Pollution is a global problem.

Although urban areas are usually more polluted

than the countryside, pollution can spread to remote places where no people
live. For example, pesticides and other chemicals have been found in
the Antarctic ice sheet. In the middle of the northern Pacific Ocean, a huge
collection of microscopic plastic particles forms what is known as the Great
Pacific Garbage Patch.

Air and water currents carry pollution. Ocean currents and migrating fish

carry marine pollutants far and wide. Winds can pick up radioactive material
accidentally released from a nuclear reactor and scatter it around the
world. Smoke from a factory in one country drifts into another country.

In the past, visitors to Big Bend National Park in the U.S. state of Texas could
see 290 kilometers (180 miles) across the vast landscape. Now, coal-
burning power plants in Texas and the neighboring state of Chihuahua,
Mexico have spewed so much pollution into the air that visitors to Big Bend
can sometimes see only 50 kilometers (30 miles).

The three major types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, and land

pollution.

Air Pollution
Sometimes, air pollution is visible. A person can see dark smoke pour from
the exhaust pipes of large trucks or factories, for example. More often,
however, air pollution is invisible.

Polluted air can be dangerous, even if the pollutants are invisible. It can make
people’s eyes burn and make them have difficulty breathing. It can also
increase the risk of lung cancer.

Sometimes, air pollution kills quickly. In 1984, an accident at a pesticide plant

in Bhopal, India, released a deadly gas into the air. At least 8,000 people died
within days. Hundreds of thousands more were permanently injured.

Natural disasters can also cause air pollution to increase quickly.

When volcanoes erupt, they eject volcanic ash and gases into
the atmosphere. Volcanic ash can discolor the sky for months. After the
eruption of the Indonesian volcano of Krakatoa in 1883, ash darkened the sky
around the world. The dimmer sky caused fewer crops to be harvested as far
away as Europe and North America. For years, meteorologists tracked what
was known as the “equatorial smoke stream.” In fact, this smoke stream was
a jet stream, a wind high in Earth’s atmosphere that Krakatoa’s air pollution
made visible.

Volcanic gases, such as sulfur dioxide, can kill nearby residents and make
the soil infertile for years. Mount Vesuvius, a volcano in Italy, famously
erupted in 79, killing hundreds of residents of the nearby towns of Pompeii
and Herculaneum. Most victims of Vesuvius were not killed
by lava or landslides caused by the eruption. They were choked,
or asphyxiated, by deadly volcanic gases.

In 1986, a toxic cloud developed over Lake Nyos, Cameroon. Lake Nyos sits

in the crater of a volcano. Though the volcano did not erupt, it did eject
volcanic gases into the lake. The heated gases passed through the water of
the lake and collected as a cloud that descended the slopes of the volcano
and into nearby valleys. As the toxic cloud moved across the landscape, it
killed birds and other organisms in their natural habitat. This air pollution also
killed thousands of cattle and as many as 1,700 people.

Most air pollution is not natural, however. It comes from burning fossil fuels—
coal, oil, and natural gas. When gasoline is burned to power cars and trucks, it
produces carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas. The gas is harmful in
high concentrations, or amounts. City traffic produces highly concentrated
carbon monoxide.

Cars and factories produce other common pollutants, including nitrogen

oxide, sulfur dioxide, and hydrocarbons. These chemicals react with sunlight
to produce smog, a thick fog or haze of air pollution. The smog is so thick in
Linfen, China, that people can seldom see the sun. Smog can be brown or
grayish blue, depending on which pollutants are in it.

Smog makes breathing difficult, especially for children and older adults. Some
cities that suffer from extreme smog issue air pollution warnings.
The government of Hong Kong, for example, will warn people not to go
outside or engage in strenuous physical activity (such as running or
swimming) when smog is very thick.

When air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide mix with
moisture, they change into acids. They then fall back to earth as acid rain.
Wind often carries acid rain far from the pollution source. Pollutants produced
by factories and power plants in Spain can fall as acid rain in Norway.
Acid rain can kill all the trees in a forest. It can also devastate lakes, streams,
and other waterways. When lakes become acidic, fish can’t survive. In
Sweden, acid rain created thousands of “dead lakes,” where fish no longer
live.

Acid rain also wears away marble and other kinds of stone. It has erased the
words on gravestones and damaged many historic buildings and monuments.
The Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, was once gleaming white. Years of exposure to
acid rain has left it pale.

Governments have tried to prevent acid rain by limiting the amount of

pollutants released into the air. In Europe and North America, they have had
some success, but acid rain remains a major problem in the developing world,
especially Asia.

Greenhouse gases are another source of air pollution. Greenhouse gases

such as carbon dioxide and methane occur naturally in the atmosphere. In
fact, they are necessary for life on Earth. They absorb sunlight reflected from
Earth, preventing it from escaping into space. By trapping heat in the
atmosphere, they keep Earth warm enough for people to live. This is called
the greenhouse effect.

But human activities such as burning fossil fuels and destroying forests have
increased the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. This has
increased the greenhouse effect, and average temperatures across the globe
are rising. The decade that began in the year 2000 was the warmest on
record. This increase in worldwide average temperatures, caused in part by
human activity, is called global warming.

Global warming is causing ice sheets and glaciers to melt. The melting ice is
causing sea levels to rise at a rate of two millimeters (0.09 inches) per year.
The rising seas will eventually flood low-lying coastal regions. Entire nations,
such as the islands of Maldives, are threatened by this climate change.

Global warming also contributes to the phenomenon of ocean acidification.

Ocean acidification is the process of ocean waters absorbing more carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere. Fewer organisms can survive in warmer, less
salty waters. The ocean food web is threatened as plants and animals such
as coral fail to adapt to more acidic oceans.
Scientists have predicted that global warming will cause an increase in
severe storms. It will also cause more droughts in some regions and more
flooding in others.

The change in average temperatures is already shrinking some habitats, the

regions where plants and animals naturally live. Polar bears hunt seals
from sea ice in the Arctic. The melting ice is forcing polar bears to travel
farther to find food, and their numbers are shrinking.

People and governments can respond quickly and effectively to reduce air

pollution. Chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a dangerous form
of air pollution that governments worked to reduce in the 1980s and 1990s.
CFCs are found in gases that cool refrigerators, in foam products, and
in aerosol cans.

CFCs damage the ozone layer, a region in Earth’s upper atmosphere. The

ozone layer protects Earth by absorbing much of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet
radiation. When people are exposed to more ultraviolet radiation, they are
more likely to develop skin cancer, eye diseases, and other illnesses.

In the 1980s, scientists noticed that the ozone layer over Antarctica was
thinning. This is often called the “ozone hole.” No one lives permanently in
Antarctica. But Australia, the home of more than 22 million people, lies at the
edge of the hole. In the 1990s, the Australian government began an effort to
warn people of the dangers of too much sun. Many countries, including the
United States, now severely limit the production of CFCs.

Water Pollution
Some polluted water looks muddy, smells bad, and has garbage floating in it.
Some polluted water looks clean, but is filled with harmful chemicals you can’t
see or smell.

Polluted water is unsafe for drinking and swimming. Some people who drink
polluted water are exposed to hazardous chemicals that may make them sick
years later. Others consume bacteria and other tiny aquatic organisms that
cause disease. The United Nations estimates that 4,000 children die every
day from drinking dirty water.

Sometimes, polluted water harms people indirectly. They get sick because the
fish that live in polluted water are unsafe to eat. They have too many
pollutants in their flesh.
There are some natural sources of water pollution. Oil and natural gas, for
example, can leak into oceans and lakes from natural underground sources.
These sites are called petroleum seeps. The world’s largest petroleum seep is
the Coal Oil Point Seep, off the coast of the U.S. state of California. The Coal
Oil Point Seep releases so much oil that tar balls wash up on nearby beaches.
Tar balls are small, sticky pieces of pollution that eventually decompose in the
ocean.

Human activity also contributes to water pollution. Chemicals and oils from
factories are sometimes dumped or seep into waterways. These chemicals
are called runoff. Chemicals in runoff can create a toxic environment for
aquatic life. Runoff can also help create a fertile environment
for cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria reproduce
rapidly, creating a harmful algal bloom (HAB). Harmful algal blooms prevent
organisms such as plants and fish from living in the ocean. They are
associated with “dead zones” in the world’s lakes and rivers, places where
little life exists below surface water.

Mining and drilling can also contribute to water pollution. Acid mine

drainage (AMD) is a major contributor to pollution of rivers and streams near
coal mines. Acid helps miners remove coal from the surrounding rocks. The
acid is washed into streams and rivers, where it reacts with rocks and sand. It
releases chemical sulfur from the rocks and sand, creating a river rich
in sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid is toxic to plants, fish, and other aquatic
organisms. Sulfuric acid is also toxic to people, making rivers polluted by AMD
dangerous sources of water for drinking and hygiene.

Oil spills are another source of water pollution. In April 2010, the Deepwater

Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, causing oil to gush from the
ocean floor. In the following months, hundreds of millions of gallons of oil
spewed into the gulf waters. The spill produced large plumes of oil under the
sea and an oil slick on the surface as large as 24,000 square kilometers
(9,100 square miles). The oil slick coated wetlands in the U.S. states of
Louisiana and Mississippi, killing marsh plants and aquatic organisms such as
crabs and fish. Birds, such as pelicans, became coated in oil and were unable
to fly or access food. More than two million animals died as a result of the
Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Buried chemical waste can also pollute water supplies. For many years,
people disposed of chemical wastes carelessly, not realizing its dangers. In
the 1970s, people living in the Love Canal area in Niagara Falls, New York,
suffered from extremely high rates of cancer and birth defects. It was
discovered that a chemical waste dump had poisoned the area’s water. In
1978, 800 families living in Love Canal had to abandon their homes.

If not disposed of properly, radioactive waste from nuclear power plants can
escape into the environment. Radioactive waste can harm living things and
pollute the water.

Sewage that has not been properly treated is a common source of water
pollution. Many cities around the world have poor sewage systems
and sewage treatment plants. Delhi, the capital of India, is home to more than
21 million people. More than half the sewage and other waste produced in the
city are dumped into the Yamuna River. This pollution makes the river
dangerous to use as a source of water for drinking or hygiene. It also reduces
the river’s fishery, resulting in less food for the local community.

A major source of water pollution is fertilizer used in agriculture. Fertilizer is

material added to soil to make plants grow larger and faster. Fertilizers usually
contain large amounts of the elements nitrogen and phosphorus, which help
plants grow. Rainwater washes fertilizer into streams and lakes. There, the
nitrogen and phosphorus cause cyanobacteria to form harmful algal blooms.

Rain washes other pollutants into streams and lakes. It picks up animal waste
from cattle ranches. Cars drip oil onto the street, and rain carries it into storm
drains, which lead to waterways such as rivers and seas. Rain sometimes
washes chemical pesticides off of plants and into streams. Pesticides can also
seep into groundwater, the water beneath the surface of the Earth.

Heat can pollute water. Power plants, for example, produce a huge amount of
heat. Power plants are often located on rivers so they can use the water as
a coolant. Cool water circulates through the plant, absorbing heat. The heated
water is then returned to the river. Aquatic creatures are sensitive to changes
in temperature. Some fish, for example, can only live in cold water. Warmer
river temperatures prevent fish eggs from hatching. Warmer river water also
contributes to harmful algal blooms.

Another type of water pollution is simple garbage. The Citarum River in

Indonesia, for example, has so much garbage floating in it that you cannot see
the water. Floating trash makes the river difficult to fish in. Aquatic animals
such as fish and turtles mistake trash, such as plastic bags, for food. Plastic
bags and twine can kill many ocean creatures. Chemical pollutants in trash
can also pollute the water, making it toxic for fish and people who use the river
as a source of drinking water. The fish that are caught in a polluted river often
have high levels of chemical toxins in their flesh. People absorb these toxins
as they eat the fish.

Garbage also fouls the ocean. Many plastic bottles and other pieces of trash
are thrown overboard from boats. The wind blows trash out to sea. Ocean
currents carry plastics and other floating trash to certain places on the globe,
where it cannot escape. The largest of these areas, called the Great Pacific
Garbage Patch, is in a remote part of the Pacific Ocean. According to some
estimates, this garbage patch is the size of Texas. The trash is a threat to fish
and seabirds, which mistake the plastic for food. Many of the plastics are
covered with chemical pollutants.

Land Pollution
Many of the same pollutants that foul the water also harm the land. Mining
sometimes leaves the soil contaminated with dangerous chemicals.

Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields are blown by the wind. They
can harm plants, animals, and sometimes people. Some fruits and vegetables
absorb the pesticides that help them grow. When people consume the fruits
and vegetables, the pesticides enter their bodies. Some pesticides can cause
cancer and other diseases.

A pesticide called DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was once commonly

used to kill insects, especially mosquitoes. In many parts of the world,
mosquitoes carry a disease called malaria, which kills a million people every
year. Swiss chemist Paul Hermann Muller was awarded the Nobel Prize for
his understanding of how DDT can control insects and other pests. DDT is
responsible for reducing malaria in places such as Taiwan and Sri Lanka.

In 1962, American biologist Rachel Carson wrote a book called Silent Spring,

which discussed the dangers of DDT. She argued that it could contribute to
cancer in humans. She also explained how it was destroying bird eggs, which
caused the number of bald eagles, brown pelicans, and ospreys to drop. In
1972, the United States banned the use of DDT. Many other countries also
banned it. But DDT didn’t disappear entirely. Today, many governments
support the use of DDT because it remains the most effective way
to combat malaria.
Trash is another form of land pollution. Around the world, paper, cans, glass
jars, plastic products, and junked cars and appliances mar the landscape.
Litter makes it difficult for plants and other producers in the food web to
create nutrients. Animals can die if they mistakenly eat plastic.

Garbage often contains dangerous pollutants such as oils, chemicals, and ink.
These pollutants can leech into the soil and harm plants, animals, and people.

Inefficient garbage collection systems contribute to land pollution. Often, the

garbage is picked up and brought to a dump, or landfill. Garbage is buried in
landfills. Sometimes, communities produce so much garbage that their
landfills are filling up. They are running out of places to dump their trash.

A massive landfill near Quezon City, Philippines, was the site of a land

pollution tragedy in 2000. Hundreds of people lived on the slopes of the
Quezon City landfill. These people made their living from recycling and selling
items found in the landfill. However, the landfill was not secure. Heavy rains
caused a trash landslide, killing 218 people.

Sometimes, landfills are not completely sealed off from the land around them.
Pollutants from the landfill leak into the earth in which they are buried. Plants
that grow in the earth may be contaminated, and the herbivores that eat the
plants also become contaminated. So do the predators that consume the
herbivores. This process, where a chemical builds up in each level of the food
web, is called bioaccumulation.

Pollutants leaked from landfills also leak into local groundwater supplies.
There, the aquatic food web (from microscopic algae to fish to predators such
as sharks or eagles) can suffer from bioaccumulation of toxic chemicals.

Some communities do not have adequate garbage collection systems, and

trash lines the side of roads. In other places, garbage washes up on beaches.
Kamilo Beach, in the U.S. state of Hawai'i, is littered with plastic bags and
bottles carried in by the tide. The trash is dangerous to ocean life and
reduces economic activity in the area. Tourism is Hawai'i’s largest industry.
Polluted beaches discourage tourists from investing in the area’s hotels,
restaurants, and recreational activities.

Some cities incinerate, or burn, their garbage. Incinerating trash gets rid of it,
but it can release dangerous heavy metals and chemicals into the air. So
while trash incinerators can help with the problem of land pollution, they
sometimes add to the problem of air pollution.

Reducing Pollution
Around the world, people and governments are making efforts to combat
pollution. Recycling, for instance, is becoming more common. In recycling,
trash is processed so its useful materials can be used again.
Glass, aluminum cans, and many types of plastic can be melted and reused.
Paper can be broken down and turned into new paper.

Recycling reduces the amount of garbage that ends up in landfills,

incinerators, and waterways. Austria and Switzerland have the highest
recycling rates. These nations recycle between 50 and 60 percent of their
garbage. The United States recycles about 30 percent of its garbage.

Governments can combat pollution by passing laws that limit the amount and

types of chemicals factories and agribusinesses are allowed to use. The
smoke from coal-burning power plants can be filtered. People and businesses
that illegally dump pollutants into the land, water, and air can be fined for
millions of dollars. Some government programs, such as
the Superfund program in the United States, can force polluters to clean up
the sites they polluted.

International agreements can also reduce pollution. The Kyoto Protocol, a

United Nations agreement to limit the emission of greenhouse gases, has
been signed by 191 countries. The United States, the world’s second-largest
producer of greenhouse gases, did not sign the agreement. Other countries,
such as China, the world’s largest producer of greenhouse gases, have not
met their goals.

Still, many gains have been made. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River, in the U.S.
state of Ohio, was so clogged with oil and trash that it caught on fire. The fire
helped spur the Clean Water Act of 1972. This law limited what pollutants
could be released into water and set standards for how clean water should be.
Today, the Cuyahoga River is much cleaner. Fish have returned to regions of
the river where they once could not survive.

But even as some rivers are becoming cleaner, others are becoming more
polluted. As countries around the world become wealthier, some forms of
pollution increase. Countries with growing economies usually need more
power plants, which produce more pollutants.
Reducing pollution requires environmental, political, and economic leadership.
Developed nations must work to reduce and recycle their materials, while
developing nations must work to strengthen their economies without
destroying the environment. Developed and developing countries must work
together toward the common goal of protecting the environment for future use.

Light Pollution
Light pollution is the excess amount of light in the night sky. Light pollution,
also called photopollution, is almost always found in urban areas. Light
pollution can disrupt ecosystems by confusing the distinction between night
and day. Nocturnal animals, those that are active at night, may venture out
during the day, while diurnal animals, which are active during daylight hours,
may remain active well into the night. Feeding and sleep patterns may be
confused. Light pollution also indicates an excess use of energy.

The dark-sky movement is a campaign by people to reduce light pollution.

This would reduce energy use, allow ecosystems to function more normally,
and allow scientists and stargazers to observe the atmosphere.

FAST FACT

Noise Pollution
Noise pollution is the constant presence of loud, disruptive noises in an area.
Usually, noise pollution is caused by construction or nearby transportation
facilities, such as airports.

Noise pollution is unpleasant, and can be dangerous. Some songbirds, such

as robins, are unable to communicate or find food in the presence of heavy
noise pollution. The sound waves produced by some noise pollutants can
disrupt the sonar used by marine animals to communicate or locate food.

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