Definition of Pollution, Types, Causes, How to control, Prevention

Definition of Pollution, Types, Causes, How to Control, Prevention

What Is Pollution?

Pollution is the contamination of land, water, air, or other parts of the environment with dirty or harmful substances which is not palatable for use.

According to Longman Dictionary, Pollution is the process of making air, water, soil, etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use, or the state of being dangerously dirty.

Pollution is the action of polluting especially by environmental contamination with man-made waste – Merriam – Webster

Pollution according to Yapp (1972) defined pollution as the presence of matter or energy in an unusual or unintended place.

Pollution can be done through the introduction of a contaminant into a natural environment, but the contaminant doesn’t need to be tangible. Things as simple as light, sound, and temperature can be considered pollutants when introduced artificially into an environment.

The major kinds of pollution, usually classified by the environment, are Air Pollution, Water Pollution, and Land Pollution.

Land Pollution:

Land can become polluted by household garbage and by industrial waste.

What Is Land Pollution?

Land Pollution is the degradation or destruction of the Earth’s surface which can mainly be caused directly or indirectly by human activities.

These activities lessen the quality of land drastically.

In Land Pollution, solid or liquid waste materials get deposited on land or underground and further degrade the quality of soil and groundwater.
This contamination leads to public health hazards.

Land Pollution is mainly caused due to construction, agriculture, domestic waste, and industrial waste. Chemicals like metallic pollutants (dyes, soaps, drugs, etc.), agrochemicals (fertilizers, rodenticides, etc.), and radioactive chemicals degrade the quality of the land.

In 2014, Americans produced about 258 million tons of solid waste, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. A little over half of the waste — 136 million tons— was gathered in landfills. Only about 34% was recycled or composted.

Organic material was the largest component of the garbage generated, the EPA said. Paper and paperboard accounted for more than 26%; food was 15% and yard trimmings were 13%. Plastics comprised about 13% of the solid waste, while rubber, leather, and textiles made up 9.5% and metals 9%. Wood contributed 6.2% of the garbage; glass was 4.4% and other miscellaneous materials made up about 3%.

Commercial or industrial waste is a significant portion of solid waste.

According to the University of Utah, industries use 4 million pounds of materials to provide the average American family with needed products for one year. Much of it is classified as non-hazardous, such as construction material (wood, concrete, bricks, glass, etc.) and medical waste (bandages, surgical gloves, surgical instruments, discarded needles, etc.). Hazardous waste is any liquid, solid, or sludge waste that contains properties that are dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment. Industries generate hazardous waste from mining, petroleum refining, pesticide manufacturing, and other chemical production. Households generate hazardous waste as well, including paints and solvents, motor oil, fluorescent lights, aerosol cans, and ammunition.

What Is Water Pollution?

Water Pollution happens when chemicals or dangerous substances are introduced to water, including chemicals, sewage, pesticides, fertilizers from agricultural runoff, or metals like lead or mercury.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 44% of assessed stream miles, 64% of lakes, and 30% of the bay and estuarine areas are not clean enough for fishing and swimming. The EPA also states that the United State’s most common contaminants are bacteria, mercury, phosphorus, and nitrogen. These come from the most common sources of contaminants, which include agricultural runoff, air deposition, water diversions, and channelization of streams.

Water Pollution Isn’t Just A Problem For The United States

According to United Nations, 783 million people do not have access to clean water and around 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation.

Adequate sanitation helps to keep sewage and other contaminants from entering the water supply.

What is Air Pollution?

Air Pollution is when gases, smoke, dust, or offensive odor contaminate the air and makes it harmful or uncomfortable for humans, animals to breathe, and for plant to live.

Earth is surrounded by an atmosphere, which is a layer of gases. When air pollution occurs, this harms the earth’s atmosphere and causes problems for people.

Air Pollution can lead to diseases like bronchitis and can hurt people with asthma. It can even make it hard for children to grow properly.
Pollution in the air can also get into the ground and water when it rains, harming plants and animals.

Air Pollution is caused by solid and liquid particles and certain gases that are suspended in the air.

Causes of Air Pollution

Fossil Fuels are one of the causes of Air pollution, energy sources that occur naturally on the earth, like coal, oil, and natural gas.

People rely on fossil fuels to create energy with which to live. For example, oil is used for gasoline for cars and trucks. But burning lots of fossil fuels also contributes to air pollution. Fossil fuels are released when people drive cars, trucks, boats, and trains, and fossil fuels are used in power plants to create electricity for people’s homes, schools, and businesses.

Another cause is Burning:

Black and brown particles are emitted into the environment as people burn fossil fuels, such as coal and diesel.

These particles are called soot, which absorbs sunlight and heats the surrounding air leading to a short-lived rise in temperature.

According to experts, soot also accounts for over one-quarter of the total hazardous pollution in the air.

This contaminant, however, only lingers in the atmosphere for a few weeks before being washed out. Despite this, it can still cause some serious problems, especially for humans. When inhaled, soot can cause breathing issues, including aggravated asthma, bronchitis, etc. Studies also show that air pollution with soot increases the risk of coronary artery disease.

Also, the accumulation of this contaminant in homes can ignite and create a chimney fire.

How to control Pollution:

There are diverse ways of controlling pollution and these include;

Using equipments, apart from the disposal of pollutants, recycling waste could also be done. In the case of automobile exhaust systems, suitable gadgets could also be provided which will not only arrest pollution but will also reduce fuel consumption.

The generated pollutants from industries must be arrested before they are passed into the air. This involves selection of proper equipment for treating waste as well as arresting pollutants.
The heat generated in the process should also be directed to useful purposes.

The Government should be persuaded to provide cleaner fuels for the manufacture of smokeless coal briquettes by low-temperature carbonization of poor-quality lignites available locally.

Organic waste solids can be composted, Thus poisonous waste should be buried in well-protected areas.

Massive research and development efforts should be instituted in the institutes of higher learning and by the Government so that appropriate, low-cost, and effective methods of pollution control can be achieved.

Extensive training programs should be set up to prepare technicians and scientists in pollution control for different types of industries.

Encourage industries to avoid pollutant formation at the very source by use of cleaner fuels, the adoption of less polluting materials and technology in manufacture.

Localize the spread of pollutants in the indoor working environment so as not to cause any hazard.

Allow discharge of pollutants to the ambient environment to the extent possible to benefit from disposal by dilution. (This involves proper site selection; availability of meteorological and other data, etc.).

Prompt development of supporting infrastructures.

Adoption of polluting technology:

A similar strategy must be followed concerning process emissions to reduce every formation of pollutants by adopting the least polluting technology wherever possible. It is here that the various industry associations can best help themselves.

The USA, Japan, and other OECD countries of Europe are currently actively engaged in reviewing their technology and are even undertaking process changes wherever feasible to reduce pollutant formation or find suitable methods for its dilution and treatment.

How to prevent Pollution?

Adoption of less environmentally harmful pesticides or cultivation of crop strains with natural resistance to pests; and
Protection of sensitive areas.

Modifying a production process to produce less waste.

Use non-toxic or less toxic chemicals as cleaners, degreasers, and other maintenance chemicals.

Reusing materials such as drums and pallets rather than disposing of them as waste.

By using reusable water bottles instead of throwing them away or dumping them.

Turn off lights when not in use to avoid fire breakout.

By Repairing leaky faucets and hoses.

Why is Pollution Prevention Important?

It is important because it reduces both financial costs (waste management and cleanup) and environmental costs (health problems and environmental damage).

Pollution prevention also protects the environment by conserving and protecting natural resources while strengthening economic growth through industry and less need for households, businesses, and communities to handle the waste.