POLLUTION
“Contamination of air, water, or soil by substances that are harmful to living organisms. Pollution can occur naturally, for example through volcanic eruptions, or as the result of human activities, such as the spilling of oil or disposal of INDUSTRIAL WASTES.”
FACTS ABOUT POLLUTION
v Pollution is one of the biggest killer which kills more than 1 million seabirds and 100 million mammals every year.
v People who live in high-density air pollution area, have a 20% higher risk of dying from lung cancer, than people living in less polluted areas.
v A single person in the United States produces 2 kilograms of garbage every day.
v A single car generates half a ton of CO2 and a NASA space shuttle releases 28 tons of C02.
v Americans buy more than 29 million bottles of water every year. Only 13% of these bottles are recycled every year.
v World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 6400 people die every year in Mexico due to air pollution.
v About 97% of plastics ever made still exist.
v There are numerous microscopic particles of plastic that we consume unknowingly. There are so many ocean animals which are killed every year from plastic.
v A plastic cup takes around 50-80 years to decompose
v Every day tons of plastic is swept into the Pacific Ocean. The amount of plastic that is thrown away annually can circle the earth four times.
v The Mississippi River dumps 1.5 million metric tons of nitrogen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico every year.
v Every year around one trillion gallons of untreated sewage and industrial waste is dumped in the U.S water.
v More than 3 million kids under the age of 5 years die every year due to environmental factors like pollution.
v China is the world’s largest producer of carbon dioxide.
v In the great “Smog Disaster“, that happened in London in the year 1952, approximately four thousand people died in a few days due to the high concentrations of pollution.
v Along the South African coast, there are 3,500 plastic particles for every square kilometer.
v Around 80% of marine plastic pollution comes from the land.
v The United States produces 30% of the world’s waste and uses 25 % of the world natural resources.
v Globally, the fishing industry dumps around 150,000 tons of plastic into the ocean annually.
v In the swirling convergences within the oceans, there are billions of pounds of plastic and they make up around 40% of the world ocean.
v The body can absorb plastic chemicals.
v A plastic like a jug which takes 1 million years to decompose.
Effect of Human Activities on the Environment:
Common effects include decreased water quality, increased pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of natural resources and contribution to global climate change.
- Water Pollution
One of the biggest impacts humans have on aquatic systems is excess nutrient inputs. Nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, are essential to the health and survival of aquatic plants and animals. However, humans introduce large quantities of nutrients, primarily through overuse of fertilizers which cause to reduce water quality by causing overgrowth of certain bacteria and algae that use the oxygen necessary for other species to survive.
- Climate Change
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, human activities are largely responsible for an increase in temperature around the globe, primarily due to carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. This increase in temperature is leading to changes in where crops can grow and where certain fish or animals can be found, all vital for feeding an increasing human population. The rise in global temperatures is also causing glaciers to melt, releasing water that causes sea levels to rise and threaten coastal communities and economies that rely on coastal resources.
- Air Pollution
The majority of air pollution is the result of human activities. For example, increased fossil fuel combustion from motor vehicles, industrial factories and power plants all pump large quantities of air pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, ozone and nitrous oxides, into the atmosphere. Other air pollutants, such as lead-based compounds, can lead to serious health effects like cancer, or other types of reproductive effects and birth defects.
Pollution can be reduced by us by strict observation of following aspects:
1. Reducing the use of personal vehicles and using mass transportation facilities.
2. Using battery operated vehicles and using sustainable energy.
3. Harnessing solar energy and preventing use of coal and non-renewable resources.
4. Application of energy conservation in all infrastructure projects.
5. Installation of proper sewage disposal methods.
6. Dumping of non-biodegradable wastes in low lying area.
7. Reduction of smoke emission and treatment of chimney smoke to remove solid carbon particles.
8. Judicious use of fertilizers, pesticides and detergents (Detergents of low- level phosphate content are less harmful).
9. Growing plants like Apple, Grapes etc is advocated because of their capability of metabolizing gaseous nitrogenous pollutants like nitrogen dioxide etc.
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