Industrial Pollution

Industrial pollution takes many forms and has a negative influence on the
land, water, and environment; they are also the causing factors of sickness and
death around the world. Coal combustion, the combustion of fossil fuels such as
petroleum, oil, natural gas, and chemical solvents used in the tanning and dyeing
industries are the primary drivers of industrial pollution.
Furthermore, when fossil fuels such as coal and oil are used for power
generation and transportation, they emit pollutants such as carbon dioxide,
nitrogen, and Sulphur dioxide, as well as fly ash, which damages the air, water, and
land.
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 Biodegradable and Non-

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

Process Waste and Chemical Wastes

Process 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.
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.
The cement industry can utilize fly ash and slag from the steel industry.
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.

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.
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

Unplanned Industrial Growth- In most countries, industrial development and
urbanization have progressed unexpectedly. It is responsible for all types of
pollution.
Use of Outdated Technology- Many industrial units are slow to adopt new
technology to address pollution.
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.
Poor Implementation of Policies and Laws- Many developing countries do not
have effective environmental policies and laws.
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.
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 the lack of oxygen.
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 air 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 fiber 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.