Air, Water and Noise Pollution

Introduction

What is an environment? It can be explained as the surroundings, of which all living beings and non-living objects are part. The environment can connect with other systems and exchange energy and mass. As the sustenance of all beings depends on this environment, it is our duty to protect and maintain its balance.

Today, the major problem bothering human society is environmental pollution. The four fundamental pollution areas are water, land, noise, and air pollution.

Hope this article helps you understand air, water and noise pollution.

Pollution results from the introduction of contaminants into our nature. It has adverse effects on the environment we live in. Environmental pollution is also called a silent killer as it has a detrimental effect on your health. But you will not realise it until too late.

The quality of the environment is hampered by substances called pollutants. These substances originate at one place but can get transferred to other areas through water or air.

Moreover, some pollutants get released into the atmosphere through human activities leading to soil, water and air pollution.

In addition, extreme levels of unwanted noise of vehicles, constructions, heavy machinery, factories, etc., leads to noise pollution.

There are four significant types of pollution: air, water, land and noise. Let’s study each of them individually.

• Air pollution

Air pollution results in a significant decrease in air quality, leading to several respiratory issues in humans. It mainly occurs due to the contamination of the atmosphere by the pollutants resulting from various human activities. The contaminants that pollute the air are chemicals, particulate matter and harmful gases.

Causes of air pollution:

• Emission of harmful gases like carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide from vehicles and various combustion processes,
• Emission of sulphur dioxide and CFCs from factories, household appliances,
• Greenhouse gases  depletes the ozone layer. These gases are the major contributors to global warming, also called radiative forcing.
• The release of toxic gases like CO, CO2 and Methane into the atmosphere from mining activities also cause air pollution.

Harmful effects:

• Global warming
• Acid rain
• Ozone layer depletion
• Diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Lung cancer, skin diseases, etc.

• Water pollution

Water pollution releases contaminants into water bodies such as ponds, lakes, seas, rivers and oceans. The whole ecosystem gets affected by the release of contaminants into these water bodies. Dumping plastics into the water bodies, releasing contaminated water from factories, and sewage water discharge are significant factors contributing to water pollution.

Causes of water pollution:

• Dumping plastic and untreated wastes into water bodies
• Release of toxic and untreated industrial effluents into seas and rivers. Also, this chemical-laden wastewater can’t be broken down by microorganisms.
• Untreated wastewater from manure, fertiliser and pesticide plants enters the water bodies and thus into the food chain, a process called biomagnification.

Harmful effects:

• Shortage of fresh water for drinking and domestic use
• Death of aquatic animals, leading to the endangerment of several species.
• Biomagnification
• Excessive algal growth
• The rapid spread of waterborne illness

• Noise Pollution

An unwanted and disturbing sound that proves to be detrimental to the well-being and health of humans and other living beings is called noise pollution. Elevated sound levels above 85 decibels are considered to have adverse effects on your health. Noise pollution causes much disruption to daily activities like sleep. Moreover, exposure to extreme noise levels can cause a lack of concentration and hearing impairment in humans.

Causes of noise pollution:

• Noise from vehicles, unnecessary honking,
• The noise produced by the heavy machines and sirens in factories
• Activities in construction areas
• Unnecessary loud music and usage of speakers in events and functions

Harmful effects:

• Mental instability, anxiety, irritation, aggressiveness
• Cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, headache
• Hearing impairment
• Affects the communication between animals, i.e., attracting or calling out their mates.
• Land Pollution

Land pollution occurs mainly due to the contamination and subsequent degradation of the quality of the earth’s surface, which we call land. The primary contaminants of the land are non-biodegradable wastes such as plastics. Consequently, the soil becomes barren and unsuitable for agriculture due to the depletion of nutrients.

Causes of land pollution:

• Dumping of non-biodegradable wastes, industrial wastes, harmful chemicals and domestic trash onto the land
• Waste washed ashore from sewage treatment plants and oil rigs
• Excessive use of pesticides and fertilisers on land affects its fertility.

Harmful effects:

• Decreased land fertility leading to a poor yield of crops
• Poisoning of groundwater and shortage of drinkable water. The harmful chemicals from industrial processes and illegal landfills seep into the ground and mix with the groundwater. This process is called leaching. The groundwater thus becomes unsuitable for drinking or domestic use.
• Production of inferior grade crops due to low quality of the land.

Conclusion

The negative impact of water, noise, land and air pollution on our nature is primarily human activities. Therefore, it should be reduced as much as possible. The survival and sustenance of all living beings depend on mother nature. Therefore we must ensure that its balance is conserved.