Pollution

Excess discharge of any substances into environment which affects adversely affects
quality of environment and causing damage to humans, plants and animals.
Any undesirable change in the environment due to human activity is called pollution.
The change may be physical, chemical, or biological.
Pollution can be defined as the addition of any unwanted or harmful substances to the
surroundings which adversely affect the natural quality of the environment. It is the
unfavorable alteration of our surroundings and occurs mainly because of the actions of
man. It affects the health, quality of life and natural functioning of the eco systems. It
can affect the life of humans, animals, and plants. It may cause illness or even death in
the case of humans and animals and it may hinder the growth of plants. The World
Health Organization has estimated that 80- 90% of all human cancers are environment
related. The excessive population growth is a major cause of pollution. The world is over
crowded with people who consume resources and create wastes. Rapid industrialization
and fast urbanization are other major causes of pollution. The undesirable agricultural
practices with uncontrolled use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers also resulted in the
alarming increase of pollution.

Types of pollutants
There are three types of pollutants-
a) Degradable – pollutants that can be rapidly decomposed by natural process. Eg:
domestic sewage, discarded vegetables
b) Slowly degradable pollutants – some pollutants remain in environment for longer
time because they decomposes very slowly by the natural processes. Eg: pesticides
c) Non degradable pollutants - some pollutants cannot be decomposed by natural
processes. Eg: lead, plastics, mercury

Classification of pollution
1. Air pollution
The atmospheric air in cities is contaminated by impurities emitted from automobiles
and industries. The low quality of air in a busy town may cause several problems or
ill effects. Air pollution may be described as the imbalances in the quality of air so as
to cause ill effects. Air is a mixture of many gases. It consists of Nitrogen (78%),
Oxygen (21%), Carbon dioxide (0.03%) and other gases such as Argon, Neon,
Krypton, Xenon, Helium, etc. Air pollutants may be natural or man-made. Natural air
pollutants include smoke from forest fires or volcanoes. Man-made air pollutants are
of two types-gaseous and particulate. Major gaseous air pollutants are carbon
monoxide, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen oxides etc. Particulate air
pollutants comprise both solid and liquid particles varying in size from 0.1 to 20
microns. These are dust, fumes, mist, spray, smoke, etc.
Sources
 Industrialization
  Urbanization
 Vehicle emission
 Deforestation
 Population
Effects
Air pollution affects the health of man and animals. Large quantities of dust and
other particles cause lung diseases including lung cancer. There is growing evidence
that many chronic diseases such as asthma, emphysema, bronchitis, etc. are caused
by air pollution. Carbon monoxide is highly poisonous and is fatal. Another greatest
danger of air pollution is green house effect and global warming.
Measures to control
 Reducing air pollutants from industry
 Changing the nature of the fuel
 Changing process conditions to reduce pollutants production
 Cleaning the flue gas
 reducing ammonia emission from agriculture
 Managing pollution from motor vehicles
2. Water Pollution
Water pollution is the excessive presence of harmful substances in water which
affects its normal quality due to natural or man-made reasons. Water pollution is one
of the most serious environmental problems of the modern society. WHO observed
‘one hospital bed out of four in the world is occupied by a patient who is ill because
of polluted water’ and estimated that ‘80% of diseases in the world are associated
with water’.
Sources
 Residues and other poisonous substances from factories and industries.
 Sewage from urban dwellings.
 Chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
 Plastic and other solid wastes.
 Decayed or putrefied (rotten) organic matter.
Effects
 Diseases
 Low crop yield
 Harmful to aquatic life and wildlife
 Disrupts food chain
Measures for preventing
 Setting up effluent treatment plant
 Recycling of water
 Strict enforcement of water pollution control act
 Developing economical method of water treatment
 Educate public
 3. Soil Pollution
The soil pollution is defined as the accumulation of materials in the soil which are
harmful to the living beings.
The problem of soil pollution differs from air and water pollutions. In soil pollution
the pollutants remain there for a long period.
Sources of soil pollution
 Industrial wastes from coal/metal mines.
 Chemical effluents from factories and industries.
 Chemical pesticides and fertilizers from agriculture practices.
 Radio-active wastes from nuclear laboratories and industries.
 Domestic wastes and urban wastes including e-wastes.
 Biological wastes by open defecation and animal excreta.
Effects of Soil Pollution
 Toxic compounds affect plant growth and human life
 Waste logging and salinity makes soil infertile
 Hazardous chemicals enter food chain
 Disorders
Measures to control
 Planting trees
 Proper treatment of industrial waste
 Avoid use of synthetic fertilizers
 Educate people
 Strict enforcement of laws
 Ban toxic materials
 Reuse, recycle
4. Marine pollution
Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land
sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. This pollution results in damage to the
environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide.
Sources of Marine pollution
 Municipal waste and sewage
 Dumping industrial effluents
 Oil spills by oil refinery
 waste of shipyard
 solid wastes
Effects of marine pollution
 death or retarded growth, vitality and reproductivity of marine organism caused by
toxic pollutants
 reduction in dissolved oxygen level
 killing of marine species
 transmit toxins to one who eat it
  tourism is affected
Measures to control
 treatment of wastes
 periodic analysis
 educate people
 beaches should be kept neat
5. Noise Pollution
“Unwanted and undesirable sound potentially hazardous to the environment” are termed as
noise. It is unpleasant sound without agreeable quality. Noise pollution is excessive sound
that may harm the balance of human or animal life. Unit of loudness is decibel (dB).
Sources of noise pollution
 Noise from industries and transportation system
 High volume music and public address systems.
 Pressure horns and siren.
Effects of noise
 Noise causes fatigue, lack of concentration, sleep disturbances, and forgetfulness.
 Noise at work place can make workers irritable and aggressive which in turn may
disrupt production.
 Noise can cause high blood pressure. It can affect colour perception and can reduce
night vision.
 Very loud noise may cause temporary deafness.
 If sound levels are more than 160dB, it may rupture the ear drum, resulting in
permanent deafness.
 Plants and trees are also sensitive to noise and it may lower the quality of crops.
 Loud noise damages the nervous system of animals. They may lose control and may
become dangerous.
 Loud noise is also dangerous to buildings and monuments
Measures to control
 Using ear plugs
 Ban noise polluting vehicles
 Controlling machine and service
 Planting trees
 Construction of sound proof rooms
 Enforcing acts
 Education people
6. Thermal pollution
Thermal pollution is any deviation from the natural temperature in a habitat and can
range from elevated temperatures associated with industrial cooling activities to
discharges of cold water into streams below large impoundments.
Sources of Thermal Pollution
 Thermal power station
 Nuclear power plants
  Petroleum refineries
 Domestic sewage
 Industrial effluents
Effects of Thermal Pollution
 Affects aquatic eco system
 Reduces dissolved oxygen
 Water properties change
 Toxic chemicals dissolve at high temperatures
 Disrupts natural reproduction
Measures to control
 Pre cooling the warm water prior to discharge
 Return heated water away from ecological sensitive zone.
7. Nuclear Hazards
Radioactive (nuclear) pollution is a special form of physical pollution related to all
major life-supporting systems – air, water and soil. It is always convenient to discuss
radioactive pollution separately because its nature of contamination is different from
other types of pollution. Its effects are also of special kinds.
Sources of Nuclear Hazards
The sources of radioactivity are both natural and man-made. The natural sources include:
 Cosmic rays from outer space. The quantity depends on altitude and latitude; it is
more at higher latitudes and high altitudes.
 Emissions from radioactive materials from the Earth's crust.
The man-made sources of radioactivity are nuclear wastes (i.e., waste material that contains
radioactive nuclei) produced during the:
 Mining and processing of radioactive ores;
 Use of radioactive material in nuclear power plants;
 Use of radioactive isotopes in medical, industrial and research applications; and
 Use of radioactive materials in nuclear weapons.
Effects of Nuclear Hazards
Some of the possible effects are listed as under:
 Radiations may break chemical bonds, such as DNA in cells. This affects the genetic
make-up and control mechanisms. The effects can be instantaneous, prolonged or
delayed types. Even it could be carried to future generations.
 Exposure at low doses of radiations (100-250 rads), men do not die but begin to
suffer from fatigue, nausea, vomiting and loss of hair. But recovery is possible.
 Exposure at higher doses (400-500 rads), the bone marrow is affected, blood cells are
reduced, natural resistance and fighting capacity against germs is reduced, blood fails
to clot, and the irradiated person soon dies of infection and bleeding.
 Higher irradiation doses (10,000 rads) kill the organisms by damaging the tissues of
heart, brain, etc.
 Workers handling radioactive wastes get slow but continuous irradiation and in
course of time develop cancer of different types.
 Through food chain also, radioactivity effects are experienced by man.
Measures to Prevent
 Leakages from nuclear reactors, careless handling, transport and use of
radioactive fuels, fission products and radioactive isotopes have to be totally
stopped;
 Safety measures should be enforced strictly;
 Waste disposal must be careful, efficient and effective;
 There should be regular monitoring and quantitative analysis through frequent
sampling in the risk areas;
 Preventive measures should be followed so that background radiation levels do
not exceed the permissible limits;
 Appropriate steps should be taken against occupational exposure; and
 Safety measures should be strengthened against nuclear accidents.