Contents

 Introduction
  Ancient cultures
  Official acknowledgement
  Modern awareness
  Forms of pollution
  Pollutants
  Sources and causes
  Effects
o  Human health
o  Environment
o  Environmental health information
  Regulation and monitoring
  Pollution control
o  Practices
o  Pollution control devices
  Perspectives
  Greenhouse gases and global warming
Introduction

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment

that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystemi.e.
physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form
of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat, or light.
Pollutants, the elements of pollution, can be foreign substances or
energies, or naturally occurring; when naturally occurring, they are
considered contaminants when they exceed natural levels. Pollution is
often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution.
TheBlacksmith Institute issues annually a list of the world's worst
polluted places. In the 2007 issues the ten top nominees are located in
Azerbaijan, China, India, Peru, Russia, Ukraine, and Zambia. Pollution
is the beginning of a waste into the atmosphere making it impossible to
make life on earth possible to sustain.
Pollution harms the Earth’s environment and its people in many ways.
Land pollution is pollution of the Earth’s natural land surface by
industrial, commercial, domestic and agricultural activities. Some of the
main contributions to land pollution are deforestation, construction
debris, industrial factories etc. Air pollution is the accumulation of
harmful substances into the atmosphere that danger human life and other
living matter on the earth. The number one way to prevent air pollution
is to walk or bike more and drive less. This will prevent fossil fuels from
further polluting the air
Water pollution is the introduction of chemical, biological and physical
matter into large bodies of water that corrupt the quality of life that lives
in it and consumes it. Oil spills, household chemicals, pesticides and
fertilizers are the major sources of water pollution. The best way to
prevent water pollution is to not throw trash and other harmful chemicals
into our water supplies because it causes harm to the rivers and lakes.
With Pollution in life, Earth is becoming disturbed; sooner or later
causing dramatic changes in its surface. Nevertheless, Pollution is
simultaneously endangering life in Earth. Pollution is becoming closer to
put life on the threshold of death. These harmful actions have changed
Earth, and they continue to do so today. Although pollution has harmful
effects, it has provided us the life we have today; without it, we would
not be here where we are. Pollution is a life killer, but also a life saver.
Technology, each day has been evolving to make this world a better
place. Nowadays, technology is being cleaner to preserve Earth. Also, it
has been cleaning Earth through water treatment plants, air purifiers, etc.
Technology will progress over the years to make Earth a healthier living
experience. As a nation we have to learn to respect and salute the
environment. We as individuals live in this environment and it our soul
responsibility to take care of i
Ancient cultures

Air pollution has always been with us. According to a 1983 article in the
journal Science, "soot found on ceilings of prehistoric caves provides
ample evidence of the high levels of pollution that was associated with
inadequate ventilation of open fires." The forging of metals appears to
be a key turning point in the creation of significant air pollution levels
outside the home. Core samples of glaciers in Greenland indicate
increases in pollution associated with Greek, Roman and Chinese metal
production.
Official acknowledgement
The earliest known writings concerned with pollution were written
between the 9th and 13th centuries by Persian scientists such
as Muhammad ibn Zakarīya Rāzi (Rhazes), Ibn Sina(Avicenna), and al-
Masihi or were Arabic medical treatises written by physicians such as al-
Kindi (Alkindus), Qusta ibn Luqa (Costa ben Luca), Ibn Al-Jazzar, al-
Tamimi, Ali ibn Ridwan, Ibn Jumay, Isaac Israeli ben Solomon, Abd-el-
latif, Ibn al-Quff, and Ibn al-Nafis. Their works covered a number of
subjects related to pollution such as air contamination, water
contamination, soil contamination, solid waste mishandling,
and environmental assessments of certain localities.
King Edward I of England banned the burning of sea-coal by
proclamation in London in 1272, after its smoke had become a
problem. But the fuel was so common in England that this earliest of
names for it was acquired because it could be carted away from some
shores by the wheelbarrow. Air pollution would continue to be a
problem in England, especially later during the industrial revolution, and
extending into the recent past with the Great Smog of 1952. This same
city also recorded one of the earlier extreme cases of water quality
problems with the Great Stink on the Thames of 1858, which led to
construction of the London sewerage system soon afterward. It was
the industrial revolution that gave birth to environmental pollution as we
know it today.
The emergence of great factories and consumption of immense
quantities of coal and otherfossil fuels gave rise to unprecedented air
pollution and the large volume of industrial chemical discharges added
to the growing load of untreated human waste. 
Chicago and Cincinnatiwere the first two American cities to enact laws
ensuring cleaner air in 1881. Other cities followed around the country
until early in the 20th century, when the short lived Office of Air
Pollution was created under the Department of the Interior. Extreme
smog events were experienced by the cities of Los Angeles and Donora,
Pennsylvania in the late 1940s, serving as another public reminder.

Modern awareness
Pollution became a popular issue after World War II, due to radioactive
fallout from atomic warfare and testing. Then a non-nuclear event,
The Great Smog of 1952 in London, killed at least 4000 people.This
prompted some of the first major modern environmental legislation,
The Clean Air Act of 1956.
Pollution began to draw major public attention in the United States
between the mid-1950s and early 1970s, when Congress passed
the Noise Control Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act and
the National Environmental Policy Act.
Bad bouts of local pollution helped increase
consciousness. PCB dumping in the Hudson River resulted in a ban by
the EPA on consumption of its fish in 1974. Long-
term dioxincontamination at Love Canal starting in 1947 became a
national news story in 1978 and led to the Superfund legislation of 1980.
Legal proceedings in the 1990s helped bring to lightChromium-
6 releases in California--the champions of whose victims became
famous. The pollution of industrial land gave rise to the
name brownfield, a term now common in city planning.DDT was
banned in most of the developed world after the publication of Rachel
Carson's Silent Spring.
The development of nuclear science introduced radioactive
contamination, which can remain lethally radioactive for hundreds of
thousands of years. Lake Karachay, named by theWorldwatch
Institute as the "most polluted spot" on earth, served as a disposal site for
the Soviet Union thoroughout the 1950s and 1960s. Second place may
go to the area of Chelyabinsk U.S.S.R. (see reference below) as the
"Most polluted place on the planet".
Nuclear weapons continued to be tested in the Cold War, sometimes
near inhabited areas, especially in the earlier stages of their
development. The toll on the worst-affected populations and the growth
since then in understanding about the critical threat to human health
posed by radioactivity has also been a prohibitive complication
associated with nuclear power. Though extreme care is practiced in that
industry, the potential for disaster suggested by incidents such as those
at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl pose a lingering specter of public
mistrust. One legacy of nuclear testing before most forms were
banned has been significantly raised levels of background radiation.
International catastrophes such as the wreck of the Amoco Cadiz oil
tanker off the coast of Brittany in 1978 and the Bhopal disaster in 1984
have demonstrated the universality of such events and the scale on
which efforts to address them needed to engage. The borderless nature
of atmosphere and oceans inevitably resulted in the implication of
pollution on a planetary level with the issue of global warming. Most
recently the term persistent organic pollutant (POP) has come to
describe a group of chemicals such as PBDEs and PFCs among others.
Though their effects remain somewhat less well understood owing to a
lack of experimental data, they have been detected in various ecological
habitats far removed from industrial activity such as the Arctic,
demonstrating diffusion and bioaccumulation after only a relatively brief
period of widespread use.
Growing evidence of local and global pollution and an increasingly
informed public over time have given rise to environmentalism and
the environmental movement, which generally seek to limit human
impact on the environment.

Forms of pollution
 The Lachine Canal in MontrealCanada, is polluted.

The major forms of pollution are listed below along with the particular
pollutants relevant to each of them:

 Air pollution, the release of chemicals and particulates into the

atmosphere. Common gaseous air pollutants include carbon
monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrogen
oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles.
Photochemical ozone and smog are created as nitrogen oxides
and hydrocarbons react to sunlight. Particulate matter, or fine dust is
characterized by their micrometre size PM10 to PM2.5.

 Light pollution, includes light trespass, over-

illumination and astronomical interference.
 Littering
 Noise pollution, which encompasses roadway noise, aircraft
noise, industrial noise as well as high-intensity sonar.
 Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or
underground leakage. Among the most significant soil
contaminants arehydrocarbons, heavy metals, MTBE,
[10]
 herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons.
 Radioactive contamination, resulting from 20th century activities
in atomic physics, such as nuclear power generation and nuclear
weapons research, manufacture and deployment. (See alpha
emitters and actinides in the environment.)
 Thermal pollution, is a temperature change in natural water bodies
caused by human influence, such as use of water as coolant in a
power plant.
 Visual pollution, which can refer to the presence of
overhead power lines, motorway billboards, scarred landforms (as
from strip mining), open storage of trash or municipal solid waste.
 Water pollution, by the release of waste products and contaminants
into surface runoff into river drainage systems, leaching
into groundwater, liquid
spills, wastewater discharges, eutrophication and littering.
Pollutant
A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil. Three
factors determine the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, the
concentration and the persistence.
Sources and causes
Air pollution comes from both natural and man made sources. Though
globally man made pollutants from combustion, construction, mining,
agriculture and warfare are increasingly significant in the air pollution
equation.
Motor vehicle emissions are one of the leading causes of air
pollution. China, United States, Russia, Mexico, and Japan are the world
leaders in air pollution emissions. Principal stationary pollution sources
include chemical plants, coal-fired power plants, oil
refineries, petrochemical plants, nuclear waste disposal activity,
incinerators, large livestock farms (dairy cows, pigs, poultry,
etc.), PVC factories, metals production factories, plastics factories, and
other heavy industry. Agricultural air pollution comes from
contemporary practices which include clear felling and burning of
natural vegetation as well as spraying of pesticides and herbicides
About 400 million metric tons of hazardous wastes are generated each
year. The United States alone produces about 250 million metric
tons. Americans constitute less than 5% of the world's population, but
produce roughly 25% of the world’s CO2, and generate approximately
30% of world’s waste. In 2007, China has overtaken the United States as
the world's biggest producer of CO2.
In February 2007, a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), representing the work of 2,500 scientists from more
than 130 countries, said that humans have been the primary cause of
global warming since 1950. Humans have ways to cut greenhouse gas
emissions and avoid the consequences of global warming, a major
climate report concluded. But in order to change the climate, the
transition from fossil fuels like coal and oil needs to occur within
decades, according to the final report this year from the UN's
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Some of the more common soil contaminants are chlorinated
hydrocarbons (CFH), heavy metals (such as chromium, cadmium--found
in rechargeable batteries, and lead--found in leadpaint, aviation fuel and
still in some countries, gasoline), MTBE, zinc, arsenic and benzene. In
2001 a series of press reports culminating in a book called Fateful
Harvest unveiled a widespread practice of recycling industrial
byproducts into fertilizer, resulting in the contamination of the soil with
various metals. Ordinary municipal landfills are the source of many
chemical substances entering the soil environment (and often
groundwater), emanating from the wide variety of refuse accepted,
especially substances illegally discarded there, or from pre-1970
landfills that may have been subject to little control in the U.S. or EU.
There have also been some unusual releases of polychlorinated
dibenzodioxins, commonly called dioxinsfor simplicity, such as TCDD.
Pollution can also be the consequence of a natural disaster. For
example, hurricanes often involve water contamination from sewage,
and petrochemical spills from ruptured boats orautomobiles. Larger
scale and environmental damage is not uncommon when coastal oil
rigs or refineries are involved. Some sources of pollution, such
as nuclear power plants or oil tankers, can produce widespread and
potentially hazardous releases when accidents occur.
In the case of noise pollution the dominant source class is the motor
vehicle, producing about ninety percent of all unwanted noise
worldwide.
Effects
Human health

Overview of main health effects on humans from some common types of

pollution.
Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone
pollution can cause respiratory disease,cardiovascular
disease, throat inflammation, chest pain, and congestion. Water pollution
causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day, mostly due to
contamination of drinking water by untreated sewage in developing
countries. An estimated 700 million Indians have no access to a proper
toilet, and 1,000 Indian children die of diarrhoeal sickness every
day. Nearly 500 million Chinese lack access to safe drinking
water. 656,000 people die prematurely each year in China because of air
pollution. In India, air pollution is believed to cause 527,700 fatalities a
year. Studies have estimated that the number of people killed annually in
the US could be over 50,000.
Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution
induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, andsleep
disturbance. Mercury has been linked to developmental deficits in
children and neurologic symptoms. Older people are majorly exposed to
diseases induced by air pollution. Those with heart or lung disorders are
under additional risk. Children and infants are also at serious
risk. Lead and other heavy metals have been shown to cause
neurological problems. Chemical and radioactive substances
can cause cancer and as well as birth defects.
Environment
Pollution has been found to be present widely in the environment. There
are a number of effects of this:

 Biomagnification describes situations where toxins (such as heavy

metals) may pass through trophic levels, becoming exponentially
more concentrated in the process.
 Carbon dioxide emissions cause ocean acidification, the ongoing
decrease in the pH of the Earth's oceans as CO2 becomes dissolved.
 The emission of greenhouse gases leads to global warming which
affects ecosystems in many ways.
 Invasive species can out compete native species and
reduce biodiversity. Invasive plants can contribute debris and
biomolecules (allelopathy) that can alter soil and chemical
compositions of an environment, often reducing native
species competitiveness.
 Nitrogen oxides are removed from the air by rain and fertilise land
which can change the species composition of ecosystems.
 Smog and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight received by
plants to carry out photosynthesis and leads to the production
of tropospheric ozone which damages plants.
 Soil can become infertile and unsuitable for plants. This will affect
other organisms in the food web.
 Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can cause acid rain which
lowers the pH value of soil.
Environmental health information
The Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program
(TEHIP) at the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM)
maintains a comprehensive toxicology and environmental health web
site that includes access to resources produced by TEHIP and by other
government agencies and organizations. This web site includes links to
databases, bibliographies, tutorials, and other scientific and consumer-
oriented resources. TEHIP also is responsible for the Toxicology Data
Network (TOXNET®) an integrated system of toxicology and
environmental health databases that are available free of charge on the
web.
TOXMAP is a Geographic Information System (GIS) that is part of
TOXNET. TOXMAP uses maps of the United States to help users
visually explore data from the United States Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory and Superfund Basic
Research Programs.

Regulation and monitoring

To protect the environment from the adverse effects of pollution, many
nations worldwide have enacted legislation to regulate various types of
pollution as well as to mitigate the adverse effects of pollution.
Pollution control
Pollution control is a term used in environmental management. It means
the control of emissions and effluents into air, water or soil. Without
pollution control, the waste products from consumption, heating,
agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation and other human
activities, whether they accumulate or disperse, will degrade
the environment. In the hierarchy of controls, pollution
prevention and waste minimization are more desirable than pollution
control.
Practices
 recycling
Pollution control devices

 Dust collection systems

 Baghouses
 Cyclones
 Electrostatic precipitators
 Scrubbers
 Baffle spray scrubber
 Cyclonic spray scrubber
 Ejector venturi scrubber
 Mechanically aided scrubber
 Spray tower
 Wet scrubber
 Sewage treatment
 Activated sludge biotreaters
 API oil-water separators
 Biofilters
 Dissolved air flotation (DAF)
 Powdered activated carbon treatment
 Sedimentation (water treatment)
 Vapor recovery systems
Perspectives
The earliest precursor of pollution generated by life forms would have
been a natural function of their existence. The attendant consequences
on viability and population levels fell within the sphere of natural
selection. These would have included the demise of a population locally
or ultimately, species extinction. Processes that were untenable would
have resulted in a new balance brought about by changes and
adaptations. At the extremes, for any form of life, consideration of
pollution is superseded by that of survival.
For humankind, the factor of technology is a distinguishing and critical
consideration, both as an enabler and an additional source of byproducts.
Short of survival, human concerns include the range from quality of life
to health hazards. Since science holds experimental demonstration to be
definitive, modern treatment of toxicity or environmental harm involves
defining a level at which an effect is observable. Common examples of
fields where practical measurement is crucial include automobile
emissions control, industrial exposure (e.g.Occupational Safety and
HealtH Administration (OSHA) PELs), toxicology (e.g. LD50),
and medicine (e.g. medication and radiation doses).
"The solution to pollution is dilution", is a dictum which summarizes a
traditional approach to pollution management whereby sufficiently
diluted pollution is not harmful. It is well-suited to some other modern,
locally scoped applications such as laboratory safety procedure
and hazardous material release emergency management. But it assumes
that the dilutant is in virtually unlimited supply for the application or
that resulting dilutions are acceptable in all cases.
Such simple treatment for environmental pollution on a wider scale
might have had greater merit in earlier centuries when physical survival
was often the highest imperative, human population and densities were
lower, technologies were simpler and their byproducts more benign. But
these are often no longer the case. Furthermore, advances have enabled
measurement of concentrations not possible before. The use of statistical
methods in evaluating outcomes has given currency to the principle of
probable harm in cases where assessment is warranted but resorting to
deterministic models is impractical or unfeasible. In addition,
consideration of the environment beyond direct impact on human beings
has gained prominence.
Yet in the absence of a superseding principle, this older approach
predominates practices throughout the world. It is the basis by which to
gauge concentrations of effluent for legal release, exceeding which
penalties are assessed or restrictions applied. The regressive cases are
those where a controlled level of release is too high or, if enforceable, is
neglected. Migration from pollution dilution to elimination in many
cases is confronted by challenging economical and technological
barriers.
Greenhouse gases and global warmiNG

Historical and projected CO2 emissions by country.

Source: Energy Information Administration.
Carbon dioxide, while vital for photosynthesis, is sometimes referred to
as pollution, because raised levels of the gas in the atmosphere are
affecting the Earth's climate. Disruption of the environment can also
highlight the connection between areas of pollution that would normally
be classified separately, such as those of water and air. Recent studies
have investigated the potential for long-term rising levels of atmospheric
carbon dioxide to cause slight but critical increases in the acidity of
ocean waters, and the possible effects of this on marine ecosystems.

Noise pollution facts

Noise pollution is basically any form of noise which has potential to

disrupt the normal functioning of any natural ecosystem or some human community.

The main sources of noise pollution are coming from transportation and construction systems.

Noise pollution is not only causing environmental damage but it also has negative impact on human
health as it can cause conditions such as aggression, hypertension, high stress levels, hearing loss, sleep
disturbances, etc.

Noise pollution is especially serious issue in our seas and oceans, especially for creatures such as
dolphins and whales. Noise pollution has very negative impact on hearing sense of these animals, which
makes certain activities of these species such as hunting for prey and navigation very difficult.

Noise pollution in our oceans is constantly increasing because of the increased ship traffic and also
because of offshore oil drilling.

In United States still doesn't exist the specific body that would regulate noise pollution on federal level.

Unwanted noise causes species to communicate louder which is known as Lombard effect.

Noise pollution can be tackled by many different methods such as by using noise barriers, limiting vehicle
speeds, alteration of roadway surface texture, limitation of heavy vehicles, using special type of tires, etc.

Many people still do not regard noise pollution as serious issue that needs more attention on local, state
and international level but more like some type of annoyance which isn't so serious. This is the main
reason why there are many cities in the world that do not have a single law to regulate noise.

World without the excessive noise pollution coming from human sources would be a much quieter and
much more beautiful place to be.

Waste and recycling in EU - Quick facts

Despite the notable improvement in some EU countries the overall

conclusion is that the EU waste is still piling up, which means that EU will have to put more efforts into the
recycling solutions.

France, Sweden, Romania and Poland are EU countries which have managed to drastically reduce the
amount of waste generation.

In the period between the 2006 and 2008 EU-27 has managed to decrease its waste generation by more
than 10%.

The recycling rates between EU countries vary significantly, in fact in some EU countries they are only 3-
4% while in other they are even above 70%.

The good news is that overall recycling rates are increasing in EU, the current recycling levels rates for
the entire EU are estimated to be around 39%, which is more than 5% increase compared to the levels in
2005.

Municipal waste is not the fastest growing type of waste in EU, the fastest growing waste in EU comes
from different electronics such as mobile phones (growing three times more fast compared to municipal
waste).

The current levels of municipal waste in EU are at around 524 kg per person.

EU needs more recycling because recycling not only cleans environment, it also helps decrease the level
of greenhouse gas emissions, and it can also create many new jobs.

According to the EU's Waste Framework Directive (WFD) EU countries need to meet a 50% target for
recycling of municipal waste comprising paper, metal, plastic and glass, and also a 70% target for
construction and demolition waste by 2020.

Each EU member state is obliged to draw up specific waste management plans after analyzing their
current waste management situations in order to come up with the best possible solution.
Main sources of pollution and general health of our planet
Pollution is one of the biggest environmental problems but still many people do not take pollution problem
seriously as they should be. Many people still think that we can dump our garbage all over the planet
without any consequences which is not true. Since the start of industrial revolution we have been
continuously heavily polluting our planet, caring only for economic development, and not caring at all for
the health of environment we live in. Such lack of ecological conscience has caused severe pollution
across the whole planet. Levels of air, sea, and water pollution are extremely high, and are constantly
growing because industry isn’t letting go.

The main sources of pollution are definitely industry and vehicles. Heavy industries based on fossil fuels
are especially dangerous for our environment, and if we take a look at China and India for instance we
can see that rapid economic development actually has rather high environmental price. Heavy pollution
not only makes our environment ugly but is also the source of many respiratory and waterborne diseases
across the south-east Asia that are taking many human lives year after year.

The world biggest polluter is China but United States. are not far behind. These two countries release
majority of world’s total CO2 emissions into the atmosphere that not only causes pollution but also gives
more impact to climate change problem. The main sources of pollution are dirty fuels such as coal that
are releasing harmful gases and particles into our air and our atmosphere. Sadly air pollution is only one
form of global pollution and there are many other forms of pollution happening on our planet.

Our environment looks so much better without the pollution

People not only care little about the air they breathe but also about water they drink. Water is so precious
to our survival and people are still doing so little to protect water resources around the globe. In many
parts of the world, especially India and China, water is in some places well below the levels required for
safe drinking, with many people dying from different waterborne diseases and lack of basic sanitation.

Our sea is also heavily polluted. Each day we are dumping new garbage into our oceans; luckily oceans
are so huge that we are not able to see the actual damage that we are doing to them which is very likely
much bigger than we think it is.

Pollution is basically a form of environmental destruction. Harmful gases and particles, different types of
garbage and waste that is dumped each day into our environment is destroying inheritance that Mother
Nature left us.

Pollution from fossil fuels facts

 Here are some quick facts about the pollution coming from fossil fuels.

Fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) when burn create carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions that contribute to
global warming, and also some air pollutants like nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic
compounds, etc.

Fossil fuel burning is also responsible for the formation of acid rains, and acid rains are one of the most
vicious contributers to environmental pollution, mostly in form of water pollution (acid rains increase the
acidity of rivers, lakes and other water bodies).

The fossil fuel that mostly pollutes our planet is coal. Coal, when burned creates large amounts of coal
ash. Coal ash is known to have extremely negative impact on air and water pollution.

Fossil fuels also contain some radioactive elements like uranium and thorium so they can also contribute
to increased levels of radioactive pollution. These radioactive levels are not to be ignored because one
study showed that during 1982, US coal power plants released 155 times as much radioactivity into the
atmosphere as the infamous Three Mile Island incident.

Fossil fuels can also indirectly contribute to increased levels of pollution. For instance offshore oil drilling
can cause big ocean pollution which can cause serious problems for many marine ecosystems.

Oil tanker accidents can also cause huge levels of pollution in form of oil spills like for instance the
infamous Exxon Valdez oil spill. You all probably still remember what kind of environmental damage did
Gulf of Mexico oil spill done to nearby marine environment.

Many countries in the world still lack the adequate laws that would limit the levels of pollution connected
with fossil fuel burning. This is one of the reasons why world still fails to agree on new international
climate deal.

Many environmentalists believe that the best way to force fossil fuel industry to reduce the levels of
pollution would be in form of heavy taxes. Some energy experts fear that this would significantly increase
average energy bill because renewable energy is still not ready to replace fossil fuels on global level.

Moving away from fossil fuels would no doubt significantly decrease the environmental pollution on our
planet, but fossil fuels are sadly expected to remain dominant energy sources for at least next couple of
decades.
China remains the world's biggest CO2 polluter

China is still the world's biggest CO2 polluter, not only that, China has
also managed to significantly increase its carbon emissions, and compared to decade ago China's carbon
emissions rose by staggering 171 %.

Despite the strong development of renewable energy China's carbon emission continue to grow because
coal is still the most dominant fuel in China. The coal will very likely remain the dominant fuel in China for
at least the next decade.

India, another fast developing country is also polluting world with carbon emissions more than ever
before, and is now the third largest CO2 polluter in the world, behind China and United States, and before
Russia.

The remaining top ten CO2 polluters include Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea, Iran and United
Kingdom.

Though the United States has had declining CO2 emissions for two years running it is still the number
one in terms of per capita emissions among the top ten polluters with 18 tonnes emitted per person, while
world's largest polluter China has little less than 6 tonnes, and third ranked India only 1,38. By looking at
the global picture, world currently emits around 4.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions per person.

The environmentalists believe that the only way world can reduce CO2 emissions is by agreeing the new
international climate deal, a successor for Kyoto protocol. The climate talks have so far been just that
(talks), and international climate deal is still more in the sphere of dreams than the reality. This is mostly
because there is a big difference in opinion between the developed and developing world, and until this is
sorted out new climate deal looks almost impossible.

World still heavily depends on fossil fuels and renewable energy sector is still to weak to satisfy world's
ever-growing hunger for energy. Until this changes, carbon emissions will likely grow even further,
strengthening the impact of climate change and global warming.

Noise Pollution Causes

The sources/causes of noise pollution increased or probably originated with the invention of machines.
Let us have a look at the various noise pollution causes in detail.

Traffic: It is the biggest source of noise pollution in today's times, especially in urban areas. In the past
few years the number of automobile vehicles has increased manifold. Thus, traffic problems created by
these vehicles is an important source of noise pollution. The sound produced by the exhaust systems of
trucks, autos, buses, motorcycles, etc. cause a lot of noise.

Railway Stations: Locomotive engines of trains are an important source of noise pollution. Besides, the
shunting and switching operations in rail yards too cause noise pollution to a great extent. The whistles
and horns being used by the railway employees add to the effect and increase noise pollution.

Aircrafts: The national parks and wastelands were earlier considered to be the pollution free zones and
people traveled to these places for relaxation. Nowadays, however, the sound created by low flying
military aircrafts causes noise pollution in these areas too.

Industrial Noise: The various machines used in industries are also a major cause of noise pollution. The
different machines which are responsible for creating noise include the compressors, motors and other
machinery. It is therefore recommended to grow trees in the premises of industries, which act as
absorbents of noise. The trees grown in the premises of 'Tata Motors' an automobile company based in
India is a perfect example of how to reduce noise pollution in the industrial belts. Read more on effects of
industrial noise pollution.

Construction Equipment: The different types of machines and equipments used in construction of roads
and buildings is also an important cause behind noise pollution. The machinery used for the purpose of
construction includes pneumatic hammers, bulldozers, air compressors, dump trucks, loaders, pavement
breakers, etc. is also responsible for noise pollution to a great extent.

Household Equipment: The household equipments are amongst the minor contributors to noise pollution.
These machines include mixers, vacuum cleaners and other noise creating equipments. The effects of
noise pollution caused by these machines shouldn't be neglected. This is because one has to work in
close contact with the equipments and the magnitude of sound that one needs to bear is high.

Other Causes: The boilers, plumbing equipment, air conditioners, generators and fans contribute to noise
pollution to some extent. Noise created by people in public places too is a major contributor amongst
different sources. Loudspeakers used in public places are responsible for creating noise of a high
degree/amplitude.

Noise Pollution Effects on Humans

Noise pollution effects on human health is a matter of great concern. The reason being the adverse
consequences that high noise levels have on human health. Noise pollution can affect us in several ways,
some of which are listed below:

Hearing Problems: Exposure to noise can damage one of the most vital organs of the body, the ear.
Hearing impairment due to noise pollution can either be temporary or permanent. When the sound level
crosses the 70dB mark, it becomes noise for the ear. Noise levels above 80 decibels produce damaging
effects to the ear. When ear is exposed to extreme loud noise (above 100 decibels) for a considerable
period of time, it can cause irreparable damage and lead to permanent hearing loss.

Cardiovascular Issues: A noisy environment can be a source of heart related problems. Studies have
shown that high intensity sound cause a dramatic rise in blood pressure as noise levels constrict the
arteries, disrupting the blood flow. The heart rate (the number of heartbeats per minute) also increase.
These sudden abnormal changes in the blood increase the likelihood of cardiovascular diseases in the
long run. Read more on cardiovascular diseases.

Sleep Disturbances: This is one of the noise pollution effects that can deter your overall well being.
Noise can interrupt a good night's sleep, and when this occurs, the person feels extremely annoyed and
uncomfortable. People deprived of uninterrupted sleep show a sharp dip in their energy levels which often
results into extreme fatigue. This can considerably decrease a person's ability to work efficiently.

Interference in Verbal Communication: A noisy environment that produces more than 50-60 decibels
simply does not allow 2 people to communicate properly. Interpreting the speech of a second person
becomes quite difficult and may lead to misunderstandings.

Mental Health Problems: Exposure to loud sound can lead to elevated stress levels as well as stimulate
violent behavior. A constant noise in the vicinity can also trigger headaches, make people tense and
anxious, and disturb emotional balance.

Noise Pollution Effects and Control

Like water and air pollution, noise pollution too needs to be controlled. To bring down noise levels, one has
to first identify the sources of noise. Considering the ill effects of noise, some preventive steps need to be
taken to reduce noise levels at the source. Here are some tips to limit the noise:

 People living in the heart of city or near the airport, often have to bear the brunt of high noise
levels. To decrease noise, one can install dual-paned windows. Offices, too can use windows to
curb noise levels. Soundproofing is another alternative that can be looked at to reduce excessive
sound levels.
 Use of music systems and television sets with high volumes can cause noise pollution at home.
Instead, using these appliances with the volume kept at a moderate level is a better option.
 An effective way to manage noise would be to wear ear protection while working in noisy
conditions. Animals should be moved to some other place, away from the noise source, thereby
decreasing their noise exposure time.
 Vehicles and factory machines need to be maintained properly and checked from time to time.
Lack of maintenance will not only increase noise levels, but also decrease the efficiency of these
machines.

Noise pollution effects on the environment have also been studied. It is observed that keeping plants in a
noise producing environment can have an adverse impact on their growth and nutrient intake. Read more
on environmental pollution.

Air Pollution Causes: Fundamental Causes (1)

The humanity had known air pollution, to some extent or another, at least since the times the fire
had been invented.

But it was only with the onset of the industrial revolution in the 19 th century that people realized
the seriousness of the problem of air pollution and its often devastating effects.
In the last 200 years or so there appeared several fundamental trends which became the major
forces behind the surge in levels of air pollution throughout the globe.

 
Shanghai Traffic 
Photo: Jakob Montrasio

Industrialization  is the first fundamental pollution cause. Among other things, industrialization set
in motion the widespread use of fossil fuels (oil, gas & coal) which are now the main pollution
sources.

Population growth  is the second fundamental pollution cause. With population numbers literally
exploding around the world, the demand for food and other goods goes up. This demand is met by
expanded production and use of natural resources, which in its turn leads to higher levels
of environmental pollution in general, and air pollution in particular.

Globalization is the another major pollution cause. Globalization has become an effective facilitator
of air pollution. Developing countries usually have much looser laws on environmental protection.
With this “benefit” as well as the population growth and easy availability of cheap labor, big
industry prefers to move its facilities to such “pollution havens” rather than work in more regulated
markets.

So we won’t be wrong if we consider industrialization, population growth and globalization the

fundamental drivers of pollution, the very roots of the gigantic pollution tree.

Air Pollution Effects: Ozone Effects

Ozone (O3) is a poisonous gas with a sharp and cold odor.

It can be found in the stratosphere where it occurs naturally and plays a beneficial role by
protecting the Earth from ultraviolet sunlight; and in the troposphere where it occurs
naturally and also forms part of the human-caused photochemical smog.

It is of course the tropospheric ozone that we are interested in as an important air pollutant.

The chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the
presence of sunlight results in the photochemical smog; the tropospheric ozone is an end product
of this reaction and a component of the smog itself.
 
Santiago Smog 
Photo: Phil Whitehouse

Because the photochemical smog requires a lot of sunshine to form, it occurs mostly in sunny and
heavily polluted places, such as Los Angeles, Mexico City and even Athens.
Ozone’s main “victim” within the human body is its respiratory system.

Once in the lungs, ozone burns through cell walls. The immune system fails to protect the lungs
because ozone pushes the defensive cells back. As cellular fluid starts seeping into the lungs,
breathing becomes rapid, shallow and painful. (26)

Exposure to ozone over long periods of time leads to a stiffening of the lungs and a reduced ability
to breathe. (27)

As an example, a study conducted in California in the 1980s shows that children living in ozone-
polluted areas have smaller than normal lungs and adults lose up to 75% of their lung capacity.
(28)

So, exposure to the tropospheric ozone may cause (29, 30, 31):

 Burning nose and watering eyes

 Tightening of the chest

 Coughing, wheezing and throat irritation

 Rapid, shallow, painful breathing

 Susceptibility to respiratory infections

 Inflammation and damage to the lining of the lungs

 Aggravation of asthma

 Fatigue

 Cancer

Air Pollution Effects: Ammonia Effects

Ammonia is a colorless, pungent, hazardous caustic gas composed of nitrogen and hydrogen.

Though ammonia is used for different applications in many sectors, agriculture is its largest
consumer and producer.

Livestock farming, animal waste and fertilizer application are the biggest sources of atmospheric
ammonia emissions within the agricultural sector.

Gaseous ammonia is a dangerous air pollutant. Breathing in large amounts can cause death. (32)

So, ammonia pollution effects are (33, 34, 35):

On the respiratory system :

 Ammonia Fertilization 
Australia, c. 1975 
Photo: Rae Allen

 Nose & throat irritation and burns (their severity increasing with the increased ammonia
concentrations)

 Swelling of the throat and airways; airways destruction

 Pulmonary edema

 Chronic lung disease

 Cough

 Asthma

 Lung fibrosis

 Inhaling large amounts of ammonia can be fatal

On the skin & eyes :

 Skin burns

 Skin conditions, ex. dermatitis

 Burning sensation in the eyes

 Ulceration & perforation of the cornea (can occur months after exposure); blindness

 Cataracts & glaucoma

We know that ammonia is most hazardous when emitted or released in very high concentrations.

A recent example of the dangers posed by high ammonia concentrations is a train derailment
which occurred in Minot, North Dakota, on January 18, 2002 and resulted in a massive gaseous
ammonia leak of around 200,000 gallons. The leak formed a toxic cloud that drifted over the town
for some time.

As a result of this accident, one man died and many others were seriously injured. (36)

Air Pollution Effects: Volatile Organic Compounds

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are defined as organic compounds which easily evaporate and
enter the atmosphere.

VOCs are important pollutants for two reasons.

 First , they are precursors to the formation of ozone (which is part of the photochemical
smog); second, they include compounds which are carcinogenic and mutagenic in their own right.
(37)
 
Oil is a source of VOCs 
Photo: Jay-P

Typical VOCs include propane, benzene, ethanol, methanol, ether, carbon tetrachloride and vinyl
chloride; substances such as petrol and resins contain many individual VOCs, and many others are
produced during combustion processes. (38)

Toxicity of some VOCs and ensuing health effects are no doubt issues of serious concern.

For example, exposure to benzene and 1,3-butadiene is a suspected cause of around 10% of

leukemia incidence in the UK. (39)

Exposure to toluene – another dangerous VOC – may lead to the dysfunction of the central nervous
system resulting in behavioral problems, memory loss and disturbance of the circadian rhythm
(40); toluene is also suspected to cause cancer (41).

Some other VOCs, ex. carbon tetrachloride and PCBs, are believed to produce abnormal changes in
fetus development (42) and consequently lead to birth defects. Carbon tetrachloride also leads to
liver damage (43).

Vinyl chloride causes Raynaud's phenomenon (spasms in the small arteries that cause the
extremities to become pale and cold, as well as painful), necrosis of the small bones of the hand,
liver damage, and a rare, highly malignant tumor of the liver. (44)

Causes of Soil Pollution

By an eHow Contributor

Soil pollution, also commonly known as soil contamination, is a condition that occurs when soil loses its
structure, biological properties and chemical properties due to the use of various man-made chemicals
and other natural changes in the soil environment. This form of pollution is generally more common in
developed countries, such as the USA and the United Kingdom, as compared to developing countries.
Factors often believed to contribute to soil pollution include the use of chemicals such as fertilizers, the
salinity of the soil and environmental changes. Some of the most common factors causing soil pollution
are elucidated and discussed at length below.

Use of Chemicals
1. Excessive use of chemicals such as pesticides, insecticides and fertilizers is one of the prime
factors causing soil pollution. These chemicals adversely affect the soil by increasing its salinity
and making it imperfect for crop bearing. The excessive use of chemicals also adversely affects
the microorganisms present in the soil, causing the soil to lose its fertility and resulting in the loss
of minerals present in the soil, thus causing soil pollution.
 Soil Erosion
2. Another common cause contributing to soil pollution is soil erosion. Soil erosion occurs when
topsoil moves from one place to another as a result of various natural and man-made factors,
such as wind, water, deforestation and farming. The loss of topsoil due to erosion results in a loss
of soil fertility and a decrease in the soil's capacity to retain water, thus ultimately causing the soil
left behind after erosion to be rendered unfit to produce crops.

Salty Water
3. While water is one of the most essential ingredients that is required for the normal growth of
crops, the use of water with a high salinity, that is, water that contains higher amounts of salts
such as sodium chloride [NaCl], adversely affects the soil as well as the crop growth. The salts
present in the water accumulate in the top layer of the soil, resulting in decreased growth of crops
and decreased yields, and ultimately making the soil and the land unfit for crop yielding and other
agricultural practices.

Other Common Factors Causing Soil Pollution

4. Other factors considered to be major contributors to soil pollution include chemical runoff from
industries and factories, petroleum and other oil leaks from vehicles and improper discharge of
sewage wastes.

Prevention/Solution
5. Among the various preventive measures often employed to combat soil pollution, some of the the
most common and most effective measures include reducing the use of salty water and
chemicals, using microorganisms that help in regaining the lost fertility of the soil by digesting D
Solid Waste 
certain chemical wastes and ensuring that proper methods for waste disposal are always used.

Solid waste
Components of Municipal Solid Waste A chairman vital in an industrialized republic produces the
good accumulation of plain waste, mostly the brew of potentially reusable or recyclable equipment
(such as paper as well as back back yard waste) as well as mostly nonrecyclable element (such as
food rubbish as well as many sorts of plastic). Of the metropolitan plain rubbish (the rubbish picked
up from residences as well as businesses) constructed in the United States in 2000, about two-fifths
of the paper, metal, as well as back back yard rubbish was recycled, as well as about one-quarter of
the potion was recycled. 

Solid wastes have been neglected plain materials such as garbage, paper, plastics as well as
alternative fake materials, metals, as well as wood. Billions of tons of plain rubbish have been thrown
out annually. The United States alone produces about 200 million metric tons of metropolitan plain
rubbish any year (see Solid Waste Disposal). A standard American generates an normal of 2 kg (4
lb) of plain rubbish any day. Cities in economically grown countries furnish distant some-more plain
rubbish per capita than those in building countries. Moreover, rubbish from grown countries typically
contains the tall commission of fake materials which take longer to spoil than the essentially
biodegradable rubbish materials of building countries. 

Overflowing Landfill An normal city renter competence furnish the ton of exclude in the year, the
volume which fast overflows internal dumps. Cities regulating out of space for landfill mostly spin to
incinerating their rubbish or transporting it to alternative areas, nonetheless up to 90 percent of the
element competence have been recycled. 

  

Areas where wastes have been buried, called landfills, have been the cheapest as well as many
usual ordering process for plain wastes worldwide. But landfills fast spin exuberant as well as
competence pervert air, soil, as well as water. Incineration, or burning, of rubbish reduces the
volume of plain rubbish though produces unenlightened pallid wastes (some of which spin airborne)
which mostly enclose dangerous concentrations of dangerous materials such as complicated metals
as well as poisonous compounds. Composting, regulating healthy biological processes to speed the
decay of organic wastes, is an in effect plan for trade with organic rubbish as well as produces the
element which can be used as the healthy fertilizer. Recycling, extracting as well as reusing sure
rubbish materials, has spin an vicious partial of metropolitan plain rubbish strategies in grown
countries. According to the EPA, some-more than one-fourth of the metropolitan plain rubbish
constructed in the United States is right divided recycled or composted. Recycling additionally plays
the significant, spontaneous purpose in plain rubbish government for many Asian countries, such as
India, where orderly waste-pickers brush streets as well as dumps for equipment such as plastics,
which they operate or resell. 

Expanding recycling programs worldwide can assistance revoke plain rubbish pollution, though the
pass to elucidate critical plain rubbish problems lies in shortening the volume of rubbish generated.
Waste prevention, or source reduction, such as altering the approach products have been written or
made to have them simpler to reuse, reduces the tall costs compared with environmental pollution. 

E Hazardous Waste 

Toxic Waste in Love Canal Residents of the Love Canal area in Niagara Falls were forced to leave
when dangerous wastes leaking from the former ordering site in jeopardy their illness as well as
homes in the late 1970s. One of the many scandalous cases of poisonous rubbish leakage, the
predicament perceived courtesy upon both internal as well as inhabitant levels. Investigation spurred
by open snub suggested which many rubbish ordering sites similar to Love Canal existed
nationwide; New York alone had multiform hundred. Several states upheld stricter regulations upon
industrial rubbish ordering as well as allocated billions of dollars for the cleanup of infested areas. 

  

Hazardous wastes have been solid, liquid, or gas wastes which competence be lethal or deleterious
to people or the sourroundings as well as lend towards to be determined or nondegradable in nature.
Such wastes embody poisonous chemicals as well as incendiary or hot substances, together with
industrial wastes from containing alkali plants or chief reactors, rural wastes such as pesticides as
well as fertilizers, healing wastes, as well as domicile dangerous wastes such as poisonous paints
as well as solvents. 

About 400 million metric tons of dangerous wastes have been generated any year. The United
States alone produces about 250 million metric tons—70 percent from the containing alkali industry.
The use, storage, transportation, as well as ordering of these substances poise critical
environmental as well as illness risks. Even short bearing to the little of these materials can equates
to cancer, bieing born defects, shaken complement disorders, as well as death. Large-scale
releases of dangerous materials competence equates to thousands of deaths as well as pervert air,
water, as well as dirt for many years. The world’s misfortune chief reactor collision took place
circuitously Chernobyl’, Ukraine, in 1986 (see Chernobyl’ Accident). The collision killed during
slightest 31 people, forced the depletion as well as relocation of some-more than 200,000 more, as
well as sent the plume of hot element in to the ambience which infested areas as distant divided as
Norway as well as the United Kingdom. 

Until the Minamata Bay decay was detected in Japan in the 1960s as well as 1970s, many
dangerous wastes were legally dumped in plain rubbish landfills, buried, or dumped in to lakes,
rivers, as well as oceans. Legal regulations right divided shorten how such materials competence be
used or disposed, though such laws have been formidable to make as well as mostly contested by
industry. It is not odd for industrial firms in grown countries to compensate poorer countries to accept
shipments of plain as well as dangerous wastes, the operate which has spin well well well well well
well known as the rubbish trade. Moreover, cleaning up the drifting transfer of the mid-20th century
is costing billions of dollars as well as surpassing really slowly, if during all. The United States has an
estimated 217,000 dangerous rubbish dumps which need evident action. Cleaning them up could
take some-more than thirty years as well as price $187 billion. 

Hazardous wastes of sold regard have been the hot wastes from the chief appetite as well as
weapons industries. To date there is no protected process for permanent ordering of aged fuel
elements from chief reactors. Most have been kept in storage comforts during the strange reactor
sites where they were generated. With the finish of the Cold War, chief warheads which have been
decommissioned, or no longer in use, additionally poise storage as well as ordering problems. 
thermal pollution:-
It is a well-known fact that burning of fossil fuels in power plants, industrial furnaces and vehicle engines causes air
pollution. However, a lesser known impact associated with these power generation processes is thermal pollution.
Thermal pollution refers to the addition of large amounts of waste heat to the environment; the causes of thermal
pollution are almost the same as those causing air pollution.

Causes of Thermal Pollution

From motor vehicles to most of the electricity produced at power plants, the primary form of energy involved is heat.
The device that converts heat into other useful forms of energy is called a heat engine. A common example of a heat
engine is a car engine in which heat energy is released from oil burning converting into mechanical energy or motion.

Like any real-world process, combustion of fuels and subsequent conversion of heat into other energy forms are
imperfect. The inherent inefficiency of energy conversion processes results in heat losses to the environment. The
heat addition to the environment poses serious threats to humans, animals and plants.
Even though nuclear power plants do not cause air pollution, they are a conspicuous source of thermal pollution.
Nuclear power plants are usually built near large water reservoirs such as lakes, rivers or oceans due to requirement
for cooling water. Although the water used for cooling purposes in plant condensers is recycled before returning to
the source, its temperature remains significantly high and may have severe impacts.

Effects of Thermal Pollution

The residual heat released by power plants adds to the environment and impacts its inhabitants harshly. Since hot
water holds relatively less oxygen; many species in these habitats face difficulty in survival. The cooling towers used
in power plants release heat directly into the atmosphere, which raises the air temperature drastically, thus
contributing to global warming .

Water heating due to thermal pollution alters marine ecology to a great extent; hotter water favors some species while
it is harmful to others. In a similar way, during nuclear plant startup, shutdown for repair and maintenance and then
sudden startup creates abrupt temperature changes in water contained in lakes. These thermal shocks can be lethal
for certain aquatic species.

How to Control Thermal Pollution

The problem of thermal pollution is unavoidable. It can be reduced, however. Engineers can make efforts to ensure
minimum heat losses by improving thermal efficiencies of heat engines. Nonetheless, the best solution is to reduce
consumption of fossil fuels and to limit day-to-day energy usage. The development of alternative energy resources
such as solar power, wind energy and hydropower can also be beneficial.

The Problem of Thermal Pollution

Thermal pollution is caused by burning of fossil fuels in cars and power plants. Nuclear power plants are also a
significant source of heat release to lakes and rivers. The excessive heat discharged to the environment damages
aquatic species and contributes to global warming. The problem can be countered by reducing fossil fuel
consumption and dedicating less energy for daily needs.

Radiation Pollution
by giniephaj » Tue Oct 20, 2009 4:07 am

RADIATION POLLUTION
By giniephaj

Do you know what Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Chernobyl have in common? One thing- these three places
were exposed to a tremendous amount of radiation. And the people living here suffered the
devastating effect of radiation which up to this day are still being experienced by the victims or their
offspring.
The word radiation is a general term use to describe a variety of rays to which life on earth maybe
exposed. There are lot of kinds of radiations including ultraviolet rays, infrared rays, cosmic rays and
rays from radioactive materials.
There are three types of radiation-the alpha, beta and gamma. These radiations are known as ionizing
radiation which has the capacity to form ions in the body tissues and it is this ions that bring damage to
the tissues.
Radiation pollution has bad effect on both land and to human health.
The land that was exposed to radiation will be unfertile. It would not be fitted for farming anymore
and probably no living organisms would survive. And this would be too dangerous for human being. The
saddest part is radioactive substances would take thousands of years to vanish.
Radiation is very dangerous when you are openly exposed to it. But of course there are also normal
effects like in the case of photosynthesis and vision in animals but it could be very harmful to human
because to much expose in radiation could cause harmful effects such as cancer, anemia, burns and
vomiting.
The effects of radiation to human health would depend upon the amount of radiation the person was
exposed to. And there are other factors to consider such as the length of exposure, type of radiation,
age, and health of the person and also the part of the body that was exposed.
Today, high level exposure is very rare due to the advancement of technology. It could come from
defective or badly damage nuclear plants, ammunitions of factories, and nuclear war . Accidents
arising from the transport of nuclear fuel and waste can also results in dangerously high level of
radiations. Also there are other small sources or radiation such as computers, cell phones and other
appliances which produces radiation.
Radiation pollution is very dangerous not just to our nature but also to us. We should be awake to the
danger radiations could bring us. We should be aware of the serious and harmful effect of radiations to
human beings and other organisms.

 Radiation pollution is not addressed often, perhaps because it does not usually have an immediate
reaction to link its effects with symptoms. Because of these health risks, many are weary of the safety of
nuclear power plants and the long-term storage of their radioactive wastes. When ionized radiation is
absorbed through the body's tissue, it has the ability to break down cells by removing electrons in the
atoms damaging or killing the cells.

Natural causes
 The largest impact of naturally caused radiation pollution occurs when a person breathes radon gas
that is trapped within buildings. According to Princeton University, in the United States, radon is
responsible for approximately 229 millirems per year per person, and accounts for one-third of the
average yearly total from all sources. This usually occurs in homes with basements that are not properly
vented for radon. Certain geographic areas can be more prone to radon gas exposure, because radon
emanates from the ground due to the decay of uranium and thorium. Also, granite found in home
furnishings such as counter tops and furniture tends to emit radon, which can add to the indoor
accumulation. Other more mild forms of natural radioactive elements include: radioactive materials in the
earth's crust, rays from the cosmos and trace amounts of radioactivity in the body.

Man-made causes
 The main source of man-made caused radiation toxicity primarily comes from medical procedures
such as CT scans and nuclear medicine procedures. According to Princeton University, these
procedures, including x-rays account for about 300 millirems per year per average person in the U.S. As
reported by the University of California, San Francisco, one CT scan is equivalent to 74 mammograms
 and 442 chest x-rays. Reports from the Archives of Internal Medicine estimate that computerized
tomography (CT) scans could lead to 29,000 new cancers each year.

Effects
  Effects can be as mild as skin irritation to death depending on how much radiation is exposed
to the body, what parts of the body are exposed and how strong the immune system is. Other effects are
blood component changes, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea and cancer as stated by Jefferson Lab.
Exposure to the overall body is much more harmful than the same amount of radiation intensity on a small
portion of the body. Some parts of the body are also more sensitive to radiation cell damage than others.
The most sensitive are blood and blood related organs and the most insensitive is the nervous system.


 Effects of soil pollution
pollution runs off into rivers and kills the fish, plants and other aquatic life
 crops and fodder grown on polluted soil may pass the pollutants on to the consumers
 polluted soil may no longer grow crops and fodder
 Soil structure is damaged (clay ionic structure impaired)
 corrosion of foundations and pipelines
 impairs soil stability
 may release vapours and hydrocarbon into buildings and cellars
 may create toxic dusts 
 may poison children playing in the area

 pollution runs off into rivers and kills the fish, plants and other aquatic life
 crops and fodder grown on polluted soil may pass the pollutants on to the consumers
 polluted soil may no longer grow crops and fodder
 Soil structure is damaged (clay ionic structure impaired)
 corrosion of foundations and pipelines
 impairs soil stability
 may release vapours and hydrocarbon into buildings and cellars
 may create toxic dusts 
 may poison children playing in the area

What are the Effects of Soil Pollution?

The effects of pollution on soil are quite alarming and can cause huge disturbances in the ecological
balance and health of living creatures on earth. Some of the most serious soil pollution effects are
mentioned below.

 Decrease in soil fertility and therefore decrease in the soil yield. Definitely, how can one expect a
contaminated soil to produce healthy crops?
 Loss of soil and natural nutrients present in it. Plants also would not thrive in such a soil, which
would further result in soil erosion.
 Disturbance in the balance of flora and fauna residing in the soil.
 Increase in salinity of the soil, which therefore makes it unfit for vegetation, thus making it useless
and barren.
 Generally crops cannot grow and flourish in a polluted soil. Yet if some crops manage to grow,
then those would be poisonous enough to cause serious health problems in people consuming
them.
 Creation of toxic dust leading is another potential effect of soil pollution.
 Foul smell due to industrial chemicals and gases might result in headaches, fatigue, nausea, etc.
in many people.
 Soil pollutants would bring in alteration in the soil structure, which would lead to death of many
essential organisms in it. This would also affect the larger predators and compel them to move to
other places, once they lose their food supply.