POLLUTION

The word, 'pollution' means to make dirty. Pollution causes imbalance in the

environment. Environmental pollution is a serious problem. Nearly 35 percent of India's

total land area is subject to serious environmental pollution.

Industrialization has led to urbanization, which has added to the pollution problem. Air

pollution is the most dangerous form of pollution. land and water pollution have

worsened the situation. Pollution causes several types of harmful disease. We must

control pollution for our survival.

The word pollution 'pollution', has been derived form a Latin word, 'pollutionem,' which

means to make dirty. Pollution is the process of making the environment. i.e. the land,

water and air dirty by adding harmful substances to it. Pollution causes imbalance in the

environment. This imbalance has threatened the very survival of life. It is a threat to the

whole world.

Environmental pollution is the biggest menace to the human race on this planet

today. It means adding impurity to environment. Environmental pollution is a serious

problem of the industrialized societies. The industrial development and the Green

Revolution have adversely affected the environment. People have converted the life

supporting systems of the entire living world into their own resources and have vastly

disturbed the natural ecological balance. Serious degradation and depletion have been

caused thought overuse, misuse and mismanagement of resources to meet the human

greed.

Environmental pollution is defined as the unfavorable alteration of our surroundings. It is

by product of man's activities through direct or indirect efforts of changes. These

changes could be in the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of land, air or

water that harmfully affect human life or any desirable living thing. Human population

explosion, rapid industrialization, deforestation, unplanned urbanization, scientific and

technological advancement etc. are the major causes of environmental pollution. Three

fourths of the earth consists of water, yet there is is a scarcity of potable water. In India,

all the sources of water like rivers, lakes, ponds and wells have been polluted and are

unfit for drinking. As a result of the increased use of fertilizers, the rivers, seas and

oceans have become contaminated with harmful pollutants. It is estimated that more

than 500 tons of mercury enters the ocean every year. Oil slicks, pollution caused by

the flow of industrial waste, sewage and fertilizer have also threatened the aquatic life.

Industrialization has led to urbanization. The migration of rural population to the cities in

search of work has created an unhealthy environment. It has led to overcrowding,

establishment of slum areas. Towns and cities are full of smoke, fumes, dirt, dust,

rubbish, gases, foul smell and noise. Air, water and land pollution have further

worsened the very survival of human beings.

The environment consists of earth, water, air, plants and animals. If we pollute them,

then the existence of man and nature will be hampered.

It is true that trees are being cut down rapidly. Our earth is becoming warmer. If

pollution continues, the day is not far when our earth will be a boiling pan and become a

desert. Or it will be covered with sea water causing destruction of mankind.

Types of Pollution

1. Air Pollution —

2. Water Pollution —

3. Land Pollution —

4. Noise Pollution —

5. Radio Active Pollution

AIR POLLUTION

Pure air is always needed for inhaling. If we take pure air, our health improves. On the

other hand impure air causes diseases and impairs our health and causes our death.

Smoke pollutes the air. It is the root of air pollution. Major Causes of Air Pollution are

Industries ,Automobiles and Domestic fuels -High Proportion of undesirable gases, such

as sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide. The smoke which is discharged from

industries, automobiles and kitchens is the mixture of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide,

methane etc. These are all poisonous gases. These cause lung-cancer, tuberculosis

etc. which take a heavy toll of life. The glaring incident is the Bhopal gas leak in

December 1984. Thousands of the residents of Bhopal died due to lungs problem which

was caused by methylamine gas from the Union Carbide Plant.

The garbage emitting foul smell, the decaying plants and animals also cause air

pollution. Hence the doctors advise the patients having lungs trouble to settle in some

rural places because the air of villages is pure and free from population.

WATER POLLUTION.

The water of rivers and seas is being constantly polluted all over the world by various

dangerous chemical and biological wastes. Mills and factories discharge very harmful

waste waters into many rivers and sea. The water of the Ganges flowing by the side of

both Varanashi and Calcutta is extremely polluted and contains all sorts of dangerous

bacteria. It is really very strange and laughable that large number of the Indians regard

this water as holy. They even drink this water for salvation. There is no doubt that the

fish that grow in such waters are poisonous too.

Reckless application of chemical fertilizers, insecticides and pesticides pollutes the soil.

Vegetables and fruits are quite injurious today, because they contain the poison of

insecticides and pesticides.

Land Pollution

Pollution occurs when people dispose of their waste on the land. The disposal of non-

biodegradable and toxic waste in landfills may result in numerous problems.

Firstly, when it rains, rain water may seep through the soil and waste, dissolving and

carrying away with it, harmful substances that pollute the soil, groundwater and any

nearby streams. Moreover, when the waste in the landfill decomposes under heat and

pressure of the soil above, they would release poisonous fumes such as methane.

Many buildings in America and Europe are sited on such land. Hence, an excavation of

the ground may result inn the release of these fumes into the atmosphere, killing

people, animals and plants nearby. Moreover, the land above the landfill is filled with

pockets of gas and this makes the land very unstable. Subsidence may occur at any

time and this makes the land dangerous to live on. examples of such land include:

Love Canal, New York, USA

Portsmouth, England

Moreover, with a growing population on Earth, land is becoming scarcer and there may

not be enough land to be used as landfills in the future.

SOUND POLLUTION

Then comes sound pollution. The harsh sounds of buses, its, mopeds etc. affect our

power of hearing and causes fart trouble. It has been reported that there are two

villages named Biraspalli and Devadas Palli near Dum Dum airport m Calcutta where a

large number of people have lost their power of hearing. This is because of the frequent

sounds of planes coming in and going out of Dum Dum Airport. The evils of sound

pollution can be imagined from this example.

RADIOACTIVE POLLUTION

The radioactive pollution is defined as the physical pollution of air, water and the

otherradioactive materials. The ability of certain materials to emit the proton, gamma

rays and electrons by their nuclei is known as theradioactivity. The protons are known

as the alpha particle and the electrons are also known as the beta particle. Those

materials are known as the radioactive elements. The environmental radiations can be

from different sources and can be natural or manmade.

The natural radiations are also known as the background radiations. In this the cosmic

rays are involved and reach the surface of earth from space. It includes the radioactive

elements likeradium, uranium, thorium, radon, potassium and carbon. These occur in

the rock, soil and water. The man made radiations include the mining and refining of

plutonium and thorium. This production and explosion of nuclear weapons include the

nuclear fuels, power plants and radioactive isotopes.

The first atom bomb was exploded in the Japan in the year 1945. It affected the

Hiroshima and Nagasaki cities. It adversely affected the flora, fauna and humans of that

area. In spite of these destructions the nuclear race is still going on between different

nations. The nuclear arms are tested with the production of nuclear weapons.

The radioactive elements are produced in the environment and affect other materials

also. It includes the strontium, radium and iodine. The gases and particles are produced

by theradioactive materials. They are carried by the wind and the rain brings down the

radioactive particles to the ground which is referred as nuclear fallout. The soil transfers

these radioactive substances to the plants and ultimately they reach the human body

and cause many side effects. The iodine may affect the white blood cells, bone

marrow, spleen, lymph, skin cancer, sterility, eye and damage to the lung. The strontium

has the ability to aggregate in the bones and form a bone cancer and leads to tissue

degeneration.

The radioactive materials are passed through the land to water and cause an adverse

effect on the aquatic animals. They reach to human through the food chain. The nuclear

power generates a lot of energy which is used to run turbines and produces electricity.

The fuel and the coolant produce a large amount of pollution in the environment. The

atomic reactors are also rich in the radioactive materials. There biggest problem is in

their disposal and if they are not properly disposed they can harm the living organisms.

If they escape they can cause a hell lot of destruction. The gases escape as a vapor

and cause pollution on the land and water. The use of radioactive isotopes is

multipurpose. They are of a great scientific value and they may be present in the waste

water. From these water resources they reach to the human body via food chain. The

people who work in power plants have more chances of the exposure to harmful

radiations. The human beings also receive the radiation and radiotherapy from the x

rays.

Effects of Pollution

Pollution causes different types diseases. Air pollution causes allergies, asthma, lung

cancer and bronchitis. Radioactive pollutants cause respiratory problems, paralysis,

cancer, and other diseases. Excessive noise pollution can lead to deafness, anxiety,

stress, increase in the rate of heart beat and other health problems. The depletion of the

ozone layer can also result in skin diseases. If the air we breathe, the water we drink

and the soil which produces our crops, vegetables and fruits, all become more and

more impure, then our chances of good health and longevity will be very less and less.

Environment pollution is a serious menace to our existence.

1. Human health

Overview of main health effects on humans from some common types of

pollution.[26][27][28]

Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can

cause respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, throat inflammation, chest pain,

and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly

due to contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing countries. An

estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper toilet, and 1,000 Indian

children die of diarrhea every day.[29] Nearly 500 million Chinese lack access to safe

drinking water.[30] 656,000 people die prematurely each year in China because of air

pollution. In India, air pollution is believed to cause 527,700 fatalities a year.[31] Studies

have estimated that the number of people killed annually in the US could be over

50,000.[32]

Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing

loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance. Mercuryhas been linked

to developmental deficits in children and neurologic symptoms. Older people are

majorly exposed to diseases induced by air pollution. Those with heart or lung disorders

are under additional risk. Children and infants are also at serious risk. Lead and

other heavy metals have been shown to cause neurological problems. Chemical

and radioactive substances can cause cancer and as well as birth defects.

2. Environment

Pollution has been found to be present widely in the environment. There are a number

of effects of this:

Biomagnification describes situations where toxins (such as heavy metals) may

pass through trophic levels, becoming exponentially more concentrated in the

process.

Carbon dioxide emissions cause ocean acidification, the ongoing decrease in the pH

of the Earth's oceans as CO2 becomes dissolved.

The emission of greenhouse gases leads to global warming which affects

ecosystems in many ways.

Invasive species can out compete native species and reduce biodiversity. Invasive

plants can contribute debris and biomolecules (allelopathy) that can alter soil and

chemical compositions of an environment, often reducing native

species competitiveness.

Nitrogen oxides are removed from the air by rain and fertilise land which can change

the species composition of ecosystems.

Smog and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight received by plants to carry

out photosynthesis and leads to the production of tropospheric ozone which

damages plants.

Soil can become infertile and unsuitable for plants. This will affect

other organisms in the food web.

Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause acid rain which lowers the pH value of

soil.

3. Environmental health information

The Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program (TEHIP)[33] at the United

States National Library of Medicine (NLM) maintains a comprehensive toxicology and

environmental health web site that includes access to resources produced by TEHIP

and by other government agencies and organizations. This web site includes links to

databases, bibliographies, tutorials, and other scientific and consumer-oriented

resources. TEHIP also is responsible for the Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET)[34] an

integrated system of toxicology and environmental health databases that are available

free of charge on the web.

TOXMAP is a Geographic Information System (GIS) that is part of TOXNET. TOXMAP

uses maps of the United States to help users visually explore data from the United

States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Toxics Release

Inventory and Superfund Basic Research Programs.

Pollution Control

Practices

recycling

reusing

reducing

mitigating

preventing

compost

Pollution control devices

Dust collection systems

Baghouses

Cyclones

Electrostatic precipitators

Scrubbers

Baffle spray scrubber

Cyclonic spray scrubber

Ejector venturi scrubber

Mechanically aided scrubber

Spray tower

Wet scrubber

Sewage treatment

Sedimentation (Primary treatment)

Activated sludge biotreaters (Secondary treatment; also used for industrial

wastewater)

Aerated lagoons

Constructed wetlands (also used for urban runoff)

Industrial wastewater treatment

API oil-water separators[15][35]

Biofilters

Dissolved air flotation (DAF)

Powdered activated carbon treatment

Ultrafiltration

Vapor recovery systems

Phytoremediation

Realizing the danger, vigorous efforts should be made. The Anti-pollution law should be

strictly practiced. We must plant trees in large number to absorb impure air and vehicles

should be made eco-friendly. In order to check water pollution, the sewage and the

factory waste should be properly treated and cleaned before being discharged. Impure

water from industries can be sent back for purification and then it can be used for

irrigation purpose. Our government is well aware of the fact and is taking steps to save

environment from pollution.

Public education and awareness of the relationship between climate change and human

health is key to deal with problems more effectively. General awareness is must to save

our planted from destruction. All the nations of the world should work unitedly to control

environmental pollution.