When harmful substances contaminate the environment , it is called pollution .

OR
Pollution is an undesirable change in physical, chemical or biological characteristics of air, water
and soil that may harmfully affect man, animal and the plant life, industrial progress, living
conditions and cultural assets .

Environmental Pollution is actually the result of URBAN INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGICAL

REVOLUTION and SPEEDY EXPLOITATION of every bit of natural resources.
The atmosphere is a dynamic system, steadily absorbs various pollutants from natural and
anthropogenic sources.
Clean air is defined as air occurring in areas sufficiently distant from places of human activities
and other abnormal influences.
As per The World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution is limited to situations in which the
outer ambient atmosphere contains materials in concentrations which are harmful to man and
his environment.
Air pollutants are substances causing damage to target or receptor. The target may be man,
animal, plant, tree, building or material which is affected by pollutants.
 NATURAL SOURCES: The natural sources of air pollution are volcanic eruptions and
gases, forest fires, marsh gases, pollen grains of flowers, soil debris etc.
 MAN MADE SOURCES: Increase in population, deforestation, burning of fossil fuels ,
vehicular emissions, rapid industrialisation, agricultural activities and many more.
Effect on Wildlife: Just like humans, animals also face some devastating affects of air pollution.
Toxic chemicals present in the air can force wildlife species to move to new place and change
their habitat. The toxic pollutants deposit over the surface of the water and can also affect sea
animals.
Respiratory and heart problems: The effects of Air pollution are alarming. They are known to
create several respiratory and heart conditions along with Cancer, among other threats to the
body. Several millions are known to have died due to direct or indirect effects of Air pollution.
Children in areas exposed to air pollutants are said to commonly suffer from pneumonia and
asthma.
Ground-level ozone: Chemical reactions involving air pollutants create a poisonous gas ozone
(O3). Gas Ozone can affect people’s health and can damage vegetation types and some animal
life too.
Acidification:
Chemical reactions involving air pollutants can create acidic compounds which can cause
harm to vegetation and buildings. Sometimes, when an air pollutant, such as sulfuric acid
combines with the water droplets that make up clouds, the water droplets become acidic,
forming acid rain. When acid rain falls over an area, it can kill trees and harm animals, fish,
and other wildlife.

Acid rain destroys the leaves of plants. When acid rain infiltrates into soils, it changes the
chemistry of the soil making it unfit for many living things that depend on the soil as a habitat
or for nutrition. Acid rain also changes the chemistry of the lakes and streams that the
rainwater flows into, harming fish and other aquatic life.
Eutrophication:
Rain can carry and deposit the Nitrogen in some pollutants on rivers and soils. This will
adversely affect the nutrients in the soil and water bodies. This can result in algae growth in lakes
and water bodies, and make conditions for other living organism harmful.
1. Use public mode of transportation: Encourage people to use more and more public modes of
transportation to reduce pollution. Also, try to make use of car pooling. If you and your
colleagues come from the same locality and have same timings you can explore this option to
save energy and money.
2. Conserve energy: Switch off fans and lights when you are going out. Large amount of fossil
fuels are burnt to produce electricity. You can save the environment from degradation by reducing
the amount of fossil fuels to be burned.
3. Understand the concept of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle: Do not throw away items that are of
no use to you. In-fact reuse them for some other purpose. For e.g. you can use old jars to store
cereals or pulses.
4. Emphasis on clean energy resources: Clean energy technologies like solar, wind
and geothermal are on high these days. Governments of various countries have been providing
grants to consumers who are interested in installing solar panels for their home. This will go a
long way to curb air pollution.
5. Use energy efficient devices: CFL lights consume less electricity as against their counterparts.
They live longer, consume less electricity, lower electricity bills and also help you to reduce
pollution by consuming less energy.
Over two thirds of Earth's surface is covered by water ,less than a third is taken up by land. As
Earth's population continues to grow, people are putting ever-increasing pressure on the planet's
water resources. In a sense, our oceans, rivers, and other inland waters are being "squeezed" by
human activities—not so they take up less room, but so their quality is reduced. Poorer water
quality means water pollution.

Water pollution shows the addition of foreign substances, either from natural or anthropogenic
sources, may be harmful to life because of their toxicity, reduction of normal oxygen level of
water, aesthetically unsuitable and spread epidemic diseases.
Most water pollution doesn't begin in the water itself. Take the oceans: around 80 percent of
ocean pollution enters our seas from the land. Virtually any human activity can have an effect on
the quality of our water environment..
1.Industrial waste: Industries produce huge amount of waste which contains toxic chemicals and
pollutants which can cause air pollution and damage to us and our environment. They contain
pollutants such as lead, mercury, sulphur, asbestos, nitrates and many other harmful chemicals.
Many industries do not have proper waste management system and drain the waste in the fresh
water which goes into rivers, canals and later in to sea. The toxic chemicals have the capability
to change the color of water, increase the amount of minerals, also known as Eutrophication,
change the temperature of water and pose serious hazard to water organisms.
2. Sewage and waste water: The sewage and waste water that is produced by each household is
chemically treated and released in to sea with fresh water. The sewage water carries harmful
bacteria and chemicals that can cause serious health problems. Pathogens are known as a
common water pollutant; The sewers of cities house several pathogens and thereby diseases.
Microorganisms in water are known to be causes of some very deadly diseases and become the
breeding grounds for other creatures that act like carriers. These carriers inflict these diseases via
various forms of contact onto an individual.
3. Mining activities: Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other
minerals from underground. These elements when extracted in the raw form contains harmful
chemicals and can increase the amount of toxic elements when mixed up with water which may
result in health problems. Mining activities emit several metal waste and sulphides from the
rocks and is harmful for the water.
4. Marine dumping: The garbage produce by each household in the form of paper, aluminum,
rubber, glass, plastic, food if collected and deposited into the sea in some countries. These items
take from 2 weeks to 200 years to decompose. When such items enters the sea, they not only
cause water pollution but also harm animals in the sea.
5. Accidental Oil leakage: Oil spill pose a huge concern as large amount of oil enters into the sea
and does not dissolve with water; there by opens problem for local marine wildlife such as fish,
birds and sea otters. For e.g.: a ship carrying large quantity of oil may spill oil if met with an
accident and can cause varying damage to species in the ocean depending on the quantity of oil
spill, size of ocean, toxicity of pollutant
6. Burning of fossil fuels: Fossil fuels like coal and oil when burnt produce substantial amount of
ash in the atmosphere. The particles which contain toxic chemicals when mixed with water vapor
result in acid rain. Also, carbon dioxide is released from burning of fossil fuels which result in
global warming.
7. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides: Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used by farmers to
protect crops from insects and bacteria. They are useful for the plants growth. However, when
these chemicals are mixed up with water produce harmful for plants and animals. Also, when it
rains, the chemicals mixes up with rainwater and flow down into rivers and canals which pose
serious damages for aquatic animals.
8. Leakage from sewer lines: A small leakage from the sewer lines can contaminate the
underground water and make it unfit for the people to drink. Also, when not repaired on time, the
leaking water can come on to the surface and become a breeding ground for insects
and mosquitoes.
9. Global warming: An increase in earth’s temperature due to greenhouse effect results in global
warming. It increases the water temperature and result in death of aquatic animals and marine
species which later results in water pollution.
10. Radioactive waste: Nuclear energy is produced using nuclear fission or fusion. The element
that is used in production of nuclear energy is Uranium which is highly toxic chemical. The
nuclear waste that is produced by radioactive material needs to be disposed off to prevent any
nuclear accident. Nuclear waste can have serious environmental hazards if not disposed off
properly. Few major accidents have already taken place in Russia and Japan.
 Contamination of groundwater from pesticides causes damage to the reproductive system in
the wildlife ecosystem.
 When sewage water, agricultural run-off that contain organic materials are discharged into
fresh water, causes increase in the growth of algae in turn causing oxygen depletion.
 Low levels of oxygen in rivers and lakes due to water pollution are a major cause for
extinction of indigenous organisms.
 Destruction in ecosystem is caused due to the rise in temperature in water like the coral reefs
are affected by the bleaching effect due to warmer temperatures.
 Water pollution may also cause flooding due to accumulation of solid waste and soil erosion
in streams and rivers.
 Ground water and surface water are contaminated with heavy metals, persistent organic
pollutants and nutrients.
 Water pollution kills life that inhabits the water-based ecosystem, disrupting the natural food
chain.
 Water pollution kills life that depends on these water bodies.
 Fishes and the aquatic organisms are poisoned due to industrial chemicals and agricultural
pesticides.
 Human litter let into water system gets the aquatic animals caught and can get killed due to
suffocation.
 Oil spills in water causes animals to die as they ingest it or come across it. Oil cannot be
dissolved in water so it causes suffocation in fish and birds.
 Oil-contaminated water causes water birds to die from exposure to cold water and air due to
feather damage.
 Animals that eat dead fish from contaminated streams are affected.
 Reproduction rate in reduced in aquatic organisms.
 Incidences of diseases increase.
 Humans are affected by water pollution. Diseases like hepatitis are caused by eating seafood
that is poisoned or contaminated.
 In developing nations, there are frequent outbreaks of cholera and diseases due to poor
drinking water quality from contaminated waters.
 Swimming and drinking in contaminated water can causes skin diseases and also can lead to
cancer, reproductive problems, typhoid fever and stomach ailments in humans.
 Heavy metals poisoning due to consumption of contaminated fish. For example : Mercury
poisoning interferes with the nervous system development in fetus and young children.
 Polluted drinking water can causes cholera or typhoid infections and also diarrhea.
 Highly polluted water can harm internal organs like heart and kidneys.
 Pesticide contamination of ground water can cause endocrine and reproductive problems to
animals and humans.
 Pesticides like organophosphates and carbonates affect and damage the nervous system.
Use Less Plastic
It is very difficult to break down plastic after it is produced. Much of the plastic we consume ends
up in the world’s water supply, where it is even harder to fish out and safely throw away.
Reuse Items
Whenever you buy something that is not recyclable, such as plastic, it is better to reuse this item
as many times as possible. This limits your consumption and means less of those products will
end up in the world’s rivers, lakes and oceans.
Recyclable Options
If there are two options for a particular item, pick the one that is easily recyclable. Glass bottles
are much better for the environment than plastic, for example.
Do Not Dispose Oils in the Sink
While there is nothing wrong with consuming oils in your food, or applying them on your body, it
is a bad idea to dispose of oils in the sink. It is better to dispose of oils in the garbage, or collect
all your excess oil in one bottle and then throw that away.
Garbage Disposal
Even though most homes have a garbage disposal system in the sink, it is better to use it as rarely
as possible. This system can break down solid objects, but those items are harmful to the water
supply. It is better to throw them in the trash can when possible.
Dishwashing or Laundry
Only use your dishwasher or washing machine when it is close to being full. Using these
machines to clean one or two dishes, or a few pairs of clothes, is an incredible waste of water.
The less amount of water you use during washing, the less
Limit the Use of Detergents and Bleaches
While it is okay to use detergents and bleaches in dishwashers and washing machines, it is better
to limit your use as much as possible. Do not put two cups of bleach in your washing machine
when the instructions only call for half a cup.
Use Environmentally Friendly Detergents
Whenever possible, get environmentally friendly detergents, soaps and dishwashing liquids.
While these are sometimes more expensive, you are doing the environment a great service by
using less harmful substances.
Noise pollution takes place when there is either excessive amount of noise or an unpleasant sound
that causes temporary disruption in the natural balance.
1. Industrialization: Most of the industries use big machines which are capable of producing
large amount of noise. Apart from that, various equipments like compressors, generators, exhaust
fans, grinding mills also participate in producing big noise. Therefore, you must have seen
workers in these factories and industries wearing ear plugs to minimize the effect of noise.
2. Poor Urban Planning: In most of the developing countries, poor urban planning also play a
vital role. Congested houses, large families sharing small space, fight over parking, frequent
fights over basic amenities leads to noise pollution which may disrupt the environment of society.
3. Social Events: Noise is at its peak in most of the social events. Whether it is marriage, parties,
pub, disc or place of worship, people normally flout rules set by the local administration and
create nuisance in the area. People play songs on full volume and dance till midnight which
makes the condition of people living nearby pretty worse. In markets, you can see people selling
clothes via making loud noise to attract the attention of people.
4. Transportation: Large number of vehicles on roads, airplanes flying over houses,
underground trains produce heavy noise and people get it difficult to get accustomed to that. The
high noise leads to a situation wherein a normal person lose the ability to hear properly.
1. Hearing Problems: Any unwanted sound that our ears have not been built to filter can cause
problems within the body. Our ears can take in a certain range of sounds without getting
damaged. Man made noises such as jackhammers, horns, machinery, airplanes and even vehicles
can be too loud for our hearing range. Constant exposure to loud levels of noise can easily result
in the damage of our ear drums and loss of hearing. It also reduces our sensitivity to sounds that
our ears pick up unconsciously to regulate our body’s rhythm.
2. Health Issues: Excessive noise pollution in working areas such as offices, construction sites,
bars and even in our homes can influence psychological health. Studies show that the occurrence
of aggressive behavior, disturbance of sleep, constant stress, fatigue and hypertension can be
linked to excessive noise levels. These in turn can cause more severe and chronic health issues
later in life.
3. Sleeping Disorders: Loud noise can certainly hamper your sleeping pattern and may lead to
irritation and uncomfortable situations. Without a good night sleep, it may lead to problems
related to fatigue and your performance may go down in office as well as at home. It is therefore
recommended to take a sound sleep to give your body proper rest.
 Factories, which mainly produce noise pollution, should be established far away from
settlements, forests, reservoirs and hilly areas.
 Settlements should not be located at least within 20 kilometers from mining areas, and
airports.
 Explosives should be not used in mountainous, forest and mining areas.
 With proper maintenance of vehicles, along with the restriction of high sound horns, the use of
advanced technology silencer should be used inevitably.
 Use of horn in public places (hospital, teaching institutes etc.) should be banned.
 The sound of musical instruments should be controlled to desirable limits.
 The use of sound amplifiers of high power, DJ, etc. should be banned in religious, social,
political events.
 There should be control over noise generated from machine and equipment.
 In industrial, commercial and hospital buildings, adequate soundproof systems should be
installed.
 Planting green trees along the road side reduces the intensity of noise pollution.