Pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction
of harmful materials into
the environment. These harmful
materials are called pollutants.
The addition of any substance
(solid, liquid, or gas) or any form
of energy (such as heat, sound,
or radioactivity) to the environment at
a rate faster than it can be dispersed,
diluted, decomposed, recycled, or
stored in some harmless form.
 Pollution has accompanied humankind ever
since groups of people first congregated and
remained for a long time in any one place.

Pollution With the establishment of permanent

settlements by great numbers of people,
pollution became a problem, and it has
remained one ever since.

Beginning about 1000 CE, the use of coal for

fuel caused considerable air pollution
 The outbreak of population-
decimating epidemics of disease

Through the 19th century, water and air

Pollution pollution and the accumulation of solid
wastes were largely problems of congested
urban areas

the rapid spread of industrialization and the

growth of the human population to
unprecedented levels, pollution became a
universal problem.
Pollution
By the middle of the 20th century, an awareness of the need to
protect air, water, and land environments from pollution had
developed among the general public.
Air
Pollution

Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any

chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the
atmosphere.
Air Pollution
Sometimes, air pollution is visible. A person can see dark smoke pour from the
exhaust pipes of large trucks or factories, for example. More often, however, air
pollution is invisible.

The combined effects of ambient air pollution and household air pollution are
associated with 6.7 million premature deaths annually.
Air Pollution
Household AP

• Household air pollution was responsible for an estimated 3.2 million deaths per
year in 2020, including over 237 000 deaths of children under the age of 5.
• Household air pollution exposure leads to noncommunicable diseases including
stroke, ischaemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
and lung cancer.
Air Pollution
Ambient (outdoor) AP

• Ambient air pollution is a broader term used to describe air pollution in outdoor
environments. Poor ambient air quality occurs when pollutants reach high enough
concentrations to affect human health and/or the environment
• In 2019, 99% of the world’s population was living in places where the WHO air
quality guidelines levels were not met.
• Ambient (outdoor) air pollution is estimated to have caused 4.2 million premature
deaths worldwide in 2019
 Pesticide
Natural Disasters – Volcanic Ash

Air Burned Fossil Fuels

Smog
Pollution Acid rain
Greenhouse Gases
Global Warming
CFC
Water
Pollution
Polluted water is unsafe for drinking and
swimming. Some people who drink polluted
water are exposed to hazardous chemicals
that may make them sick years later.
Water Pollution
Sources of Water Pollution

Point source pollution

When contamination originates from a single source, it’s called point source
pollution. Examples include wastewater (also called effluent) discharged legally or
illegally by a manufacturer, oil refinery, or wastewater treatment facility, as well as
contamination from leaking septic systems, chemical and oil spills, and illegal
dumping.
Water Pollution
Sources of Water Pollution

Nonpoint source pollution

Nonpoint source pollution is contamination derived from diffuse sources. These

may include agricultural or stormwater runoff or debris blown into waterways from
land. It is the leading cause of water pollution in the waters, but it’s difficult to
regulate, since there’s no single, identifiable culprit.
Water Pollution
Water Types
Ground water
Surface water
Ocean water
Water Pollution
Sources of Pollution
Leaking of Petroleum Seeps
Chemical Runoff
Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)
Oil Spills
Buried Chemical Waste
Sewage (not properly treated)
Washed Pollutants
Heat
Garbage
Land
Pollution
 Pesticide

Land Fertilizers

Pollution Trash

Inefficient garbage collection

 Reducing
International agreements
Pollution
GOVERNMENTS

I N T E R N AT I O N A L A G R E E M E N T S

N O N S TAT E A C T O R S
EFFECT
RESPONSE
BIODIVERSITY

For our next session…