CAUSES OF POLLUTION

Industries have been polluting our environment especially since the beginning of the industrial
revolution, as mentioned above, notably due to the increasing use of fossil fuels. In the 19 th century and
for a significant part of the 20th century, coal has been use to make machines work faster, replacing
human force. Though pollution by industries mainly causes air pollution, soil and water contamination
can also occur. This is particularly the case fo power-generating industries, such as plants producing
electricity (May they be a da, a nuclear reactor or some other type of plant.)

Also, the transportation of this energy can harmful to the environment. We can take as an example the
transportation of petrol through pipelines; if there is a leak in the pipieline, soil will automatically be
polluted. At the same time.

WHAT IS POLUTION?

Pollution, we hear it every other day at school, college and read about it in newspaper. So what is it?
Pollution occurs when pollutants contaminate the natural surroundings; which brings about changes
that affect our normal lifestyles adversely. Pollutants are the key elements or components of pollution
which are generally waste materials of different forms. Pollution disturbs our ecosystem and the balance
in the environment. With modernization and development in our lives pollution has reached its peak;
giving rise to global warming and human illness.

Pollution occurs in different forms; air, water, soil, radioactive, noise, heat/ thermal and light. Every
form of pollution has two sources of occurrence; the point and the non point sources. The point sources
are easy to identify, monitor and control, whereas the non-point sources are hard to control. Let us
discuss the different types of pullotions, their causes and effects on mankind and the environment as a
whole.

EFFECTS PF POLLUTION

EFFECTS ON HUMAN

The effects of environmental pollution on humans are mainly physical, but can also turn into neuro-
affections in the long term. The best-known troubles to us are respiratory, in the form of allergies,
asthma, irritation of the eyes and nasal passages, or other forms of respiratory infections. Notably, these
well spread affections can be observed when air pollution is high in cities, when the weather gets hot,
for instance. On top of that, environmental pollution has been proven to be a major factor in the
development of cancer. This can happen for example when we eat reminisces of pollutants used in the
production of processed foods, or pesticides from the crops. Other, rarer, diseases include hepatitis,
typhoid affections, diarrhea and hormonal disruptions.

EFFECT ON ANIMALS

Environmental pollution mainly affects animals by causing harm to their living environment, making it
toxic for them to live in. Acid rains change the composition of rivers and seas, making them toxic for
fishes, an important quantity of ozone in the lower plants of the atmosphere can cause lung problems to
all animals. Nitrogen and Phosphates in water will cause overgrowth of toxic algae, preventing other
forms of life to follow their normal course. Eventually, soil pollution will cause harm and sometimes
even the destruction of microorganisms, which can have the dramatic effect of killing the first layers of
the primary food chain.

EFFECTS ON PLANTS

As for animals, and especially trees, can be destroyed by acid rains (and this will also have a negative
effect on animals as well, as their natural environment will be modified), ozone in the lower atmosphere
block the plant respiration, and harmful pollutants can be absorbed from the water or soil.

EFFECTS ON THE ECOSYSTEM

In short, the environmental pollution, almost exclusively created by human activities, has a negative
effect on the ecosystem , destroying crucial layers of it causing an even more negative effect on the
upper layers.

HOW TO PREVENT POLLUTION?

PLANT FOR THE PLANET

Here comes the best and the most effective way to curb pollution which will ensure healthy
environment and lush green nature not only for us but also for our generations to come. Each One
Planet One must be an exercise we must do and make popular among out communities. We all can
together restore the natural health and preserve biodiversity by planting trees and making sure that
they are nurtured with care and love. This way we would have cleaner air to breathe and better
picturesque surroundings to cherish.

GO GREEN WITH BICYCLES

This has been time and again passed down the generations and if not followed seriously now, trees and
floral would become a thing of the past, the future is bleak but it can be painted green with cutting
down use of bicycles and electric transport. Bicycles will not only ensure lesser pollution in the air but
also keep us healthy and fit. Moreover, we need to seriously indulge in the research for new hydrogen
automobiles or electricity run vehicles to cut down on pollution figures.

USE COMPRESS NATURAL GAS

Another thing we could do to save our environment from pollution and deterioration can be avoiding
the use of petrol and diesel and replace it with the cleaner compressed natural gas called CNG. Almost
all the public transport has been already made efficient by use of CNG so now it is your turn to do our
necessary bit. We can also contribute to healthy environment by avoiding cooking on fire by igniting
woods. We could use cleaner and technologically advanced gas stoves or electric stoves. This would
keep our air clean for inhaling and avoid harmful gases from getting into our lungs.

SEGREGATE WASTE

We could be really intelegent and rational if we understand the science behind our daily chores. We can
begin with segregating wastes that can be easily broken down by the soil called biodegradable waste
like vegetable peels, dry leaves etc. and the non-biodegradable waste like glass bottles, metal cans and
plastic bags. The non-biodegradable waste can be recycled or sold off while the biodegradable waste
could be an excellent manure for your very own kitchen garden
STOP BURNING AND CHARRING

We often do this to get rid of our waste but do not acknowledge the pollution we are addingto by our
actions. Burning paper or dry leaves or plastic polythene bags can turn very toxic for our environment.
Burning of these leads to air pollution along with the realease of harmful mono oxides of the chemicals
that can tur fatal if inhaled. So, next time you see someone burning waste, warn them and make them
aware of their actions. After all, this earth is all we have to survive on.

SEWAGE TREATMENT INITIATIVE

Ever seen a small stream or a larger pond or even, sadly, a river, all full of dirt and junk that was thrown
miles away but got swept into the water body either through the sewage pipes of through industrial our
waste disposing outflows that ruthlessly pollute pour water bodies? It must be a pathetic site, but what
if you were made to drink that water because the freshwater resource dried up? Might not be less than
a nightmare to imagine but sadly our dreams are on the brink of becoming reality. Our industries
continue to pollute there rives that we revere in our culture. It is high time that we realize this and opt
for sewage treatment plants so that the toxic waste does not flow directly into river bodies, polluting
them and killing the natural aquatic life.

CHECK THOSE DECIBLES

We live in the age of innovation and our very own lovely discoverables and inventions have given rise to
a new form of pollution- sound pollution. It could originate right from you, honking away on the roads in
the traffic with fellow drivers who also create an intolerable melody of horns, it could also commence
from an irritating neighbor who loves to hear loud music in the dead of the night hurting others peace
and to cap it all from the ostentatious ceremonies where large ear defening loudspeakers make sure to
inform everyone of a ceremony going on, all that can be said is-that’s all pollution we need to check
those rising decibels to ensure everyone’s comfort. Not everbody can tolerate loud music or incessant
horns on the road. The least we can do is, act normal and keep volumes within limits so that we do not
force others to hear what they do not want to.

STOP LITTERING

We’ll we really need to give a thought to this one. Let us admit we all litter. We take our roads or any
other place right outside our home too much for granted and throw away whatever is of no use to us
out there, as if all the world apart from our home were a dump yard. But, we do not realize that we are
adding to another form of pollution- visual pollution. By dirtying our surroundings and making our
neighborhood dirty, we are also making it a breeding ground of insects and opening floodgates of
various potential diseases or viral/ bacterial outbreaks. We need to act civilized and throw our waste
either in the community dustbins or simply in the authorized and recognized dumpling grounds but
certainly not on the roads and not outside someone else’s house.

RECYCLE & REUSE

Another very intelligent, long propagated but seldom exercised method to reduce pollution can be
recycling waste and reusing what we think is waste. We must keep in mind that whatever natural or
manufactured commodity we use, has used many other resources in the course of its production. Our
duty lies in not only judiciously using the products but also in conversing the resources it used on itself.
The best way is to recycle things such as cardboard, paper, metal or other alloys. Instead of simply
throwing them away, we can sell them off to scrap dealer who further gets our things recycled for
another cycle of consumption purposes. Besides, the old, used clothes should not be thrown away. We
could either give them off to the needy who can put them to some use or we could use our creative
genes into operation by making cloth bags or other useful and innovative things from what we thought
was “waste”.

CAR POOLING AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Who does not love to flaunt the new car or the latest bike that is now your possession? But what about
the excessive number of possession hitting the roads each day, adding to the burden of air pollution?
Well, we do not live in times when cars or automobiles were luxury. Today, they are a necessity for not
just long distance travel but also for those who find it.