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Causes: 1. Air Pollution

Environmental pollution is currently one of the biggest challenges facing the world. In the United States, 40% of rivers and 46% of lakes are too polluted for basic uses. One-third of the world's topsoil has already degraded and most remaining topsoil could disappear within 60 years due to pollution and climate change. The burning of fossil fuels is a major source of air and water pollution, releasing gases and chemicals that harm human health and ecosystems. Agricultural activities also significantly pollute the air through ammonia emissions and the water through nutrient runoff from fertilizers and waste. Urgent action is needed to address the various sources and effects of pollution on the environment.

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33 views

Causes: 1. Air Pollution

Environmental pollution is currently one of the biggest challenges facing the world. In the United States, 40% of rivers and 46% of lakes are too polluted for basic uses. One-third of the world's topsoil has already degraded and most remaining topsoil could disappear within 60 years due to pollution and climate change. The burning of fossil fuels is a major source of air and water pollution, releasing gases and chemicals that harm human health and ecosystems. Agricultural activities also significantly pollute the air through ammonia emissions and the water through nutrient runoff from fertilizers and waste. Urgent action is needed to address the various sources and effects of pollution on the environment.

Uploaded by

Aditi Singh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Environmental pollution is currently the biggest challenge facing the word today.

In the United States 40% of rivers and 46% of lakes are too polluted for fishing,
swimming, and aquatic life. Not surprising though when 1.2 trillion gallons of
untreated storm water, industrial waste, and untreated sewage are being discharge
annually into American waters.

One-third of the topsoil in the world is already degraded, and with the current rate
of soil degradation caused be improper agricultural and industrial practices, and
deforestation, most of the world’s topsoil could be gone within the next 60 years.

The Great Smog in 1952 killed 8000 people in London. This event was caused by a
period of cold weather combined with windless conditions that formed a dense layer
of airborne pollutants, mostly from coal plants, over the city.

There are many sources of pollution and each one has its own effect on the
environment and living organisms. This article will discuss the causes and effects of
the different kinds of pollution.

Causes
The causes of pollution are not just limited to fossil fuels and carbons emissions.
There are many other types of pollution including chemical pollution into bodies of
water and soil through improper disposal practices and agricultural activities, and
noise and light pollution created by cities and urbanization as a result of population
growth.

1. Air Pollution

There are two types of air pollutants, primary and secondary. Primary pollutants are
emitted directly from their source, while secondary pollutants are formed when
primary pollutants react in the atmosphere.

The burning of fossil fuels for transportation and electricity produces both primary
and secondary pollutants and is one of the biggest sources of air pollution.

The fumes from car exhausts contain dangerous gases and particulates including
hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, and carbon monoxide. These gases rise into the
atmosphere and react with other atmospheric gases creating even more toxic gases.

According to The Earth Institute, the heavy use of fertilizer for agriculture is a major
contributor of fine-particulate air pollution, with most of Europe, Russia, China, and
the United States being affected. The level of pollution caused by agricultural
activities is thought to outweigh all other sources of fine-particulate air pollution in
these countries.

Ammonia is the primary air pollutant that comes from agricultural activities.
Ammonia enters the air as a gas from concentrated livestock waste and fields that
are over fertilized.

This gaseous ammonia then combines with other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides
and sulfates created by vehicles and industrial processes, to create aerosols.
Aerosols are tiny particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and cause heart
and pulmonary disease.

Other agricultural air pollutants include pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides. All of
which also contribute to water pollution.

2. Water Pollution

Nutrient pollution is caused by wastewater, sewage, and fertilizers. The high levels
of nutrients in these sources end up in bodies of water and promote algae and weed
growth, which can make the water undrinkable and depleted oxygen causing aquatic
organisms to die.

Pesticides and herbicides applied to crops and residential areas concentrate in the
soil and are carried to the groundwater by rainwater and runoff. For these reasons
anytime someone drills a well for water it must be checked for pollutants.

Industrial waste is one of the main causes of water pollution, by creating primary
and secondary pollutants including sulphur, lead and mercury, nitrates and
phosphates, and oil spills.

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