Environmental Pollution and its Management

Introduction to Environmental Pollution 

Advancement and modernization of human life has been fortified due to different types of developmental activities. But the advancement  and modernization has created a big problem against the life process of the whole earth. Main causes of such burdens for the health of the earth are pollutant substances produced by those development works. Smoke emits out from vehicles and industries, liquid and harmful chemicals flow out from vehicles and industries, dust is another by product of running industries, CFC (chlorofluorocarbon) used as refrigerant agent has depleted the protective ozone layer of the atmosphere and there are so many hazards created by the activities of human being. Human being has been the most active creature in producing pollutant materials in the environment. Due to this reason, the natural condition of environment and nature has been degraded in severe way. The natural and normal proportions of environmental components have been altered. Such alteration of the environmental components in its natural proportion is called pollution. 

Environmental pollution means direct or indirect changes in the components of the environment that deteriorates the environment. These changes are unfavourable to the living things due to new harmful substances or energy in the environment. 

Some human activities like experimentation of explosives, explosion of bomb, maximum use of pesticides, insecticides and  chemical fertilizers and heavy traffic in city area are some examples of nature-friendly behaviours. In the some way, some social activities like celebration of festivals, organization of feast and ceremonies also adversely affect the environment. 

Sources of Environmental Pollution 

Environmental pollution is caused due to various factors like human activities, industrial wastes, smoke from burning fuels, natural calamities, etc. It is polluted due to human activities and natural processes as well. Some of the major sources of pollution are given below: 

a) Natural Sources of Environment Pollution

i. Global Warming 

Global warming is the process of increasing average temperature of the earth's atmosphere. It is basically caused due to increasing production of greenhouse gases like carbondioxide, methane, CFC (chlorofluorocarbon), etc. When the atmospheric temperature rise more than normal, it brings imbalance in the environment. Such imbalance may result in melting of snow at mountain, increasing the sea-level and imbalance of the environmental components. 

ii. Volcano 

When hot molten mass erupts out from the center of the earth to the outer surface, volcano occurs. It spreads huge amount of smoke, ashes, dust and particles. Sometimes, such pollutants are produced in such a big volume that it creates problem in very range of area. Sometimes, it causes increase in the atmospheric temperature and destruction of wide range of plants and animals. 

iii. Earthquake 

The process of shaking the land is called the earthquake. It is caused due to the movement and collision of tectonic plates of the earth. I is also caused due to big volcano. It increases environmental pollution with destruction of houses, production of dust and spreading the pollutants in the environment. 

iv. Flood and Landslide 

Excessive flow of water along with the solid materials of the earth surface is called flood. Downward falling or sliding a mass of soil or rock along a steep slope of land is called landslide. Flood and landslide erodes the upper part of land and accumulate such materials at other places. It causes destruction of the natural structure of land and causes pollution. 

v. Ozone Layer Depletion 

It is a gaseous layer of ozone gas at the upper atmosphere that absorbs ultraviolet rays, thereby preventing them from reaching the surface of the earth. Ultraviolet rays cause skin cancer, depletion of wild lives, land pollution and desertification of land. The ozone layer protects us from such harmful results by preventing UV rays enter into the lower atmosphere and the earth's surface. When the ozone layer becomes thinner, UV rays arrive on the earth's surface, and cause environmental imbalance. 

b) Environmental Pollution caused by Human Activities 

Human is the most responsible creature for environmental imbalance and pollution of the nature. Deforestation, extraction of mines, wars, explosions, industrialization and unmanaged urbanization are some man-made factors causing environmental pollution.

i. Deforestation

Deforestation is the process of destroying forests. In other words, the act of cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees of a forest is called deforestation. It erodes soils, contributes to desertification and the pollution of water resources, and decrease biodiversity through the destruction of habitat.

ii. Mining

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other  geological materials from the earth. The adverse environmental impact of mining includes soil erosion, formation of sink-holes, loss of biodiversity, contamination of soil and water with mining chemicals etc.

iii. Industrialization

Green house gases emission, global warming, climatic disasters, water shortages, drinking water contamination, freshwater and marine pollution, deforestation, and other environmental problems and becoming serious threats to the well-being of mankind due to the harmful and hazardous outcomes of industrialization. Excessive industrialization is responsible for rapid depletion of natural resources and production of harmful components like carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbon, dust , smoke, and a number of harmful chemicals. There are various wide ranging effects, as well as serious consequences of industrial pollution on the ecological balance of the atmosphere.

iv. Wars and Explosions

Wars and explosions cause severe environmental pollution when the explosions produce excessive amount of smoke and loud irritating sounds. Chemical wars are notorious for its toxic impact on the environment. Besides, the nuclear weapons like Uranium bombs leave serious radioactive hazards that persist for very long duration even after war.

v. Unmanaged Urbanization

Urbanization is the process of converting rural and underdeveloped areas into the developed and town areas with additional services and facilities. Urbanization brings better result in people when the services and facilities are added in systematic and nature-friendly ways. When the environmental sanitation, waste management and equitable distribution of services and facilities are ignored in the process of urbanization, it becomes unmanaged. Unmanaged urbanization results in congested settlement, problem in waste management and environmental pollution.

Adverse Effects of Environmental Pollution on Human Health

a) Adverse Effects of Land Pollution on Human Health

Land is the prime component of environment. All other environmental components are supported by the land. Most of the human activities are carried out on land. People throw solid wastes such as broken glasses, dirty things and other materials that are useless to them. There are two kinds of solid wastes. They are biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes.  Biodegradable wastes undergo the process of degradation and are decomposed into smaller carbonic molecules that can be used by plants. Non-biodegradable wastes such as plastic, broken glass, metallic wastes, etc. remain persisting in the environment for a long duration. Such things destroy the physical and chemical properties of land and reduce the fertility. Land pollution affects both living and nonliving things. Some of the adverse impacts of land pollution are given below:

i. Polluted land is the source of bad smell and harmful germs. Various types of diseases spread from such area.

ii. Polluted land due to chemical fertilizer and poisons like pesticide is not suitable for survival of plants and animals. The poisonous compounds present in food cycle are transferred to human beings through the food they eat.

iii. Land pollution deteriorates the quality of land. It changes the natural state of land. The productivity of land decrease due to degradation of soil fertility.

iv. Land pollution affects the natural setting of land and cultural heritage such as religious heritages, cultural sites, etc.

b) Adverse Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health

Atmosphere has different types of gases. They are nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide,  argon, sulphur dioxide, etc. If other elements are mixed in the atmosphere and change its natural composition, the air gets polluted. Some gases like carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide cause acid rain, some gases like CFC deplete the ozone layer and some of them like methane and carbon dioxide cause global warming. The mixing of the smokes of traffic, industry dust, and smell of waste materials also pollutes the air . Air pollution affects both living and nonliving things. Some of the adverse effects of air pollution are given below.

1. We inhale air from the environmental to get oxygen contained in it. If air contains other harmful pollutants , they enter inside our lungs and cause harmful effects in our body.
2. Smoke and dust emitted in the atmosphere disturbs the visibility and make the environment dirty. 
3. Some industries like cement factory, marble factory, and brick factory emit smoke, dust and other harmful gases in air . When they are inhaled , they affect the physical system of our body. As a result, kidney problem,. abortion, anemia, lung disease, eye disease , asthma and even psychological problems can be seen. 
4. Presence of sulphurdioxide and carbondioxide in the air cause formation of sulphuric acid and carbonic acid that causes acid rain. Acid rain deteriorates temples, buildings and monuments made of metals. 
5. The thick layer of methane, sulphurdioxide and carbondioxide cause greenhouse effect on the earth. As a result temperature of the earth increases. Global warming has been a burning problem in the recent days. 
6. Air pollution is harmful for various living organisms. If they are affected , they may migrate , die, or  become extinct. Such effect ultimately alters the ecosystem and food chain adversely.

d) Adverse Effects of Sound Pollution on Human Health

Unwanted and excessive sound which harms human health is called sound pollution . Intensity of sound is measured in decibel (db) units. If the intensity is more than 45 db, an average person cannot sleep. 

Long term exposure to more than 85 db of sound can cause permanent loss of hearing. Crowded public mass with noise, markets, factories and industries, and sources of music like loudspeakers, mike, radio, etc. are the main sources of sound pollution. In the same way industrial area and heavy construction site are highly affected areas of sound pollution. Some of the adverse effects of sound pollution are given below:

1. Much noisy environment affects our heating ability. It may cause impairment in hearing power or permanent hearing loss.
2. In noisy places, we feel mental tension and headache. 
3. Sound pollution disturbs our digestive system and sleeping habit which affect the health of the people.
4.  Noise affects our mind which, in turn, harms our physical condition. 

Methods of Controlling Environmental Pollution

a) Methods of Controlling Land Pollution

Land pollution has several adverse effects on human health. Some of the methods of controlling land pollution are : 

1. Use of plastics, glasses, and other non-degradable materials should be reduced. Reuse of such materials should be given priority.
2. Solid wastes should not be thrown in open places.
3. The harmful solid wastes released from industries and hospitals should be purified before disposing them.
4. Biodegradable materials such as residue of plants vegetables and other wastes of plants should be used to make compost manure.
5. Broken machines, vehicles, etc. should be recycled or reused as far as possible.
6. Use of chemical fertilizers, insecticides, and pesticides should be reduced. Farmers should be encouraged to use compost manure. 
7. Legal provisions should be made on the management of solid wastes. It encourages the people to manage solid wastes properly

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Methods of Controlling Water Pollution

Controlling water pollution is very essential for the protection of our environment. Some of the ways of controlling water pollution are:

1. We should try to reduce household wastes. Such wastes should not be disposed to river, rivulet, pond, lake , well and their surroundings.
2. Wastewater of industries , factories, hospitals and laboratories should be processed properly before discharging.
3. Precaution for the control of soil erosion, landslides and floods should be taken because such natural calamities damage the water sources.
4. Water pollution control programs should be launched at central and local levels.
5. Enforcement of legal provisions and its implementation play a vital role in control of water pollution. 

Methods of Controlling Air Pollution 

There are different ways of controlling air pollution. They should not be scattered are given below: 

1. Old vehicles which emit more smoke should be replaced by new ones. The vehicles should be inspected from time to time. 
2. Solid wastes should be disposed properly. They should not be scattered in the open places. 
3. Factories and industries should be established far away from human residence. 
4. Sources of alternative energy like biogas, solar energy and hydroelectricity should be used in place of wood, cattle dung, and petroleum which produce pollutant smoke. 
5. Tree plantation program should be run in open area and both sides of roads. 
6. Public awareness program should be initiated in order to increase people's participation in pollution control activities. 

Methods of Controlling Sound Pollution 

Sound pollution has several adverse consequences on human health/ Controlling sound pollution is the best way for being prevented from such adverse effects. The methods of control of sound pollution are: 

1. Airports, bus-parks, industrial areas should be away from the residential area. 
2. Tree plantation programs should be run in open barren land. Trees absorb sound and control sound pollution. 
3. The workers who work in noisy area should use the earplugs or cotton swab in ears to restrict noise in the ears. 
4. Walls should be built around the noisy industrial areas which will protect the sound of that area.
5. Noisy equipment like mills and generators, etc. can be installed underground. 
6. Strict laws against sound pollution should be made and implemented by the government. 
7. Awareness programs regarding sound pollution can play important roles in the control of sound pollution. 

Topic covered: What is environmental pollution, Environmental Pollution and its Management, sources of environmental pollution, methods of controlling environmental pollution, how to control environmental pollution, adverse effects of environmental pollution on human health