Environmental Pollution

This document discusses the different types of environmental pollution, including air, soil, and water pollution. It explores the negative impacts of pollution on human health and the environment, and provides solutions to mitigate pollution. The document also includes references for further reading.

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Environmental pollution
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Environmental pollution
Pollution of the environment is termed as the harmful emissions and disposals of
substances to the environment whether gaseous or solid waste and liquid waste. Such wastes
originate from e.g. the gaseous waste are from the gas producing companies, burning of plastic
wastes that emit poisonous gases into the air. In solid wastes, here we shall refer to those wastes
that take too long to decompose and pose a health risk to both humans and animals (Ren, Chen,
Nagatsu, & Wang, 2011). Such substances are the polythene wastes, light plastics and rusted
metals. Liquid wastes will refer to the emissions from the manufacturing companies that pour
their effluent wastes such as used oil and waste water into the river streams without sanitizing
them, a step that in turn affects the aquatic world in a manner that it interferes with the
ecosystems of the aquatic creatures.
Pollution in itself has immense negative impacts on both the society and the planet at
large. Atmospheric pollutions have resulted into chronical diseases associated with it such as the
triggering of asthmatic complications or even lung cancers when the population is subjected to
constant harmful substances) (Hill, 2010). The negative effects of pollution are widely known
across the world and different steps have been taken to reduce it from enhancing. This is because
some of its effects are potentially fatal to the human life and also to animal fraternity. Pollution
comes in different types such as air, water and soil.
Air Pollution

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Air pollution is the emissions of poisonous gases into the air. Such gases originate from
greenhouses, fossil fuels that are released by factories such as methane, vehicles and also others
that are released by livestock contributing to the pollution of the air, hence causing climatic
changes that alter the earth’s temperatures. This climatic change then makes air pollution to
become worse (Edwards, 2013). For instance, when a reaction of combusting fossil fuels reacts
with sunlight, it creates smog and fog which is also known as ground level ozone. Climatic
changes also bring on board allergic pollutants of air like mold which is as a result of damp
conditions.
Pollution of the air has many serious negative health implications on humans. The
exposure to high levels of the air pollution causes eye irritation, throat and nose, coughing,
wheezing and breathing problems as well as posing greater chances of a heart attack. Air
pollution exacerbates lung conditions such as asthma and even heart illnesses. Smog on the other
hand is known to cause irritation of the eyes and damage to the lungs and also causes asthmatic
attacks.
Soil Pollution
Pollutants in the soil often originate from industrial wastes, through deforestation and
also uncontrolled waste disposal. This creates a dangerous environment to animals and plants.
The soils that are polluted by the industrial chemicals ultimately develop into infertile soils and
are not capable of supporting the growth of crops and plants (Hill, 2010). This situation therefore
lowers food production and in many cases leads to insufficient supply of food leading to hunger
and malnutrition amongst children and also to the whole community. Food originating from

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chemically polluted soils may be poisonous if eaten and may make someone become ill and toxic
soils is thought to cause skin illnesses through contact or even by inhalation.
Water Pollution
Water pollutants originate from oil spills, trash, sewerage spills and effluents from the
agricultural fields, wastes from factories and construction sites and affects both plant and animal
species. Use of contaminated water that has been as a result of sewage discharge causes sickness
and digestive difficulties among humans.
On the other hand, when the liquid wastes that are emitted by the manufacturing
companies such as used oil reach the aquatic lifeline, such oil covers the uppermost part of the
breathing system, denying the aquatic animals their access to fresh air and therefore leading to
their deaths. Such a move reduces the aquatic populations of fish, whales and many other
animals that rely on the waters for survival.
Mercury in fish and the seafood may lead to acute health complications especially to the
children and expectant mothers. Water poisoning leads to aquatic deaths and for instance, after
the 2010 BP oil spill that occurred 16,000 miles off the U.S. coastline, an estimated 8,000
animals died as it was reported (Bose, 2010).
Arguably, solid wastes have been the main menace in the current society with the plastic
wastes scattering everywhere. These plastics have been identified as the most visible form of
environmental pollutions ever to be witnessed around the world and with direct effects to the
environment (Bose, 2010). When the plastics are burned down to extinct them, they emit heavy
carbon into the air and the carbon is well known to affect the ozone layer. Air pollution may lead

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to reduced rainfall due the carbon emissions and this may lead to drought, lack of pastures and
clean water for human consumption and even famine.
In view of the above matters, some innovative measures have been put into place to
mitigate the problem. One of the measures that have already been applied is the recycling
process of the plastics under the policy of “Use, Recycle, Re-use”.
Another measure put in place is the establishment of energy producing firms that require
the waste materials to drive their turbines. This has led to considerable reduction of solid wastes
dumped at the dumpsites and the need to centralize the solid wastes into one dumpsite for ease of
eradicating the wastes (Hill, 2010). Some governments have also come in with some bylaws that
regulate the use of plastic and polythene bags. Some of the countries have totally banned
polythene bags to be used for general domestic purposes, proposing the use of woven bags and
imposing heavy penalties on defaulters to an extent of even pushing some polythene bags’
manufacturing companies out of business but for the good of the environment.
Other civil society groups, some in conjunction with the government have come up with
some other measures to mitigate the problem of pollution through establishment of water
sanitation points before the effluents enter the rivers and other aquatic inhibitions, environmental
cleaning programs such as waste collection and dumping.

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References
Bose, B. K. (2010). Global warming: Energy, environmental pollution, and the impact of power
electronics. IEEE Industrial Electronics Magazine, 4(1), 6-17.
Edwards, C. A. (Ed.). (2013). Environmental pollution by pesticides (Vol. 3). Springer Science
& Business Media.
Hill, M. K. (2010). Understanding environmental pollution. Cambridge University Press.
Ren, X., Chen, C., Nagatsu, M., & Wang, X. (2011). Carbon nanotubes as adsorbents in
environmental pollution management: a review. Chemical Engineering Journal, 170(2-
3), 395-410.