Pollution 

:causes,consequences and
solutions

Exposants
 Aissatou Ba
 Mame Diarra Bousso Diagne
 Aida Diop
 Diafara Kane
 Mame Fatou Tall

Teacher : Mr. Ba School year : 2021/2022

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 Plan
Introduction
I/ What is pollution
II/ Causes
III/ Consequences
IV/ Solutions
Conclusion

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Introduction
Pollution can be defined by an amount of any substances
or any form of energy is put into the environment at a
rate faster than it can safely stored or dispersed.
Activities through urbanization, industrialization are his
main causes.
Despite all means and particularly the global attention
toward pollution, the impact is still being felt due to its
severe consequences.
I/ What is pollution
1)Definition
The major kinds of pollution, usually classified by
environment, are air pollution, water pollution, and soil
pollution. Modern society is also concerned about
specific types of pollutants, such as noise pollution,
thermal pollution, light pollution, and plastic pollution.
2)Air pollution
It release into the atmosphere of various gases, finely
divided solids, or finely dispersed liquid aerosols at rates
that exceed the natural capacity of the environment to
dissipate and dilute or absorb them. Air pollution is also
the contamination of air due to the presence of
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substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the
health of humans and other living being, or cause
damage to the climate or to materials.
3)Water pollution
Water pollution occurs when harmful substances often
chemicals or microorganisms contaminate a stream,
river, lake, ocean, or other body of water, degrading
water quality subsurface to the point where the
substances interfere with beneficial use of the water or
with the natural functioning of ecosystems. In addition to
the release of substances, such as chemicals, trash, or
microorganisms, water pollution may also include the
release of energy, in the form of radioactivity or heat,
into bodies of water.
Point sources of water pollution are easier to control
than dispersed sources, because the contaminated water
has been collected and conveyed to one single point
where it can be treated.
4)Soil pollution
Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic
chemicals in soil, even when their levels are not high
enough to pose a risk, soil pollution is still said to occur if

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the levels of the contaminants in soil exceed the levels
that should naturally be present.
It is a serious environmental concern since it harbors
many health hazards. However, the concentration of such
substances in unpolluted soil is low enough that they do
not pose any threat to the surrounding ecosystem. When
the concentration of one or more such toxic substances is
high enough to cause damage to living organisms, the soil
is said to be contaminated.

II/ Causes
1)Air pollution
The Burning of Fossil Fuels: Most of the air pollution
takes place due to the burning of fossil fuels such as coal,
oil, gasoline to produce energy for electricity or
transportation. The release of carbon monoxide in high
level indicates how much fossil fuel is burned. This also
emits other toxic pollutants in the air. Inhaling air
induced with pollutants due to the burning of natural gas
and fossil fuel. 
Industrial emission: Industrial activities emit several
pollutants in the air that affects the air quality more than
we can even imagine. Industrial pollution effects

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associated with your health can range from irritation in
your eyes and throat to breathing issues, at times can
even lead to chronic illness.
Wildfires: Climate change is not just increasing wildfire
but also spiking air pollution. Burning stubble and farm
residues is also a major contribution to wildfire.
Transportation: When the car burns gasoline, it emits
pollutants in the air which is as harmful as smoking 10
cigarettes a day. Your vehicle emits carbon monoxide,
hydrocarbons etc.

2)Soil pollution
Industrial waste: Industries are by far the worst polluters
of the soil with all the chemicals they release into the
environment be it in liquid or solid form.
Deforestation: Clearing of trees leaves soil exposed to the
elements so they are easily carried away by soil erosion.
This leaves land barren and incapable of supporting
vegetation.
Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides: The increased
demand for food has forced farmers to use fertilizers and
pesticides that release nothing but toxins into the soil,
killing useful microorganisms that are important in plant
growth.
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Garbage pollution: Garbage that cannot be recycled is
disposed of carelessly and this is not only an eyesore but
pollutes the land.

3)Water pollution
1. Littering and garbage: Littering and garbage can
originate from many sources, but most commonly it
comes from human activities on land. Marine litter is not
pleasing and it can harm marine ecosystems, wildlife and
humans.
Overflows caused by rain or melting snow: Excessive
rainfall or snowmelt can cause sewers to overflow if they
exceeded their capacity. Discharge from combined sewer
overflows and sanitary sewer overflows contain a mixture
of raw sewage, industrial wastewater, and storm water.
This can lead to beach closings, shellfish bed closings, and
aesthetic problems.
Runoff: is considered one of the biggest sources of
pollution. It is non-point source pollution, which means
that it comes from many sources. Rainwater and
snowmelt flow over land and paved surfaces where they
pick up pollutants.
Discharge from ships and boats: Recreational and
shipping boats accidentally and intentionally discharge
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various pollutants into the marine environment that can
affect our beaches. Vessels release both oil and gas
pollution in the water, especially if the engine is not
properly maintained.
Sunscreen: Sunscreen enters the marine environment in
a few ways. It settles on the sand when applied,
especially if you use the spray and wash it off when
swimming in the water. The chemicals in some
sunscreens can harm marine life and threaten coral reefs.
The chemicals can decrease fish fertility and
reproduction, lead to coral bleaching, and can
accumulate in dolphin tissue and be transferred to young.
6. Nutrient Pollution: Nitrogen and phosphorus are
naturally occurring. However, an overabundance can
have a devastating impact on the environment and
human health. An increased concentration of chemicals
in coastal environments promotes the growth of algal
blooms, which are toxic to wildlife and harmful to
humans.

III/Consequences
1)Air pollution

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On human health: Exposure to high levels of air pollution
can cause a variety of adverse health outcomes. It
increases the risk of respiratory infections, heart disease
and lung cancer.  Both short and long term exposure to
air pollutants have been associated with health impacts. 
More severe impacts affect people who are already ill. 
Children, the elderly and poor people are more
susceptible. According to the World Health Organization,
an estimated seven million people die each year from air
pollution. More than 4,000 people died in just a few
months due to a severe smog event that occurred in
London in 1952. Ground-level ozone causes muscles in
the lungs to contract, making it difficult to breathe.
Exposure to high ozone levels can cause sore throat,
coughing, lung inflammation, and permanent lung
damage.
On environment:
Wildlife can experience many of the same negative
health effects of air pollution that humans do. Damage to
respiratory systems is the most common effect on
animals, but neurological problems and skin irritations
are also common.
Plants and crops grow less when exposed to long term air
pollution. Ozone pollution harms plants by damaging

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structures called stomata, which are tiny pores on the
underside of leaves that allow the plant to "breathe."
When acid rain, lead toxicity, and exposure to nitrogen
oxides change the chemical nature of the soil, plants are
robbed of the nutrients that they need to grow and
survive. This impacts agriculture, forests, and grasslands.
There are many other ways that air pollution affects living
things, such as damaging the habitat, water, and food
sources that plants and animals need to survive.

2)Soil pollution
Soils need to be recognized and valued for their
productive capacities as well as their contribution to food
security and the maintenance of key ecosystem services.
Here are just a few reasons why soil pollution can’t be
underestimated.
Soil pollution affects everything: The food we eat, the
water we drink, the air we breathe – our health and the
health of all the organisms on the planet is dependent on
healthy soil. The nutrient content of a plant’s tissues is
directly related to the nutrient content of the soil and its
ability to exchange nutrients and water with the plant’s
roots.

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Soil pollution is invisible: Today, one third of our soils are
moderately or highly degraded due to erosion, loss of soil
organic carbon, salinization, compaction, acidification
and chemical pollution.  It takes about 1 000 years to
form 1 cm of top soil, meaning that we won’t be able to
produce more soil within our lifetime. What we see is all
there is. Yet, soils are facing even more pressure from soil
pollution. The current rate of soil degradation threatens
the capacity of future generations to meet their most
basic needs.
Soil pollution affects soils’ capacity to filter: Soils act as a
filter and buffer for contaminants. The potential of soil to
cope with the strain of pollutants is finite. If soil’s
capacity to protect us is exceeded, contaminants will
seep into other parts of the environment – like our food
chain.

3)Water pollution
Whether it occurs through improper waste disposal and
inadequate methods of treatment in urban epicenters or
via oil spills and agricultural run-off washing into our seas
and oceans, water pollution can have grave
consequences for all life on Earth. Here’s a quick look at
some of the main ways in which it can impact upon
humans, animals and plants in a negative manner.

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Destruction of aquatic flora and fauna: There are
countless species of plants and animals which depend
upon water for their survival, making them the most
susceptible to water pollution. Meanwhile, other forms
of pollution can destroy the carefully balanced
ecosystems and habitats of water-dwelling organisms,
wiping out entire species altogether.
Drinking water supplies: Contaminating the sources from
which we draw our drinking water supplies over the
centuries means that 2.1 billion people – or just over a
quarter of the world’s population – do not have access to
safe drinking water. In fact, despite massive advances in
innovative online water quality monitoring in drinking
water networks, even prosperous countries can find
themselves at the mercy of unclean drinking water. In
2014, the town of Flint in Michigan, USA, saw dangerous
levels of lead infiltrate its supplies, meaning over 100,000
people were exposed and at least 12 killed.
 Food chain disruption: Microscopic pollution of a body of
water as big as the Pacific Ocean might seem negligible,
but tiny micro plastics, chemicals, heavy metals and other
contaminants can be ingested by microorganisms and
interfere with their inner organs. These are then
consumed by larger animals and so pollution gradually
works it way up the food chain. At some point, it’s
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feasible for the contaminants to wipe out a link
altogether, or else reach the very top of the pyramid by
compromising human health.
Agriculture: The delicate balance between water and
agriculture is critical to the environment, so it’s
imperative that the water used for irrigation of crops and
sustenance of livestock is kept scrupulously clean. Failure
to do so could damage the nutritional value of the yields
produced by farmers or, worse yet, make them toxic to
humans. Even if the problem is recognized before it can
cause too much damage, the scarcity of water in the
period while it is being resolved could lead to a drop-off
in yields and result in food poverty for the world’s most
vulnerable people.
Economic downturns: So far, all of the above
consequences of water pollution have focused on the
health impacts – but the costs of water pollution can be
financial, too. Last year, the Japanese authorities
announced that they were running low on space to keep
contaminated water supplies from the Fukushima power
plant disaster under containment. Studies have indicated
that it’s likely to cost the government a very minimum of
$660 billion to completely clean up the fallout from the
incident.

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IV/Solutions
To fight against pollution, it’s necessary to sensitize
populations and aware them to its probable
consequences on their health and their environment.
There are also specific solutions for its main types
Air pollution:
 Renewable fuel and clean energy production
 Energy conservation and efficiency
 Eco-friendly transportation
 Green building
Soil pollution:
 Reduction of using chemical fertilizers
 Promotion of reforestation ad afforestation
 Recycling and reusing products
 Local’s involvement
 Promotion of using natural manure
Water pollution :
 Wastewater treatment
 Reducing plastic waste 
 Water conservation
 Water-efficient toilets 

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  Septic tanks
 Storm water management
 Green agriculture & westland
 Denitrification
 Ozone wastewater treatment

Conclusion
Sources of pollution from environment have been
established which included discharges of waste from
invasive organisms from accidents, etc.
The adverse effects of introducing pollutants into the
environment have also been established; it may cause
damage on human and ecosystem health. Control and
preventive measures which included adherence,
enforcement and sensitive operations, are put in place.

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