Premier Academy

IGCSE GEOGRAPHY
Digitized Notes Year 9
Week 5
Industrial Pollution
Resources/References: - Nelson Key Geography Foundations
David. W. and Tony. B
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Compiled By: - Jared Ogutu
Industrial pollution
Objectives
i. Describe the causes of industrial pollution
ii. Explain the effects of industrial pollution
iii. Identify solutions to industrial pollution
Meaning of industrial pollution
Any form of pollution that can trace its immediate source to industrial practices is known as
industrial pollution.
Causes of industrial pollution
The activities causing pollution include:
1. Lack of Policies to Control Pollution
• Lack of effective policies and poor enforcement drive allowed many industries to bypass laws
made by the pollution control board, which resulted in mass-scale pollution that affected the
lives of many people.
2. Unplanned Industrial Growth
In most industrial townships, unplanned growth took place wherein those companies flouted
rules and norms and polluted the environment with both air and water pollution.
3. Use of Outdated Technologies
Most industries still rely on old technologies to produce products that generate a large amount
of waste.
To avoid high costs and expenditures, many companies still make use of traditional technologies
to produce high-end products.
4. Inefficient Waste Disposal
Water pollution and soil pollution are often caused directly due to inefficiency in the disposal of
waste.
Long-term exposure to polluted air and water causes chronic health problems, making the issue
of industrial pollution a severe one.
It also lowers the air quality in surrounding areas, which causes many respiratory disorders.
5. Leaching of Resources from Our Natural World
Industries do require a large amount of raw material to make them into finished products. This
requires the extraction of minerals from beneath the earth.
The extracted minerals can cause soil pollution when spilled on the earth.
Leaks from vessels can cause oil spills that may prove harmful to marine life.
6. Natural Resource Use
Raw material is a must for industries, which often requires them even pull out underground
elements. One of the most common forms of leaching from natural resources is fracking for oil.
When industries extract minerals, the process causes soil pollution and also causes oil leaks and
spills that are harmful and even deadly to people and animals.
Effects of industrial pollution
1. Water Pollution
The effects of industrial pollution are far-reaching and liable to affect the ecosystem for many
years to come.
Most industries require large amounts of water for their work. When involved in a series of
processes, the water comes into contact with heavy metals, harmful chemicals, radioactive
waste, and even organic sludge.
2. Soil erosion
▪ Soil pollution is creating problems in agriculture and destroying local vegetation. It also
causes chronic health issues for the people that come in contact with such soil daily.
3. Air Pollution
• Air pollution has led to a steep increase in various illnesses, and it continues to affect us
on a daily basis.
• With so many small, mid, and large-scale industries coming up, air pollution has taken a
toll on the health of the people and the environment.
4. Wildlife extinction
▪ By and large, the issue of industrial pollution shows us that it causes natural rhythms and
patterns to fail, meaning that wildlife is getting affected severely.
▪ Habitats are being lost, species are becoming extinct, and it is harder for the environment to
recover from each natural disaster.
5. Global warming
•With the rise in industrial pollution, global warming has been increasing at a steady pace.
•Smoke and greenhouse gases are being released by industries into the air, which causes an
increase in global warming.
•Melting of glaciers, extinction of polar bears, floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes are a few of the
effects of global warming.
6. Biodiversity loss
▪ Industrial pollution continues to cause significant damage to the earth and all of its
inhabitants due to chemical wastes, pesticides, radioactive materials, etc.
It affects wildlife and ecosystems and disrupts natural habitats. Animals are becoming extinct,
and habitats are being destroyed.
Ways to control/reduce industrial pollution
1. Source Control
• Adopting new technology, efficient training of employees for safe use and development of
better technology for disposal of waste, and being more conscientious about the use of raw
materials can help control industrial pollution at the source.
2. Recycling
• Recycling as much polluted water in the industries as possible by increased recycling efforts to
reduce industrial pollution.
3. Cleaning of resources
• Organic methods should be adopted to clean the water and soil, such as using microbes
that use heavy metals and waste as feed naturally.
• Cooling rooms or bins need to be developed that allow industries to recycle the water
they need instead of pushing it back into the natural water source it came from.
4. Industry Site Selection
• Consideration of location of the sites and the potential impact on the surrounding environment
can help reduce harmful consequences.
5. Proper Treatment of Industrial Waste
• By developing and implementing adequate treatment facilities for handling industrial waste
and proper habits can reduce pollution.
6. Rebuilding habitats and afforestation
• Rebuilding habitats by planting more trees and plants can help give wildlife back their homes,
and the trees can help purify the air with enough oxygen, and act as a buffer against the
environment.
7. Stricter Laws and Enforcement
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) works to correct the damage from
industrial pollution.
• There should be more stringent rules to take action against the companies who do not
follow proper protocol and more significant rewards for the companies who operate properly. It
requires creating policies that prevent misuse of land.
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources
Non-renewable- Non-renewable energy resources are available in limited supplies, usually
because they take a long time to replenish.
The advantage of these non-renewable resources is that power plants that use them can
produce more power on demand.
The non-renewable energy resources are:
i. Coal
ii. Nuclear
iii. Oil
iv. Natural gas
Renewable energy sources
Renewable resources, on the other hand, replenish themselves.
• Solar
• Wind
• Water, also called hydro
• Biomass, or organic material from plants and animals
• Geothermal, which is naturally occurring heat from the earth
While renewable energy resources have the advantage of unlimited supply over the long haul,
they are limited in their availability at any given moment.