What type pollution

The five major types of pollution include: air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, light pollution, and noise pollution. A major source of air pollution results from the burning of fossil fuels. Vehicle and factory emissions are common sources of this type of air pollution. The burning of fossil fuels contributes to the formation of smog, a dense layer of particulate matter that hangs like a cloud over many major cities and industrial zones.

Air pollution contributes to respiratory problems such as asthma, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and other lung ailments. Nitrogen and sulfur oxides in the air contribute to acid rain, which is a form of precipitation with a lower more acidic pH than normal. Acid rain harms forests, species that live in water bodies, and degrades outdoor statues, monuments, and buildings. A major source of water pollution is runoff from agricultural fields, industrial sites, or urban areas.

Runoff disrupts the water body's natural balance. For example, agricultural runoff typically includes fertilizer or toxic chemicals. When radioactive substances are present in areas where their presence is undesirable or unintended, it results in a type of pollution called radioactive contamination. Such substances are highly toxic to all life on earth.

Radioactive substances trigger mutations in the genetic material of living organisms, leading to different types of cancers. Exposure to such toxins can also adversely impact the different systems of the body. Death or disfiguration are common effects of exposure to radioactive waste. Irresponsible management of such wastes or radioactive disasters are the common causes of radioactive contamination. The pollution of the night environment by anthropogenic light is known as light pollution.

This type of pollution is caused by an excessive lighting of the streets, flood lights used in stadiums, lights used in an industrial area, etc. The negative effects of light pollution include the spoilage of the aesthetic environment of a place, creating disturbances in the ecosystem, and also harming the health of living creatures.

An induced change in the temperature of large volumes of water causes thermal pollution. This type of pollution leads to the degradation of water quality as the warm water does not provide ideal living conditions for aquatic flora and fauna. For example, when water used as a coolant in power plants or that used in industries is released into a natural water body, the warm or hot water mixes with the rest of the water to raise the overall temperature of the aquatic ecosystem.

Higher temperatures also alter the composition of dissolved elements in water. The flora and fauna living in the area that was earlier adapted to a particular temperature range can be killed by this abrupt change in the water temperature.

Thus, aquatic life experiences a thermal shock due to thermal pollution. Everyone loves to see clean and green spaces and beautiful vistas. When human activity installs ugly barriers to this vision of open and clutter-free landscapes, it is called visual pollution. Such noise may please some, but it disturbs many other people because it interferes with communication in the daytime and sleeping at night.

Another way of classifying pollution is by the sector of human activity that produces it. Before we look at the various sectors, there is an important distinction to be made about pollution sources. Sources of pollution can be categorised as point or non-point sources.

Point sources are identifiable points or places that you can easily locate. An example is a diesel truck that produces visible black exhaust fumes from its tailpipe. Liquid waste released from a pipe into a river is another example Figure 7. A good example is floodwater that washes all types of waste from the land possibly including faecal matter into a river. In this situation you cannot identify the individual or household or establishment that has caused the water pollution Figure 7.

Can you think of examples of point and non-point source pollution from earlier in this study session? The farmer washing his sack is an example of a point source because you could identify where he washed his sack. However, the pesticide washing from the field is an example of a non-point source.

The pollutant would wash into the river at several places, and could possibly also have come from other fields. This is an example of how difficult it can sometimes be to accurately identify the source. Domestic sources of pollution include toilets, latrines and wastewater from kitchens and bathrooms. If these wastes are properly contained and prevented from getting into the environment, they will not cause pollution. However, frequently this is not the case.

Open defecation obviously releases human waste into the environment, which can then be washed into rivers and other surface waters. The organic wastes from domestic sources include human excreta and also food waste and other kitchen waste such as cooking oil residues.

Solid wastes from households and also from shops, markets and businesses include food waste, packaging materials and other forms of rubbish. Domestic sources are also responsible for gaseous pollutants in the form of smoke and carbon dioxide from domestic fires. Pollution from the industrial sector in Ethiopia has been on the rise, posing a serious problem to the environment. Many industrial processes produce polluting waste substances that are discharged to the environment, frequently through chimneys to the air or through pipes to surface water Figure 7.

Among the most polluting industries are food processing, tanneries and textiles with processing plants and factories that produce liquid effluents which are discharged into rivers, often without treatment Ademe and Alemayehu, ; Wosnie and Wondie, In practice, rivers frequently receive polluting discharges from many different sources all at the same time. The Little Akaki River in Addis Ababa, for example, is polluted by several different industrial sources as well as by domestic wastes Tegegn, Like industry, agricultural activities are also increasing in Ethiopia, and changing too.

Nowadays, agricultural activities in Ethiopia use more pesticides and fertilisers. Ethiopia imports over tons of various types of pesticides annually Federal Environment Protection Authority, Fertiliser use in Ethiopia has increased from , metric tons in the early s to around , metric tons in Rashid et al. Fertiliser contains phosphate and nitrate and if these reach water bodies they can cause excessive plant growth Figure 7.

Agriculture is also responsible for gaseous pollutants in the form of methane produced by livestock and solid pollutants from crop residues, packaging materials and other wastes similar to those produced domestically.

Animals also contribute to waste products and potential pollutants with their excrement. Do you live in a city or have you visited a city close to where you live? If so you will no doubt be familiar with the variety of vehicles on our roads Figure 7. Some are small cars, others are heavy motor trucks. If you observe the tailpipe of diesel engine vehicles, you will have seen the black exhaust gas produced.

The intensity of the black colour is greater for poorly maintained vehicles, to the extent sometimes that it makes the air hazy or smoky and causes coughs and eye irritation. The lack of a policy to remove old vehicles from the roads adds to the problem. Tiwari found that nearly a third of vehicles in Addis Ababa were over 30 years old, resulting in high levels of tailpipe emissions.

Traffic jams, common in all big cities, make the problems worse. We said earlier that pollution always has a source and a recipient. The pathway of pollution is the way the pollutant moves from the source, enters into the environment, and finally how it reaches the human body or other recipient. The pathway between source and recipient can take several different forms depending on the type of pollutant.

Primary recipients for pollution are water, air, and soil. Pollutants usually reach humans through the consumption of contaminated and polluted water and food, and breathing polluted air.

Once released into the environment, the worst effects of many pollutants are reduced by one or more of the following processes:.

In each case the effect is to reduce the concentration of the pollutant. Concentration is a measure of the amount of the substance in a known volume of water or air. These processes do not apply to all pollutants. There are some persistent pollutants which remain intact when released into the environment because they do not break down by natural processes.

These are described in Study Session 8. Classifying pollution by the sector of the environment affected — water, air, soil and land — is probably the most commonly used method. Water pollution can affect surface water such as rivers and lakes, soil moisture and groundwater in aquifers, and the oceans.

As you know from Study Session 4, the actions of the water cycle connect all these different reservoirs of water. For example, a polluted river will discharge into the ocean and could damage the marine environment. 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 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 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 herbivore s that eat the plants also become contaminated. So do the predator s 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. The trash is dangerous to ocean life and reduces economic activity in the area. Some cities incinerate , or burn, their garbage. Incinerating trash gets rid of it, but it can release dangerous heavy metal s 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 agribusiness es 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 fine d 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 countries. Still, many gains have been made. In , the Cuyahoga River, in the U. The fire helped spur the Clean Water Act of 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.

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. How Long Does It Last?

Different materials decompose at different rates. How long does it take for these common types of trash to break down? Indoor Air Pollution The air inside your house can be polluted. Air and carpet cleaners, insect sprays, and cigarettes are all sources of indoor air pollution. Acids can corrode some natural materials. Acids have pH levels lower than 7. Acid rain can be manmade or occur naturally. When released through a small opening, the liquid becomes a spray or foam.

Also called cyanobacteria and in freshwater habitats pond scum. Carbon dioxide is also the byproduct of burning fossil fuels. It can be toxic to humans. Some CFCs have destructive effects on the ozone layer. Also called blue-green algae even though it is not algae and in freshwater habitats pond scum.

The Earth is the only place in the known universe that supports life. Nobel Prizes are awarded in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. Ocean acidification threatens corals and shellfish. Also known as petroleum or crude oil. Pesticides can be fungicides which kill harmful fungi , insecticides which kill harmful insects , herbicides which kill harmful plants , or rodenticides which kill harmful rodents. Regions are the basic units of geography.

Sea level is determined by measurements taken over a year cycle. Storm drains flow into local creeks, rivers, or seas. Ultraviolet is often shortened to UV. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited.