Industrial Pollution:

Pollution refers to the addition of any substance to the environment that has a
harmful or poisonous effect. Any form of pollution whose source can be traced
to industrial activities is called industrial pollution.

Pollution Due to Industrial Wastes

The industries use raw materials, process them, produce finished products,
and some by-products are thrown into the environment as industrial wastes in
gas, liquid or solid, thus polluting the air-water or soil.
Industrial wastes may be classified as:

a. Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable

1. Biodegradable wastes are generated by textile factories, food processing
units, paper mills, and cotton mills.
2. Non-biodegradable wastes are generated by thermal power plants, iron
and steel plants, and fertilizer industries, posing a severe threat to
humankind.
b. Process Waste and Chemical Wastes

a. Processed Waste

Processed waste produced during the washing and processing of raw materials
may be organic or inorganic, but both are toxic to living organisms.

For example, organic waste is liberated from food processing units,

distilleries, sugar mills, etc. and inorganic process waste is generated by the
caustic soda industry, the paint industry, the petroleum industry, iron and steel
plants, thermal power plants, etc.

Fly ash from thermal power plants contaminates the atmospheric tract causing
respiratory tract disorder. Fertilizer industries produce gypsum. Iron and steel
plants have slag. Few industries might also cause thermal pollution and noise
pollution.

b. Chemical Wastes

Chemical waste contains detergents, alkalis, acids, and other harmful

substances produced by industries, sugar mills, etc. The wastes are usually
liberated into nearby water bodies like lakes, oceans, etc., altering the pH of
biological oxygen demand and chemical oxygen demand. The aquatic animals
and plants absorb chemical waste destroying the ecosystem’s trophic levels
and food chains. The following ways can be adopted for the disposal of non-
biodegradable industrial solid waste to control environmental pollution.
3. (ii) The cement industry can utilise fly ash and slag from the steel
industry.
4. (iii) Waste should be subject to proper treatment before its discharge.

Types of Industrial Pollution

Water Pollution- Industrial wastewaters contain a variety of organic and

inorganic residues. They heavily pollute all rivers and water bodies. The
discharge of toxic industrial wastes contains poisonous chemicals such as
cyanide, cadmium, mercury, lead, arsenic, and chromium, which are highly
poisonous. They make river water unfit for the use of humans, aquatic plants
and animals.

Colour producing dyes change the colour of water and decrease the oxygen
level, thereby affecting aquatic life. In addition, acids and alkalis rapidly
change water pH, affecting fish and other marine life.

Soil Pollution- The rapid growth of industries has resulted in the release of
many industrial wastes containing toxic acid disastrous chemicals that are
usually non-biodegradable. Solid waste from industries is dumped
temporarily overland. During rains, heavy metals and toxic chemicals wash
down into the soil and pollute the same. It is mainly discharged from Pulp and
Paper Mills, oil refineries, sugar factories, glass industries, drugs, etc.

Industrial waste affects and alters soil’s chemical and biological

characteristics, which finally enter the food chain, disturb the biochemical
processes and eventually induce serious hazards to living organisms.

Air Pollution- Many industries like chemical plants, steel, fertilizers, sugar
and cement manufacturing units emit a large amount of smoke and pollutants
like oxides of sulphur and nitrogen, lead particles and chlorofluorocarbons
pollute the air. For example, the emissions from the oil refinery at Mathura
and the numerous coal-burning Industries at Agra contain sulphur dioxide,
which causes acid rain. In addition, many industries produce chemicals, some
of which escape into the atmosphere causing air pollution.
Noise Pollution– Industrial activities can cause noise pollution. Some
familiar sources of noise pollution are road traffic, aircraft, trains,
construction sites, factories, electronic and electrical equipment, and the
bursting of firecrackers.

Causes of Industrial Pollution

1. Unplanned Industrial Growth- In most countries, industrial

development and urbanization have progressed unexpectedly. It is
responsible for all types of pollution.
2. Use of Outdated Technology- Many industrial units are slow to adopt
new technology to address pollution.
3. Use of water for Industrial Processes- Most of the industry units
required a large amount of water. Water used in different production
processes comes into contact with harmful chemicals, heavy metals,
 biological waste, etc.; after use, the water is dumped into water bodies
causing water contamination.
4. Poor Implementation of Policies and Laws- Many developing
countries do not have effective environmental policies and laws.
5. Inefficient waste Disposal System- With unplanned and rapid
industrial development, all countries generate industrial waste quickly.
All countries face the challenge of effectively disposing of industrial
waste, including e-waste, which contains toxic material.
6. Absence of Nation-Wide Pollution Tax- There is no nationwide
pollution tax imposed in all the countries. So, industrial pollution is very
high.

Effects of Industrial Pollution

 Effect on Human Health- Industrial pollution has been responsible for

the contamination of water, air and the natural environment. Moreover,
it has affected the health of the people. Industrial toxic waste is
responsible for diseases like cancer, lung infection, asthma, etc.
 Low Agricultural Productivity- The toxic materials dumped by the
industrial units cause soil and groundwater contamination. It affects the
fertility of the soil. In addition, the consumption of contaminated crops
causes health problems.
 Global Warming- Global warming leads to rising water levels due to
the melting of glaciers, a constant threat of natural disasters like
tsunamis, and several Storms. Moreover, due to global warming, many
animals and fishes are getting extinct.
 Effect of Wildlife- Industrial pollution and industrial activities have led
to the destruction of animals’ natural habitats. As a result, many wildlife
species face extinctions due to these factors.
  Depletion of Green cover and Biodiversity- The green cover helps
balance temperature. Therefore, it is essential to protect areas and
human health affected by rising temperatures due to global warming.
Unfortunately, unregulated industrial activities have been responsible
for the loss of green cover.
 1. Industrial wastes discharged into water bodies contain many
toxic substances that make water unfit for drinking and bathing.
Pollution of moisture also reduces the number of aquatic plants
and animals due to the destruction of their habitat and nesting
places.
 2. The wastewater released by factories and industries is rich in
organic matter. The wastewater is rich in nutrients resulting in a
thick growth of algae and many other weeds like ragweed, skunk,
buckthorn, and horsemint, and these plants cover the entire
surface of the water. The algae use so much oxygen; hence the
aquatic animals and other plants die due to its lack.
 3. When industries release mercury, it contaminates with water,
and it’s used for drinking by human beings and animals; it causes
numbness of lips, tongue and limbs. Also, it leads to blurred
vision and mental disorders.

Control of Industrial pollution

To inspect the pollution by industrial plants, and chimney wastes, several

measures are adopted to remove particulate matter and gaseous pollutants
from the scraps. The most common equipment used for removal is cyclone
collectors, electrostatic precipitators, bag filters and scrubbers.

 Cyclone Collectors- Removing particulates through vortex separation

without filters from the liquid stream, gas or air is called Cyclonic
 separation. Cyclone collectors are instruments used to trap the particles
like dust produced by wood and cement factories, etc.
 Electrostatic Precipitators- These are working on charging the dust by
the applications of high voltage electricity. The particles settle down
finally. These are safe and simple to operate.
 Bag Filters- It consists of filter bags made up of bag materials like
cotton, glass wool, Teflon, ceramic fibre or polyester, etc., the dust-
laden gas passed through it. As a result, the dust gets filtered, and clean
air escapes out. The dust collected is removed by shaking the bag
periodically.
 Scrubbers- Scrubbers can remove the harmful gas released by different
factories by spraying cool water in a scrubber device. The gaseous
pollutants observe inappropriate liquid to bring the pollutants from
gaseous to liquid or solid-state—the different types of scrubbers used at
spray type, Venturi scrubbers, impingement scrubbers, etc.
 The pollution due to industries may be eliminated by the use of
electricity in place of coal fuel. Furthermore, the extent of air pollution
can be reduced by the self-cleaning process of air. Moreover, it can
increase vegetation in the nearby locality and provide Green Belt
between residential and industrial areas.