Unit : 01

Module 06 : Effects of Pollution

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

 Understand the effects of air, water and land pollution
 Discern the importance of the effects of pollution

Effects of Pollution

Effect of pollution is defined as direct and /or indirect adverse impacts on the heath
and the ecosystems. Air, water and land pollution are the three major types of pollution.
The health effects of the three are depicted in Figure 1.

Figure 1 Effects of pollution

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 As shown Figure 1 the air pollutants include CO, SO2, NOx, VOC, Ozone,
Particulate matter, lead. All these are found to cause headache, fatigue, respiratory
illness, cardiovascular diseases, nausea, skin irritation, cancer etc. Water pollution results
in bacteria, parasites and chemicals which causes gastroenteritis, headache, fatigue etc.
Land contamination because of agriculture results in pesticides which causes nausea,
cardiovascular diseases, headache, fatigue etc. Since air, water and land pollution are
the three major types of pollution let us see the effect of each of these in detail.

Effects of Air Pollution

Ambient air pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2 million deaths per year due to
stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. Around 91% of the
world's population lives in places where the air quality levels exceed WHO limits.
The major impacts of air pollution include:

i. increased risk of respiratory illness and cardiovascular problems

ii. increased risk of skin diseases
iii. risk of cancer
iv. global warming
v. acid rain
vi. ozone depletion
vii. hazards to wildlife
Air pollution effects on human health are of 2 types:

i. those caused by lessening of solar energy

ii. those caused by inhalation of pollutants
The amount of ultraviolet (UV) energy received at the earth’s surface has changed.
Mankind have adapted genetically to live in such an environment. Too little UV energy
reaching the earth causes rickets in children. This is compensated by adding artificial
irradiated ergesterol (vitamin D) to milk and other food products. On the other hand too
much UV light can cause increased sun burn and skin cancer.
Pollution in the troposphere causes a diminution in the amount of light we use for
vision that reaches the ground level. Decreased solar illumination at ground level, on one
hand, is psychologically depressing and on the other hand requires increased artificial
illumination. This is costly and is a cause of more pollution, if it is going to be provided by
the combustion of fossil fuels to produce that amount of light or electrical power. As per
WHO 2000, significant respiratory morbidity are caused by the urban air contaminants.
Xu and Wang during 1993 indicate an increased risk of respiratory problems in
middle-aged non-smokers in Beijing because of the air pollution. Other effects caused
because of ambient air pollution as per WHO 2000 include

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  heart muscle damage
 postnatal mortality
 acute respiratory infection-related mortality
 effects on children's lung function
 cardiovascular problems
 respiratory conditions in the elderly
Pereira and his colleagues during 1998 found that air pollution increased intra-
uterine mortality in São Paulo, Brazil. Romieu and few other researchers report a
worsening of asthma in children in Mexico City during 1996 because of air pollution.
Experts have connected asthma to urban air pollution as per the research work
presented by McConnell and others in 2002 as well as by Rios and others in 2004. A
major concern they have attributed to is the role of ozone exposure which has led to
asthma attacks.
Now let us see how each of the air pollutants affect mankind and the environment.
1. CO
The incomplete combustion of fossil fuels in automobiles results in the production
of carbon monoxide. The source includes automobile exhaust, photochemical reactions
in the atmosphere, biological oxidation by marine organisms etc. It affects the respiratory
activity as hemoglobin has more affinity for CO than for oxygen as shown in Table 1.
Thus, CO combines with hemoglobin and reduces the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood.
This results in blurred vision, headache, unconsciousness and death due to asphyxiation
(us-fix-see-ay-shun) i.e lack of oxygen.
Table 1 CO Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
CO automobile exhaust, respiratory activity, CO
photochemical reactions in the combines with hemoglobin
atmosphere, biological and reduces the oxygen-
oxidation by marine organisms carrying capacity of blood.
etc. This results in blurred vision,
headache, unconsciousness
and death due to asphyxiation
i.e lack of oxygen

2. Carbon dioxide
The burning of fossil fuels results in releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
When there is imbalance in the oxygen-CO2 in the atmosphere it leads to global warming
(Table 2).

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 Table 2 CO2 Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
CO2 Carbon burning of fossil fuels, Causes global warming
depletion of forests

3. Sulphur dioxide
The sources of SO2 comes from burning fossil fuels and forest fires. When fossil
fuels are used for power generation it also releases SO2. Also in smelting plants, industrial
boilers, petroleum refineries and volcanic eruptions SO2 is released. The effects of SO2
are respiratory problems and severe headache. It also causes reduced productivity of
plants, yellowing and reduced storage time for paper, yellowing and damage to limestone
and marble. Further it also increases the rate of corrosion of iron, steel, zinc and
aluminum. It causes damage to leather items.
Table 3 SO2 Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
SO2 Industries, burning of Sulphur dioxide may cause Respiratory
fossil fuels, forest fires, problems, severe headache, reduced
electric generation plants, productivity of plants, yellowing and
smelting plants, industrial reduced storage time for paper,
boilers, petroleum yellowing and damage to limestone and
refineries and volcanic marble, damage to leather, increased
eruptions rate of corrosion of iron, steel, zinc and
aluminum.

4. Hydrocarbons
Hydrocarbons are present as Poly-nuclear Aromatic Compounds(PAC) and Poly-
nuclear Aromatic
Hydrocarbons(PAH).
The sources of hydrocarbons are from automobile exhaust and industries, leaking
fuel tanks, leakage from toxic waste dumping sites and from coal tar lining in water supply
pipes. The effect of HCs are carcinogenic and may cause leukemia.

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 Table 4 HC Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
HC – PAC, The source includes automobile The HC are expected to found to
PAH exhaust and industries, leaking be carcinogenic and may cause
fuel tanks, gases from waste leukaemia
dumping sites, coal tar lining in
water supply pipes

5. Chloro-fluoro carbons (CFCs)

The source for CFC include refrigerators, air conditioners, foam shaving cream,
spray cans, cleaning solvents etc. CFC destroys the ozone layer in the atmosphere.
The ozone layer prevents the harmful UV rays from entering into the atmosphere. The
ozone layer protects the earth by preventing the UV rays from the sun to enter the
earth. If the ozone layer is eaten away by human action, the effects on the planet could
be catastrophic.
Table 5 CFC Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
CFC The source includes The CFC destroys the ozone
refrigerators, air conditioners, layer in the atmosphere
foam shaving cream, spray
cans, cleaning solvents

6. NOx
The source of NOx are similar to SO2. NOx is found to be present in automobile
exhaust, burning of fossil fuels, forest fires, electric generation plants, smelting plants,
industrial boilers, petroleum refineries and volcanic eruptions. It causes petrochemical
smog, leaf damage, respiratory problems.
Table 6 NOx Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
NOx The source are similar to SO2. It causes petrochemical smog,
NOx is found in automobile leaf damage, respiratory
exhaust, burning of fossil fuels, problems.
forest fires, electric generation
plants, smelting plants, industrial
boilers, petroleum refineries and
volcanic eruptions

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7. Particulate matter
Leaded gasoline increases the danger of lead poisoning, especially in young
children, and produces high lead exposure circumstances in metropolitan areas.The key
issue is how exposure to chemicals might affect the brain, resulting in abnormal behavior
and slowed or delayed intellectual or motor development as per WHO 1995. Adult
hypertension has been linked to lead exposure, and this effect may be the most significant
for the burden of disease from lead at the community level as per WHO 2002.
Table 7 PM Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
Particulate Combustion of leaded gasoline It causes toxic effects in man.
matter products Increased exposure leads to
abnormal behavior in mankind

8. Asbestos particles
Mining are found to release asbestos particles. Asbestosis is found to cause a
cancerous disease of the lungs (Table 8).
Table 8 Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
Asbestos Mining is found to release Asbestosis – a cancerous
asbestos particles disease of the lungs

9. Silicon dioxide
Silicon dioxide gets released during stone cutting, pottery, glass manufacturing
and from cement industries (Table 9).
Table 9 SOx Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
Silicon It gets released during Stone Silicosis is found to lead to
dioxide cutting, pottery, glass cancer
manufacturing and cement
industries

10. Mercury
It gets released because of combustion of fossil fuels and from plants. Presence
of mercury causes brain and kidney damage (Table 10).

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 Table 10 Mercury Sources and Effects
Pollutants Sources Effects
Mercury It gets released because of Presence causes brain and
combustion of fossil fuels and kidney damage
from plants

Air pollutants affect plants by entering through stomata. Stomata are the leaf pores
through which gases diffuse (Figure 2). When the pollutants enter the stomata they
destroy the chlorophyll and affect the photosynthesis process.

Figure 2 Stomata in Leaf

During the daytime, the stomata are wide open to facilitate photosynthesis. During
this period the air pollutants enter the leaf through the stomata. Pollutants erode away the
waxy coating of the leaves called cuticle. The cuticle prevents the excessive water loss
and damage from diseases, pests, drought and frost.
Pollutants damage the leaf structure. This causes
 necrosis (dead areas of leaf)
 chlorosis (loss or reduction of chlorophyll causing yellowing of leaf) or
 epinasty (downward curling of leaf), and
 abscission (dropping of leaves).
Air pollutants namely particulates, SO2, NO2, O3, all of the them damage the plant.
 Particulates when present in huge quantum in the atmosphere, get deposited on
the leaves. They form encrustations and block the stomata. This does not allow
the sunlight to penetrate into the leaf. The damage because of this can cause the
death of the plant.
 SO2 causes bleaching of leaves, chlorosis, injury and necrosis of leaves.
 NO2 results in increased abscission and suppressed growth.
 O3 causes flecks on leaf surface, premature aging, necrosis and bleaching.

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 Peroxy Acetyl Nitrate (PAN) is created when hydrocarbons, oxides of nitrogen, and
oxygen undergo photochemical reactions in the atmosphere while being influenced by
sunlight. PAN impairs chlorophyll, which hinders development and photosynthesis. PAN
causes silvering of lower surface of leaf, damage to young and more sensitive leaves and
suppressed growth. Fluorides cause necrosis of leaf-tip while ethylene results in epinasty,
leaf abscission and dropping of flowers.
Smog:
Smoke and fog combine to form smog. Smog reduces visibility of the surroundings.
Additionally, it severely irritates the throat and eyes. Acid rain is caused by the oxidation
of gases like sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide, which produces sulphuric and nitric acids
along with water. These acids then precipitate as acid rain. Building components,
vegetation, and animals are all harmed. The soil is also made acidic because of it. Wang
and his colleagues during 1997 found that exposure to particulate matter (PM), SO2, or
both increased the chance of low birthweight in Beijing.

Effects of Water Pollution

According to a report, about 4 billion people will experience water scarcity by the
end of 2026. Currently over 1.2 billion people worldwide lack access to clean drinking
water and sanitation. It is also estimated that over 1000 children die in India each year
due to water related issues. Ground water is essential for sustenance of life on earth.
Contamination of water is a critical societal issue which has to be addressed immediately.
Contamination of drinking water causes several waterborne diseases. Pollution of the
water can drastically affect human health and can kill people and life species. A study
revealed that waterborne illness causes around 1.8 million deaths worldwide.
Deteriorating water quality is not only damaging the environment and health but also has
a detrimental effect on the global economy (Figure 3).

Figure 3 Effects of water pollution

The President of World Bank has warned of the economic impact of water quality
deterioration. He states “Deteriorating water quality is stalling economic growth and
exacerbating poverty in many countries”. The reason is because when the biological

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oxygen demand (BOD) – the indicator that measures the organic pollution in water –
exceeds a certain threshold, it was found that the growth in the Growth Domestic Product
(GDP) in that region falls by a third. Pollution of the water is from industries, mining
operations, agriculture, domestic wastes to name a few.
Pollution of water from Industries
Companies utilize water to cool their equipment and hence they discharge the hot
waste water into water bodies, which causes thermal pollution that harms both plant and
animal life. Organic and inorganic chemicals abound in the industrial runoff (Figure 4).

Figure 4 Effluents into the waterway

Both surface and groundwater resources are contaminated by these pollutants.
Acute exposure to pollutants in drinking water can irritate or inflame the eyes, nose, skin,
and digestive tract. Without sufficient treatment, industrial effluents are released directly
into water bodies like lakes, ponds, and rivers.
Industrial effluents include heavy metals and compounds like arsenic, cadmium,
copper, chromium, mercury, zinc, and nickel. The most significant health impacts such as
liver poisoning are caused by chronic exposure to copper, arsenic, or chromium in
drinking water. Chemicals including cadmium, copper, mercury, and chlorobenzene have
harmful effects on the kidney as per WHO 2003 report.These wastes contaminate the
water sources, rendering them unsafe for ingestion by humans.
Pollution of water from mining operations
 An oil spill is the unintentional release of petroleum products into estuaries and
oceans from drilling and exploration activities offshore as well as from overturned
oil ships.
Pollution of water from agriculture
 Agricultural products such as fertilizers and pesticides contain elevated levels of
ammonia and phosphate which can increase crop yields.

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  However, these nutrients get into waterways such as streams, lakes, and other
water run-offs and causes imbalance in the aquatic ecosystem stimulating the
growth of algal bloom.
Pollution of water from domestic wastes
 Domestic sewage contains a lot of detergents and organic material. The amount
of nutrients in water bodies rises as a result of organic matter's decomposition.
The consequences of water pollution are:
i. Destruction of biodiversity
ii. Contamination of the food chain
iii. Depletion of drinking water supplies
iv. Disease
v. Infant mortality
i. Destruction of biodiversity
The fertilizers from the agriculture gets into the water runoff and nutrients enter the
water ecosystem. Harmful algal bloom (HAB) occurs when toxin-producing algae grows
excessively in a body of water in the presence of extra nutrients. This creates imbalances
in the delicate aquatic ecosystems. This process is called eutrophication. Further it
reduces the amount of oxygen present – BOD i.e. biological oxygen demand in the water.
This causes other aquatic organisms to perish because of low BOD.
ii. Contamination of the food chain
When eutrophication happens, it causes certain species to dwindle or die out. This
disrupts the food chain. Consumption of polluted water by marine and aquatic organism
causes damage to the species. The toxins get into the aquatic organisms. When they are
later consumed by larger species including mankind (Figure 5), the toxins get into the
food chain. This is harmful to the health of all species. It causes damage to the internal
organs. Similarly, when we consume pesticides used in agriculture produce, it causes
disruption to the food chain and becomes a toxin to health.

Figure 5 Effect because of contamination

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iii. Lack of drinking water supplies
As the population is increasing at an alarming rate, it is necessary to identify the
drinking water sources and prioritise the water supplies. Unfortunately, contamination of
our lakes, reservoirs and other waterways means there is a decreasing amount of drinking
water. The United Nations says billions of people around the world have no access to
clean water for drinking or sanitation purposes particularly in rural areas.
iv. Disease
If drinking water supplies cannot meet the demand, people will be forced to
consume unsafe sources of water. This is especially true in impoverished parts of the
world such as Africa, Asia and Latin America. The UN estimates that around 1 in 3 people
do not have access to clean drinking water. The WHO estimates that about 2 billion
people have no option but to drink the water that is contaminated by pollutants such as
excrement. This causes diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and dysentery.
v. Infant mortality
According to the United Nations, diarrheal diseases among infants are linked to
lack of hygiene. This causes death of about 1,000 children a day worldwide.
Case
Pollution of the Ganges – The Ganges River in India is the world’s sixth most
polluted river. This is not very surprising considering the fact that hundreds of local
companies discharge their effluents into the Ganges. Furthermore, religious events like
funerals and cremations all happen along the shores, which contributes to the pollution.

Figure 6 Effect of Ganges

Apart from the environmental consequences, this river because of its high pollutant
content may spread illness such as typhoid and cholera. Pollution in the Ganges River is

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causing the extinction of rare species available only in the Ganges. For example, the
Ganges River shark, Ganges River dolphin are some examples of such endangered
species available in the Ganges River.

Effects of Land Pollution

The degradation of the land surface both above and below ground level is termed
as land pollution. The accumulation of solid and liquid wastes that contaminate the land
is the cause. The greater the permeability of the soil greater is the contamination. Land
pollution is caused by agricultural activities, industrialization, mining activities,
urbanization, deforestation, nuclear wastes, landfills, human sewage, soil erosion etc.
Chemicals and other potentially toxic compounds could enter the groundwater system
when they are carelessly dumped on the ground, in unlawful landfills, or in storage
facilities. This process by which the ground water gets contaminated is referred to as
leaching (Figure 7).

Figure 7 Leaching
It can occur on farms, industrial sites, and landfills and have an impact on the
health of humans and animals as well as plants. There are several consequences of land
pollution to the environment, mankind and animals. Some of them include:
The consequences of land pollution

i. Effect on human health

ii. Increase in landfill sites
iii. Soil pollution
iv. Air pollution
v. Water pollution
vi. Environmental degradation
vii. Effect on wildlife

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i. Effect on human health
There are lots of waste strewn around especially among developing countries.
Many countries have a proper waste collection system but sometimes even there, the
waste end up in landfills without proper regulation. Such wastes contain dangerous
chemicals, pesticides and metals that have adverse effects on humans. Plastic waste for
example may contain acrylic, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate and phthalates. These are
associated with respiratory disorders, skin diseases, cancers, birth defects in pregnant
women. Chemical components such as cadmium, asbestos, mercury, cyanide, arsenic,
chromium etc which are commonly found in pesticides, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers,
industrial wastes have serious effects on human health. They have cancer causing
elements. This may also lead to lung and kidney disease as well as liver damage.
ii. Increase in landfill sites
When land is contaminated with solid agricultural and industrial waste, the landfill
gets filled. The landfills become breeding grounds for mice, rodents, flies, birds that
transmit diseases. The landfills become filled with toxic chemicals. Over a period of time,
it reaches the human body through the plants and food grown in these polluted lands.
Further these pollutants also may enter water bodies. The pollutant dust are also inhaled
by us and by animals which is very harmful. The huge pile of wastes across urban limits
becomes a eye sore to people and more so to tourists.
iii. Soil pollution
Soil pollution comes under land pollution. When there is an overdose of fertilizer
chemicals, the land gets degraded because of the chemicals used. The upper layer of the
soil gets damaged. The agricultural wastes, domestic, healthcare and chemical wastes
are the major contributors for soil pollution. Healthcare waste such as broken instruments
and metals Industrial waste such as broken electronics. Domestic waste such as use and
throw plastic items all contaminate the land, upsetting the land ecosystem. Because of
this, the land losses its fertility and vegetation cover.
iv. Air pollution
When the wastes are dumped on the land, it causes air pollution from the land
wastes because of gases that emanate with a disgusting smell and odour. Apart from the
smell, in some instances, landfills are burnt leading to smokes which further contributes
to air pollution.
v. Water pollution
When the soil gets contaminated with chemicals and toxic products, it
automatically seeps underground and gets into the waterways, streams and rivers thus
leading to water pollution (Figure 8).

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 Figure 8 Water pollution
Further leaching takes place which makes the toxic elements and chemicals to
infiltrate into aquifers and water tables. The contaminated water evaporates and falls back
as precipitation to the ground along with the impurities and gets into the ecosystem.
vi. Environmental degradation
Deforestation is a concern of top priority. The reason being, increase in population
has caused the cutting down of trees to give way for providing of shelters and commercial
establishments on one hand as well as providing for essential needs such as paper,
furniture, building components etc. This leads to intense heat directly touching the earth’s
surface and increasing the ground temperature. It erodes the soil, and damages the top
layer. Animals become vulnerable to the temperature and hence are driven to find new
shelters. They become vulnerable being exposed to predators. Continued deforestation
results in biodiversity loss and atmospheric imbalance which will necessarily jeopardize
healthy living. The reason being there will be greenhouse effect, climate change, global
warming to name a few.
vii. Effect on wildlife
Wildlife have been drastically affected because of loss in their natural habitat and
environment. The continued human activities on the land have left the land degraded and
polluted forcing wildlife to move and adapt to newer zones. Consequently, some animal
species have become extinct and some are on the verge of extinction. To name a few,
African forest elephant, Amur Leopard, Black Rhino, Bornean Orangutan (Figure 9).

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 Figure 9 Extinct species
Discharge of chemicals into the land makes the land unappealing to plants and
animals. The chemicals contaminate the plants and water which are consumed by the
animal hierarchy from the bottom to the top. Thus, the pollutants enter the food chain
eating the vegetables, fish, mutton which is absorbed with chemicals and finally landing
up inside human beings The process is known as biomagnification and is a serious threat
to ecological sustainability.

Summary

In this module we have

• Understood the effects of air, water and land pollution
• Discerned the seriousness of the effects of pollution

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