ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

POLLUTION
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can
take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light).
Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring
contaminants.
Pollution, also called environmental pollution, 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. The major kinds of pollution, usually classified by
environment, are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Modern society is also concerned about specific
types of pollutants, such as noise pollution, light pollution, and plastic pollution. Pollution of all kinds can have
negative effects on the environment and wildlife and often impacts human health and well-being

Pollution control
The presence of environmental pollution raises the issue of pollution control. Great efforts are made to limit the
release of harmful substances into the environment through air pollution control, wastewater treatment, solid-waste
management, hazardous-waste management, and recycling. Unfortunately, attempts at pollution control are
often surpassed by the scale of the problem, especially in less-developed countries. Noxious levels of air pollution
are common in many large cities, where particulates and gases from transportation, heating, and manufacturing
accumulate and linger. The problem of plastic pollution on land and in the oceans has only grown as the use of
single-use plastics has burgeoned worldwide. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane and 
carbon dioxide, continue to drive global warming and pose a great threat to biodiversity and public health.

POLLUTION and DESTRUCTION in our ENVIRONMENT

Technological and industrial processes have led to the production of chemicals and by-products
Air Pollution – the presence in the atmosphere of one or more contaminants in such quality and for such welfare of
animal or plant life.

Air pollutants, their sources, and effects

Pollutant Natural Source Anthropogenic Source Environmental Effect

Nitrogen oxides Lightnings, soil High temperature fuel Primary pollutants that produce
(NO + NO2) bacteria combustion—motor vehicles, photochemical smog, acid rain,
industrial, and utility and nitrate particulates.
Destruction of stratospheric
ozone. Human health impact.
Particulates Forest fires, wind Combustion of biofuels such as Reduced atmospheric visibility.
erosion, volcanic wood, and fossil fuels such as Human health impact. Black
eruption coal or diesel carbon particulates contribute to
global warming.
Sulfur dioxide Volcanic Coal combustion, ore smelters, Acid rain. Human health impact.
eruptions and petroleum refineries, diesel
decay engines burning high-sulfur fuels
Ozone Lightning, Secondary pollutant produced in Damage to plants, crops, and
 photochemical photochemical smog man-made products. Human
reactions in the health impact.
troposphere
Carbon monoxide Unnoticeable Rich & stoichiometric Human health impact
combustion, mainly from motor
vehicles
Carbon dioxide Animal Fossil fuel and wood combustion Most common greenhouse gas
respiration,
decay, release
from oceans
Non-methane Biological Incomplete combustion, solvent Primary pollutants that produce
hydrocarbons processes utilization photochemical smog
(VOC)

Methane Anaerobic decay, Natural gas leak and combustion Greenhouse gas
cud-chewing
animals, oil wells
Chlorofluorocarbons None Solvents, aerosol propellants, Destruction of stratospheric
(CFC) refrigerants ozone

Water Pollution – any change in natural water, caused by the introduction of organic and inorganic substances
Major Pollutants:
1. Sewage/Home. The rivers are usually chosen to be both garbage dump and sewer and because of these
they are polluted. Waste disposal sites are necessary if society will function smoothly. The sewage system
carries waste from home and pollutes the water. Human waste can flow into the drinking water supplies
and result to some form of diseases.
2. Marine Litters – the collective term for any waste material present in the marine environment.
Sources of Litter in the Marine Environment
a) Recreational and tourism-related litter
b) Fishing debris
c) Sewage-related
d) Shipping waste
e) Plastic in seawater
3. Oil Pollution in Aquatic Environment
The main source of oil pollution in the water is oil spill from ships, from routine operation such as leaks at
installations tanker terminal and coastal refineries and operational discharges from tankers and other vessels at
sea.

Land Pollution – the degradation of the Earth’s land through human misuse of the soil
Solid Waste – include junk materials, cans packaging materials, scraps of metals, and papers
Garbage – one thing that can not be avoided in life
Types: Biodegradable – objects that can be decomposed or can be acted upon by microorganisms
Non-biodegradable – objects that cannot be acted by microorganism to decompose