Pollution And Its Effect On Environment

What is pollution? When something is added to the environment which is very harmful, poisonous or fatal to the animal, people surrounding it and other living things is called as pollution. In simple term pollution is a contamination by a chemical or other pollutant that renders part of the environment unfit for intended or desired use. It is triggered by industrial and commercial waste, agriculture practices, day to day human activities and most notably, modes of transportation and many the other sources. Pollution has many forms; it may be chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Some most common types of pollution: 1) Air Pollution: Air pollution comes into picture due to the accumulation of hazardous substances into the atmosphere that danger human life and other living matter. The most dominant player responsible for pollution is automobiles; apart from that the other causes are Combustion of coal, Acid rain, Manufacturing buildings, Tobacco smoke, Paint fumes, Aerosol sprays, Nuclear weapons and wild fires. As far as effect of air pollution is concerned, respiratory diseases tops the chart of health problems. The second one is heart diseases, it caused due to increased level of carbon monoxide in the air. In addition to that you can avoid a risk of Asthma, Eye Irritation and a range of bronchial disease due to air pollution. If statistics is to be believed, this year air population segment will count for 80% of premature deaths. 2) Water pollution: Water pollution causes due to the introduction of chemical, biological and all sort of physical matter into large bodies of water that degrade the quality of life that lives in it and consumes it. We can blame fertilizers, pesticides, or petroleum derivatives for water pollution. In addition to that the other contributors towards water pollution are Waste treatment facilities, mining, Pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, oil spills, refiners, Failing septic systems, factories, Oil and antifreeze leaking from cars, animal waste, Soap from washing your car, house hold chemicals and many more to count. 3) Noise pollution: Noise pollution is the excessive noise that may disrupt the activity or balance of human or animal life. The main causes of noise pollution are machines, transportation systems, motor vehicles, aircrafts, and trains. In addition to that the other causes of noise pollution are poor urban planning, the indoor noise caused by machines, building activities, music performances, and in some workplaces also. 4) Solid waste: Solid wastes have a lions share among total pollution. Mainly it is composed of municipal solid waste (MSW), hazardous waste, plastic waste and E-waste. MSW also called as trash or garbage which is mainly composed of everyday items that are discarded by the public. Again MSW is of two types, biodegradable or recyclable and non biodegradable. The non biodegradable is more harmful in nature as it cant be degraded. Hazardous wastes always pose a great threat to an environment. Under RCRA in 40 CFR 261, hazardous wastes are classified

into 4 categories viz. ignitability, reactivity, corrosivity and toxicity. Plastic wastes always pose a great threat to the environment. Due to its non degradable nature it always tops the chart in pollution. E-Waste otherwise called as electronic waste, waste electrical and electronic equipment. E-Waste comprises of office electronic equipment, television sets and refrigerators, discarded computers, entertainment device electronics and mobile phones. All E-Waste poses lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants, which trigger the pollution. Now EWaste has been a global concern and all effort is being made to minimize it. Effects of pollution on environment:Pollution always harms to harm to humans, pets, plants, trees, and aquatic life. Acid rain, Eutrophication, Ozone depletion, haze, global climate change, crop and forest damage are the major effect of pollution on environment. Pollution always takes away the balance of the fragile ecosystems of earth. Hence we should make all our efforts to control our a waste and not to throw it into the ocean or on the land.