Ecosystems and Sustainable

Development
 4. Pollution
▣ 4.1. What is Pollution?
▣ 4.2. How is pollution created?
▣ 4.3. Types of Pollution
▣ 4.4. Reasons for Control, Mitigation and
Prevention of Pollution
 4.1 What is Pollution?
Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the
natural environment. These harmful materials are called
pollutants or contaminants and cause adverse change
(damage).
Pollution can take the form of any substance or energy.
Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign
substances/energies created by human activity, such as plastic
trash or runoff produced by factories or naturally occurring
contaminants such as volcanic ash.
Pollutants damage the quality of air, water, and land. Pollution
causes an imbalance in the environment. It causes
environmental degradation. This imbalance threatens the very
survival of all forms of life.
 4.1 How Pollution is Created?
❑ Pollution happens when our environment is
contaminated or dirtied, by waste, chemicals or other
harmful substances.
❑Pollutants can be naturally created as in case of volcanic
ash and wildfires.
❑ However, the majority of these pollutants are emitted
through human activities like burning fossil fuels, vehicle
exhaust fumes, open burning of garbage waste and
emissions from agriculture and industry.
❑Using raw materials and fuel in production results in raw
material waste and fuel waste.
❑ Thus, the more the use of resources and technology in
production, the greater the waste that is emitted from such
usage.
❑ Waste (emissions) will lead to pollution.
 4.3 Types of Pollution:
:Pollution is classified into 5 main types

4.3.1 Air Pollution

4.3.2 Water Pollution
4.3.3 Noise Pollution
4.3.4 Soil Pollution
4.3.5 Thermal Pollution
 4.3.1 Air Pollution
▣ Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air.
▣ It is the contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment
by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies
the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
▣ Household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial
facilities and forest fires are common sources of air pollution.
▣ Air pollution is caused by poisonous gases; sulphur dioxide,
nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulates.
▣ Smoke and harmful gases released from fires, industries
cause a lot of air pollution.
▣ Energy industries, in particular, petroleum industry is the
most air polluting industry and causes a lot of air pollution by
burning gases.
▣ Air pollution is detrimental to human health and
to the planet earth as a whole.
▣ It causes health problems such as lung cancer,
heart diseases and breathing diseases
(asthma).
▣ It also causes global warming and acid rain,
this makes it difficult for living things to survive.
 4.3.2 Water Pollution
▣ Also called aquatic pollution.
▣ It is the contamination of water sources by substances which make
the water unusable for drinking, cooking, cleaning, swimming, and
other activities.
▣ Pollutants include chemicals, dissolved metals, waste from oil
tankers, trash, bacteria, and parasites. All forms of pollution
eventually make their way to water.
▣ An important water pollutant is nitrates from fertilizers, sewage and
detergents.
▣ Water pollution causes harm to organisms living in water and can
also harm peoples’ health. In extreme case; it may cause diseases
like cancer.
▣ Lack of clean potable water leads
to infant mortality.
 4.3.3 Noise Pollution
▣ Noise pollution is also known as sound pollution.
▣ It is considered to be any unwanted or disturbing sound that
affects the health and well-being of humans and other
organisms.
▣ It includes traffic noise (sound of vehicles and trains), Air
traffic noise (airplanes and jets), noise at construction sites
(machines), and catering and night life noise (e.g., loud
speakers).
▣ Noise pollution can cause ear problems, as well as brain
related problems. Problems related to noise include stress
related illnesses, anxiety, depression, high blood pressure,
speech interference, hearing loss, sleep disruption, and lost
productivity
 4.3.4 Soil Pollution
▣ Soil pollution is also known as land pollution.
▣ It refers to the contamination of soil with anomalous
concentrations of manmade toxic substances and chemicals
such as hydrocarbons, heavy metals and solvents.
▣ These chemicals come from industrial activities and from
using chemical fertilizers.
▣ It can reduce crop yields due to toxic levels of contaminants,
and crops grown in polluted soils are unsafe for
consumption by animals and humans.
▣ Soil pollution is a serious environmental concern since it
harbours many health hazards. Soil pollution can cause
health risks such as: leukaemia.
 4.3.5 Thermal Pollution
▣ Thermal pollution is any deviation from the natural
temperature in a habitat and can range from elevated
temperatures associated with industrial cooling activities to
discharges of cold water into streams below large
impoundments (reservoirs).
▣ Thermal pollution is the harmful discharge of heated liquid
into a body of water or the heat released into the air as a
waste product of a business.
▣ A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as
a coolant by power stations and industrial manufacturers.
This puts back warm water, and so raises the temperature
and decreases the oxygen content of the water. As a result
the air will be warmer which may result in global warming.
4.4 Reasons for control, mitigation and
prevention of pollution:

▣ Pollution control: any of a variety of means employed to limit

damage done to the environment by the discharge of harmful
substances and energies.
▣ Why?
◼ For the benefit of human beings, fauna (animals) and flora (plants)
◼ Improves health and safety issues. A cleaner environment can
reduce the adverse health impacts to local populations from
illnesses, diseases, and cancer risk associated with pollution
exposure.
◼ Pollution prevention protects the environment by conserving and
protecting natural resources while strengthening economic growth
through more efficient production in industry and less need for
households, businesses and communities to handle waste.
◼ Promotes sustainable development. Towards more efficient use of
raw materials, staff resources, equipment, energy and water.
◼ This all saves money.