Pollution – Essay 1.

Introduction

Pollution is the introduction of substances or materials that are considered harmful or poisonous, to the environment. It is basically introduction of dirt to the environment that is going to have harmful effects against the environment.

Pollution extends its effects to all the occupants of the environment including human beings, animals as well as plants.

Pollution is mainly caused by ignorance at different levels which drive people to do things they know would have a negative impact on the environment.

Types of pollution

The different types of pollution are due to different causative agents but the bottom line is that they all have a negative impact on the environment. They include:

1. Air pollution- This is basically the contamination of natural air due to introduction of harmful fumes or even chemicals that end up mixing with the air.
2. Water pollution- Involves introduction of substances or materials to water. These materials have a contamination effect on the water which by extension ends up affecting the aquatic life.
3. Soil pollution- This is the introduction of contaminants to soil. Soil pollution ends up altering the desired soil composition making soil unable to generate the kind of product or deliver the expected results.
4. Noise pollution- This is basically the abuse of sound. It is mostly due to appliances meant for fun or work but actually end up disturbing the peace of the occupants of that particular environment.
5. Radioactive pollution- Involves exposing the environment to radioactive materials, possibly metals or chemicals that end up releasing radiation to the environment.
6. Light pollution- Involves misuse of light to make the environment uncomfortable for occupants. Showing too much light that actually makes it difficult to see is pollution of light.
7. Thermal pollution- This is basically misuse of heat in the sense that heat is used to cause harm to environmental occupants including plants and animals and even water.
8. Visual pollution- Involves the disturbance that makes visualization either impossible or uncomfortable.

Causes of pollution

1. Water pollution is mainly cause by factors such as oil spillage on water bodies when ships have accidents or accidental spillage of oil or fuel.
2. Water pollution is also caused by depositing of toxic wastes into water bodies as a way of getting rid of them.
3. Air pollution is caused by industrial emissions which introduce acidic fumes or rather, corrosive fumes that end up destroying the roofing of houses particularly iron sheets.
4. Mining is also a cause of pollution as it exposes the environment sometimes to radioactive materials that end up causing cancer.
5. Deforestation is an act of soil pollution as it makes the soil lose hence soil erosion where fertile soil is washed away. It also makes the land lose and therefore susceptible to other forms of environmental hazards.
6. Use of fossil fuels has been associated to air pollution particularly because the combustion of these fuel releases harmful gases or products to the atmosphere which ones inhaled, are a health risk.
7. Agricultural activities are also a cause of pollution particularly in soil pollution. Agricultural products and utilities like fertilizers alter the acidity or alkalinity of soil which overtime, culminates to making the soil harmful.
8. Burning of fossil fuels like coal, oil, natural gas and also gasoline with the aim of producing electricity and also for purposes of powering vehicles causes air pollution. This is because carbon (IV) oxide is released to the atmosphere and as science has it, this air is harmful when it combines with blood hemoglobin reducing the overall capacity of red blood cells to carry oxygen.

How to control pollution

1. Using safe fuel will help reduce the risks and effects of air pollution making the air safe for breathing.
2. Avoiding oil spillage in water bodies will protect aquatic life as well as make water safe for use.
3. Proper disposing of toxic wastes is also a way of controlling pollution. This could mean burning them or taking them to places where they could be properly disposed.
4. Carrying out proper agricultural practices that are soil and generally environment friendly.
5. Industries converting their emissions to safer products before emitting them will be a very strategic way of controlling air pollution.
6. Carrying out routine checks on ships and containers carrying oil before they are transported through water bodies.
7. Creating compost yard which will serve as a place to dispose of wastes.
8. Recycling everything that can possibly be recycled thus spare the environment from pollution.
9. Proper disposal of trash is also a responsible way of controlling various forms of pollution.

Conclusion

Pollution is the principle enemy to a prosperous environment. The best way therefore to control pollution in a cheap but successful way is to emphasize on the relevance of responsibility towards environmental management. Everyone should ensure that they play an active role in controlling pollution so that we can save our environment and make this planet a safe place for our future generations.

By Mary

---

Pollution – Essay 2.

Pollution refers to all the things that are added to the environment which may lead to poisonous effects to the creatures existing there. It’s the overall process that leads to a natural resource such as land, air as well as water being rendered unsafe for use by people.

Pollution can be grouped into many types such as water, air, and soil pollution. The poisonous substances that are released into the environment can get into the body of humans and animals through inhalation thus leading to respiratory diseases and sometimes death.

When something is not in its pure form and is rendered inferior as a result is polluted. Today pollution is a hot topic for studies and discussions. The world environment is experiencing very high levels of pollution of all types.

Types

The following are the main types of pollution:

Air Pollution

Air is polluted with smoke, dust and carbon dioxide in excess of the normal presence, due to the emissions from the vehicular traffic. Besides the poisonous gases emitted by factories, refineries, etc. are making the air unfit for inhalation. Air pollution is severely affecting life in all forms.

Water Pollution

Water bodies are increasingly becoming the receptacles for all the pollutants, mostly chemical wastes from the factories, sewer systems, and urban drainage systems. Even though the legal requirements are being made more and more stringent about letting the outflow into any water bodies without treatment, many factories are seen to be flouting these rules and getting away with it. This leaves the quality of water unfit even for washing, let alone drinking. Again this is affecting life severely especially for the innocent animals.

Land pollution

Soil contamination is also becoming a cause for concern. The land absorbs chemicals drained out of factories and disposed garbage such as plastics and passes on the harmful elements to the plants and trees that grow on it. Sometimes the land simply becomes unfit for agriculture.

Causes of pollution

There are many causes of pollution which include releasing harmful gases into the environment by industries dealing in manufacturing. The industries which release untreated sewage into lakes and oceans, as well as other water bodies, leads to water pollution.

Prevention of pollution

Measures include;

• Proper disposal of wastes in designated areas such as dumpsites and pits
• Recycling of wastes products such as plastics as well as planting trees for ecological balance
• Avoiding the use of non-biodegradable products such as plastic bags

Conclusion

Pollution is posing a formidable threat to all life, and every effort must be taken to containing and controlling it. All people have the mandate to ensure that the environment they live in is clean by ensuring that they control all kind of pollution. They can do this by dumping wastes in designated places as well as recycling some waste products.

By Teamwork

---

Pollution – Essay 3

Pollution refers to the presence of impurities. Anything that is not in its original, pure form is polluted.

We hear a lot about pollution of all kinds these days, air pollution, land, water pollution, noise pollution etc. The situation has grown so bad that drastic measures have to be put in place to control it.

Types

1. Air: Air is polluted by the presence of smoke, and various gases, dust particles etc. make the air impure and of a very bad quality.

2. Land/soil: Soil contamination is a common problem, around the chemical and other factories. Trash like papers, wrappers, empty packets, disposable bottles, littered around everywhere is also land pollution. Anything that does not decompose essentially damages the quality of land where it is deposited.

4. Water: In cities, towns and most of the inhabited areas, Fresh potable water is badly affected by the chemicals, drainage pipes opening into the water bodies. Even in places close to factories, rainfall gets the impurities and the gases along with it and contaminates the water in the ground which supplies wells and bore wells.
5. Noise: Noise is when the sounds starts being a disturbing element in the atmosphere. In cities, towns and even villages to a certain extent there is too much of noise from everywhere, TV, radios, traffic, drillers etc. This is harmful to human ears and is a constant drain on the mind.

What are the causes of pollution?

Air Pollution

1. Smoke arising from open fires, burning leaves and other garbage or just cooking on open fires is one of the biggest pollutants.
2. Fumes emitted by automobiles are making the air quality not just bad, but also poisonous. As more automobiles come on the road, the emission goes to very high, even dangerous levels.
3. Smoke and fumes let out from factories while manufacturing or processing products. Sometimes you can see the smoke welling up from distance.
4. A lot of fire crackers during festivities and celebrations create layers of smog, sometimes lowering the visibility.

Land pollution

1. Harmful chemicals dumped around hospitals or factories or sometimes found settled on the ground as sediments around factories damage the quality of land.
2. Trash that is seen littered everywhere is caused by irresponsible behaviour of people who don’t dispose of this litter in the proper areas allocated.
3. Sometimes the outlet for sewers and waste of factories is done just adjacent to factories. As far as the dirty drainage goes, all that and the adjacent part of the land is contaminated.

Water pollution

1. There are many drainage and sewer pipes opening out in the freshwater bodies.
2. Often factories have an outlet for their waste products, opening out into the fresh water bodies. These wastes can sometimes be harmful chemicals.
3. People often bathe themselves or their animals They wash their animals on the shores of the rivers, lakes etc.
4. Shipping can lead to oil spillage which remains on the surface of seas, oceans and big rivers for a long time.
5. Tourists throwing garbage like wrappers, bottles etc., into the open which get swept into the waterbodies.

Noise Pollution

1. Television, radio running at a very high volume, churning out popular songs is a common cause of loud noise on a daily basis.
2. Celebrations and often political meetings are made known by using loudspeakers. People living close to such venues find the noise very disturbing.
3. A lot of traffic has the power to make a loud noise, as is often seen along the highways. However, within a city, where the traffic flows in all direction, the problem of noise gets multiplied by the blaring of horns, trying to rush through.
4. Staying close to a construction site can be very annoying with diggers and drilling machines making loud noise.

Effects of Pollution

Air Pollution

1. Breathing polluted air can have adverse effects on lungs.
2. Fumes can affect the eyesight as well.
3. Skin too can be affected by constant exposure to polluted air.
4. Animals and birds are also the victims of air pollution.

Land pollution

1. Soil contamination causes unhealthy growth of plants and trees.
2. The toxins are passed from the soil to the plants. This renders the plant dangerous for consumption.
3. It leaves the place looking ugly.
4. Animals often choke on the trash that does not decompose.

Water pollution

1. Fish are the worst sufferers. They are found dead in numerous scores.
2. Drinking water is a basic necessity. Shortage could lead to illnesses and diseases.
3. Clean water is necessary for bathing washing, cooking etc.
4. Contaminated water will get absorbed in plants, leading to dire results.

Noise Pollution

1. Too much noise can damage your eardrums.
2. It might be too stressful for babies, the aged and the ill.
3. It can affect the normal concentration in studies and work.

Solutions

Air pollution

1. Using good quality fuel in automobiles.
2. Move from cars run on gas to electricity.
3. Move towards using more public transport to save fuel emissions and to cut down on traffic congestion.
4. Burning fires in the open should be stopped.
5. Factories emitting smoke and fumes beyond the accepted level should be penalized.

Land pollution

1. Strict norms must be put in place for disposing hazardous waste.
2. Factories going beyond the normal emissions must be penalized.
3. Littering should be made a punishable offence.

Water Pollution

1. Factories must make other arrangements for disposing waste materials and not in water bodies or open drains.
2. Water bodies must be cleaned for trash.
3. Bathing and washing around the water bodies should be avoided.

Noise Pollution

1. Sound above certain decibels should not be allowed, especially in the late hours.
2. Honking of hons should be replaced by some other signalling mode.
3.  Fireworks must be discouraged, especially during rest hours.
4. People must be educated to keep the entertainment to themselves.
5. It must be made mandatory to take permission for putting up loudspeakers from the immediate neighbourhood.

Conclusion

Pollution is not easy to control because of control needed in many quarters. Only awareness and education can bring in the necessary change.

By Janhavi

Last updated: February 22, 2019