensive way.

Water Pollution

As the name suggests, “Water Pollution” is the type of pollution that involves the
contamination of various water bodies. Various aquatic creatures depend on these
water bodies and its natural nutritious features to support its life.

Water Pollution (Image source: Wikipedia)

What Causes Water Pollution?

 Industrial waste gets dumped into these water bodies. This causes a chemical
imbalance in the water leading to death of the aquatic beings.
  Insecticides, pesticides and ripening chemicals that are used on plants run into
the ground water system or nearby streams.
 Washing clothes near lakes and rivers causes detergents also causes a condition
called “Eutrophication” which blocks sunlight from entering inside and reduces
oxygen values in the water causing an inhabitable environment.
 ‘Oil Spills’ are caused when giant oil tankers and oil rigs which are present in
the oceans are damaged by either natural or human errors cause a long-time
damage to the ocean as oil is lighter than water and floats on water forming a
layer blocking sunlight.
 Certain natural disasters like flash floods and hurricanes cause the intermixing
of water with harmful substances on the land.

People can take certain preventable measures to stop water pollution like being more
cautious of dumping contaminants onto the water. For the repair of the damage that
has already been done, water treatment plants are being constructed with innovative
techniques to clean the polluted water. But as always a certain part of the damage can
be resolved therefore, it is better to prevent water pollution as water is basic need for
the survival of man.

Air Pollution

The contamination of the air present in the atmosphere is known as “Air pollution”.
Respiration is an important life process of all living things. We breathe in the air
present in the atmosphere. Therefore if the air around us is contaminated with
poisonous gases, it would have a fatal effect on us.

Air Pollution (Image source: sxc.hu)

The air naturally comprises of 78% of nitrogen, 21% of oxygen, 0.9% of oxide gases
and 0.1% of inert gases. When this balance is disturbed, it causes disruptions of
severe proportions.

What Causes Air Pollution?

 Partially combusted exhaust gases released from internal combustion engines
add poisonous gases into the atmosphere.
  Certain industries release some gases like sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide
which mix with the air and clouds and cause acid rains.
 Burning of discarded plastic, wood and rubber also release carcinogenic gases
into the atmosphere.

Air pollution is very much fatal to living things as almost all living beings respire
directly from the atmosphere without undergoing any treatment like water. Hence use
of catalytic converters in vehicles, preventing the burning of used products, leaving
vehicles running for lengthy periods of time during halts and such environment friendly
actions.

Soil Pollution

Stripping soil of its natural fertility by using artificial chemicals like pesticides,
insecticides, ripening agents etc. is known as “Soil Pollution”. Plants depend on the
nitrogenous compounds present in the soil for their nutrition. Use of insecticides,
pesticides and other artificial chemicals absorbs the nitrogen from the soil making it
unfit for the growth for plants. Plants are responsible for holding the soil together
firmly so, when the plants can’t grow the soil splits, leading to soil erosion.

Soil Pollution (Image courtesy: Dumelow@Wikipedia)

Thermal Pollution

Rise in the temperature in the ecosystem due the release of excessive heat energy into
the environment by artificial methods or natural disasters is called “Thermal Pollution”.
Generally, manufacturing industries release a lot of heat energy which gets transferred
to the air and water bodies. Even vehicles which have combustion engines release a lot
of heat energy as they require high temperatures to function. Carbon dioxide has a
property of blocking heat from exiting the atmosphere and so the heat coming in from
the sun is trapped in the atmosphere.
 Thermal Pollution (Image source: sxc.hu)

Thermal pollution results in a temperature rise which is the main cause for the
melting of the polar ice caps, which is in turn leading to a rise in the water levels.
Thermal pollution has increased significantly since the eighteen hundreds resulting in a
hotter earth.

Radioactive Pollution

Radioactive pollution occurs when ‘Radioactive’ metals disintegrate releasing

dangerous beta rays which can cause cancer and other mutative diseases. These types
of pollution can occur by either the dumping of radioactive waste from nuclear power
plants into water bodies, damage of nuclear reactors leading to radioactive
contamination that would last for many years and many more. In the Second World
War, when the U.S.A attacked Hiroshima and Nagasaki of Japan, the atomic bomb left
a radioactive footprint leading to highly mutative diseases. So, most of the people who
survived the atomic bombing died eventually from cancers and mutations.

Nuclear Power Plant (Image source: morgueFile.com)

Noise Pollution:

There are different qualities of sounds. The sounds which are not pleasant to hear are
called ‘Noises’. So an excess of noise in the outdoors leads to “Noise Pollution”. This
can be experienced by too many vehicles honking at the roads, heavy machinery being
operated in the open (for ex, a jackhammer), trains, clubs, over populated crowds and
many more. Noise pollution is known to cause mental stress and depression. It can
also cause damage to the ear drum which can cause deafness. Noise pollution has
more of a psychological effect rather than a physical one.

Light Pollution

Bright lighting in functions, big cities, etc. causes “Light Pollution”. Excessive light on
the retina causes extreme discomfort in the eyes, especially in dim conditions like
during night time. Bright lights strain the eyes and also give headaches and migraines.
If we observe, light pollution, thermal pollution and noise pollution all are types of
pollution that are caused by the different forms of energy.

Light Pollution (Image source: morgueFile.com)

Conclusion

Pollution in all its various forms causes immense damage covering all possible aspects
that can be damaged. Therefore it is important to prevent all these forms to look
forward to a greener cleaner and much more pleasant living experience.

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 Pollution Prevention Tips
1. Use water-based paints. Rinse paint brushes and other equipment in an interior drain
only. Reduce smog (low level ozone) by painting when temperatures are under 90 degrees.

2. Bike or walk instead of driving (Every 25 miles you don't drive prevents a pound of
pollution)

3. Consider using solar energy in your house. Solar energy prevents water and air pollution
associated with burning fossil fuels for energy. \

4. Park your car on hot summer days when ozone levels rise to unhealthy levels. Consider
leaving your car home once a week and ride the bus or your bike instead.

5. A well insulated house & energy efficient windows conserve energy and saves money.

6. Recycle burned out fluorescent lamps at the Lane County Household Hazardous Waste
Collection Center. Fluorescent lamps may contain mercury.

7. Choose earth friendly lawn care methods & products. When using chemicals, follow
package instructions for use and disposal. (Excess chemicals can destroy beneficial
insects). If in doubt, ask an expert.

8. Consider using a push mower for your lawn. No air pollution, minimal maintenance &
good exercise.

9. Replace the water your soil has lost through evapotranspiration (ET). Call EWEB or
SUB to determine the weekly ET rates for your area. (Thorough soaking promotes healthy
root systems).

10. Leaving small grass clippings on the lawn, "grasscycling", provides nutrients to the soil,
creates healthy lawns and diverts yard debris from the landfill

11. Commercially available eco-lawn mixes can reduce watering and yard maintenance.
12. Plant trees! They provide shade, clean air, mask noise and need much less water than
lawns.

13. Charcoal-starting chimneys prevent the need for lighter fluid w/traditional BBQs.

14. Consider plastic lumber for a deck or bench. Recycled content plastic lumber is durable
and requires no painting.

15. Create a backyard compost pile or invest in a composter. Composting is nature's way of
recycling. It converts plant waste into a rich soil additive

16. Avoid aerosol products. They can pose safety hazards and require special processing at
the Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center.

17. Low flow shower heads reduce water use from 4 to 2.5 gal/min. Therefore, a shower
head using only 2 1/2 gallons a minute can save as much as 15 gallons of water during a
normal 10-minute shower

18. Faucet aerators provide good pressure while reducing water use. The standard faucet
flow rate is 5 gallons a minute. A low flow aerator can reduce this flow to approximately 2
1/2 gallons a minute while still providing adequate water for washing and rinsing. Installing
aerators on the kitchen sink and lavatory faucets will save hot water and cut water use by as
much as 60 gallons a month for a typical family of four.

19. Save water and money by fixing leaky faucets. A dripping faucet can waste 20 gallons
of water a day or more.

20. Install low flow toilets. Toilets using only 2 gallons per flush can save 60% more water
than a higher gallon per flush toilet. Leaky toilets can waste up to 500 gallons of water a
day.

21. Use a durable canvas grocery bag. REUSE IS BETTER THAN RECYCLING. Canvas
bags reduce the amount of disposable or recyclable bags we consume during grocery
shopping.

22. Buy products in bulk. Packaging increases product cost and adds more to our landfills.

23. Leaky hot water taps can increase your water bill by 10%.

24. When you need a new refrigerator, look for an energy efficient model.

25. Use a worm compost bin for kitchen scraps. FEED YOUR LANDSCAPE, NOT YOUR
LANDFILL!

26. Non-toxic cleaners can work effectively.

27. Keep a food discard collection container (for composting) handy at the sink.

28. Use cloth napkins instead of disposable napkins.

29. Organically grown foods reduce the amount of pesticides and herbicides used on crops.
BUY LOCAL FOODS.

30. Linoleum floor covering is nontoxic as compared to vinyl floor coverings.

31. Save money by running the dishwasher only when it is full.

32. BRING YOUR LUNCH IN REUSABLE CONTAINERS rather than disposable

packaging.

33. Save energy. Close off rooms in your house that your are not using.

34. If each household in the US lowered its average heating temperature by 6 degrees over
a 24 hour period, we'd save the energy equivalent of 500,000 barrels of oil every day.

35. If possible, arrange to work at home, bank via the Internet and shop by mail or on-line.
Cutting down on the use of cars reduces consumption of fossil fuels and helps keep air
pollution under control.

36. Keep hot water heater set at 120 degrees to conserve energy.

37. Indoor drains discharge to waste water treatment plant. When cleaning up painting
equipment & tools, wash them in an interior drain. Water based paints are less toxic and
easiest to cleanup after.

38. Disposable batteries = more landfill waste & pollution. Use rechargeable batteries.
Regular alkaline batteries are not recycled.

39. Use a water efficient washer - wash only full loads & use cold water when possible.

40. Line dry clothing to conserve energy.

41. Buy products containing recycled content material (jackets made from recycled plastic,
paper, glass).

42. Buy washable clothing.

43. After you have prevented as much waste as possible while at the store, recycle any
waste that is newspaper, glass, plastic bottles tubs or jars, cardboard, tin cans, mixed paper,
milk cartons or aluminum.

44. Take used oil to recycling station-do not pour on ground or into storm drain!
45. Choose electric power equipment instead of gas-powered.

46. Regularly replace or clean furnace filters.

47. Leave the car home once a week or more. Carpool, ride the bus, walk or ride your bike.

48. Keep gas-powered vehicles tuned up for fuel efficiency.

49. Keep tires inflated correctly to reduce wear on tires & maximize mileage. Avoid air
pollution by minimizing idling time.

50. Purchase products containing recycled content materials so we can recycle materials.

51. Hike or bike instead of using off-road vehicles for recreation. Swim, raft or canoe
instead of using motorized choices on the water.

52. Provide Information on Green remodelers/builders

53. Provide Information on Green investments