Pollution and Its Effects on the Environment and Human Health

Running head: POLLUTION
POLLUTION
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Author’s Note

1POLLUTION
Pollution can be defined as “the contamination of the physical and biological
components of the earth or atmosphere system to such an extent that normal environmental
processes are adversely affected”. Environmental pollution can be considered as one the
serious problems that humanity as well as other life forms has been facing in this planet
(Hilsenhoff 7). Environmental pollution can occur naturally by various energies or
substances. These substances are known as pollutants or contaminants when they are excreted
or emitted in excess levels. The usage of natural substances when used more than its natural
level or more than the capacityof nature can result in pollution of water, air and land.
Environmental pollution represents the unfavourablealteration of the surrounding, largely
(Kadlec 23). These alterations are result of human actions by direct or indirect effects of
various changes in the pattern of energy.
Human activities are thegreatest reason for pollution. An example of this is, when
people throw plastic. Most of the people utilize plastic for various purposes in there day to
day life. Someof these people tend to throw plastics away when they haveused it
completelyor when they do not need it any more (Devinny 79). Plastic is manufactured out of
numerous dangerous chemicals hence when they are thrown away animals consume them and
lose their lives. Along with this plastic also causes land pollution. People also throw plastic in
the ocean which endangers aquatic life. The harm caused to the environment by people by
their activities might back fire them as well. Suppose a fish has consumed some amount of
plastic that was floating in the water body, this fish is caught by fishermen and sold in the
market (Lelieveld 84). When this fish is bough by people they consume the same and as a
result they consume some amount of plastic. The consumption of plastic then harms our
health. Similarly air pollution is caused by airplanes as well as various factories. Usually
factories produce tons of smoke (Laws 39). This smoke contains of numerous harmful gases
which when inhales cause lot of diseases.

2POLLUTION
Pollution contaminates the surroundings; this contamination is done by some
pollutants that are present in the natural surroundings. Pollutants can be considered as thekey
components or elements of pollution that are generally waste materials. Pollution affects the
ecosystem negatively (Huang 42). It also disturbs the balance of the nature. Pollution has
reached at its peak with the advancement and development in lives of people. New industries
are being built, new vehicles are manufactured for people to use them and numerous trees are
chopped off in order to build homes for the continuously growing population. It is not new
that pollution has a bad effect in people’s lives. People do not realise being in the danger
when pollution would be to at its highest point and people have to fight to live. Peoplepollute
continuously and does not care about its consequences (Seinfeld 29). During the evolution of
human beings, no factories or stores existed that made them shoes or clothes. The
development of these has made peoplecareless and that is the reason for the destruction of
nature.
The rate level of pollution is around 80% which beyond the level till which nature can
withstand. There are numerous things that have the capacity to kill us. Pollution is not only
bad for nature but also for humans and animals. It might cause various diseases to elders,
children and young people with lung or heart diseases (Ringquist 21). Nature can never
destruct itself, humans as well as their activities have taken over and harming the
environment. Technology has developed in the recent time in order to mitigate emissions
from combustion engines, along with these there are many more sources that cause pollution
but their existence is not yet known. These materials contribute equally in polluting the
environment but they do not receive equal attention compared to minerals like CFCs, HCFCs,
carbon di oxide and many more. Some initiatives have been taken in order to estimate the
effects of these materials (Newman 50). The initiatives aim in reducing the social as well as
economic impacts of these materials on the environment.