Pollution. What is pollution?

1.

Pollution

2.

What is pollution?
• Pollution can be defined as the emission of harmful substances or contaminants into
the natural environmental system.
• There are several kinds of serious pollution which are quite harmful to our planet,
most of them caused by human intervention.
• Pollution not only imposes adverse effects on humans, it also hurts a variety of
animals, plants and other living organisms.
• In this article, the causes, types, effects and also solutions regarding pollution are
examined in detail.

3.

Causes and types of pollution
• Land pollution
• Light pollution
• Noise pollution
• Plastic pollution
• Water pollution
• Visual pollution
• Air pollution
• Soil pollution
• Heat pollution
• Nuclear pollution
• Agricultural pollution

4.

Land pollution
• Land pollution can be defined as the destruction of the planet’s land surface.
• Land pollution can be caused by several different factors, many of them related to human
behavior.
• One cause for land pollution can be mining.
• For mining purposes, large areas of land have to be processed.
• This process leads to the destruction of soil and to a destruction of habitats for many
plants and animals.
• Moreover, land pollution can also come in the form of littering.
• People often just dump their garbage on the ground and do not use trash bins.
• This is quite apparent when it comes to the disposal of used cigarettes.
• It is quite common that people just dispose their used cigarettes on the ground, even if
there is a trash bin just a few meters away.

5.

Light pollution
• Light pollution often occurs in areas with high population density and high electricity
consumption.
• Light pollution can come in various forms.
• For example, your neighbor can leave his lights turned on in the night, which can
adversely affect your sleeping quality.
• Moreover, in areas with a high concentration of vehicles, like when you are living
next to a main street, you can also be disturbed by vehicle lights at night.
• Streetlamps can also lead to light pollution if the distance from your house to the
streetlamp is quite low.

6.

Noise pollution
• Noise pollution can be a serious problem for mental health.
• Especially in big cities with a high concentration of motor vehicles, noise pollution
can be a big issue.
• Imagine you live in a house which is quite close to a freeway.
• The noise coming from the freeway will hurt your living quality all day long.
• Moreover, noise pollution can also come from airports.
• If you live close to an airport, starting and landing planes can impose a significant
noise disturbance.

7.

Plastic pollution
• Plastic pollution is a big problem for our environmental system.
• Many of our daily life products are covered or packaged in plastic or plastic-related
components.
• This leads to the production of enormous amounts of plastic waste.
• In order to get rid of this plastic, we either have to burn it or dispose it into landfills.
• However, especially in poor developing countries, plastic trash is often disposed into
rivers or lakes, therefore polluting the local flora and fauna.
• Moreover, part of the plastic trash will eventually end up in our oceans.
• Currently, there is an enormous amount of plastic waste polluting our oceans, which
in turn can hurt many sea animals, plants and other sea organisms.

8.

Water pollution
• Water is a precious resource which will become even more valuable due to global
warming.
• When global warming hits, many farmers in hot regions will lose their livelihood since
they will not have enough water to tilt their fields anymore.
• Therefore, it is crucial to avoid water pollution at all cost.
• Water pollution can come in various forms.
• For example, the incorrect disposal of waste can lead to soil pollution.
• Through rainfalls, the pollutants can be washed in our groundwater.
• Moreover, if industries are not careful regarding the handling of toxic substances, this
can also lead to water pollution if harmful industrial waste is not processed and
disposed properly.

9.

Visual pollution
• People usually like to live or spend their time in nice clean areas rather than in
polluted ones.
• Therefore, we should have an incentive to keep our natural ecological systems clean.
• However, there are many cases of visual pollution.
• For instance, people regularly dispose their used cigarettes on the ground instead of
disposing them in the trash can.
• Moreover, if you take a walk in our forests, it becomes quite apparent that people
just dispose trash like car tires or other garbage items into natural ecosystems,
without caring about the damage they are imposing on our environment.
• Therefore, people’s behavior regarding waste disposal can lead to significant visual
pollution.

10.

Air pollution
• Air pollution mainly comes either in the form of industrial emission of harmful gases
or through our motor vehicles, airplanes or ships.
• Industries often emit large amounts of harmful gases, including greenhouse gases
like carbon dioxide, in their production processes.
• Moreover, many people commute to work every day by using their cars.
• This also leads to significant amounts of pollution.
• Additionally, many of our daily life products come from remote parts of the world.
• Therefore, they have to be carried over quite long distances until they reach our
stores.
• This transportation of goods also implies significant levels of air pollution since the
transportation vehicles are often run by fossil fuels.

11.

Soil pollution
• Soil pollution refers to all kinds of pollution which affects the soil layer.
• A big source of soil pollution is agriculture.
• In agricultural processes, large amounts of fertilizers and pesticides are used.
• The use of these substances also implies a contamination of the soil with harmful
chemicals which are contained in pesticides.
• These chemicals can hurt the soil and may lead to a decrease in fertility in the future.
• Moreover, soil pollution can also be caused by the incorrect set up of landfills.
• Our waste is often disposed into landfills where it will rot.
• However, if there are no high regulation standards for landfills, part of the harmful
substances coming from the trash may reach the soil which may than be polluted.

12.

Heat pollution
• Heat pollution, also often referred to as thermal pollution, can be defined as the
degradation of water quality that is caused by changes in water temperature.
• This can come in the form of power plants which have to be cooled in order to work
properly.
• Heat pollution can also be due to global warming.
• Global warming will not only increase air temperature, it will also cause an increase
in water temperature.
• This increase in water temperature will lead to many problems for water animals.
• Fishes and other water animals will suffer from a significant decrease in oxygen
levels.
• Moreover, algae concentration is likely to increase due to an increase in water
temperature which in turn may further decrease oxygen levels and may also pollute
the water with harmful substances.

13.

Nuclear pollution
• A significant fraction of our electricity is generated with the help of nuclear power
plants.
• However, in the energy production process with radioactive materials, nuclear waste
is a dangerous by-product which we have to get rid of somehow.
• Radioactive waste is often just dumped into mines deep into the ground.
• However, this disposal behavior can lead to serious nuclear pollution.
• For example, if these underground storage spaces have leaks, this can lead to serious
soil pollution and may also contaminate our groundwater.

14.

Agricultural pollution
• Agricultural pollution currently is a big problem to our planet.
• Our farm animals emit significant amounts of greenhouse gases, which in turn
contribute to the global warming problem.
• Moreover, through the use of excessive amounts of pesticides and fertilizer, the soil
as well as our groundwater is likely to get polluted.

15.

Effects
• Acid rain
• Biodiversity loss
• Endangerment of species
• Global warming
• Ozone depletion
• Public health problems
• Decrease in living quality
• Economic effects

16.

Acid rain
• Acid rain is mainly caused by air pollution.
• Since industries emit large amounts of harmful gases into our atmosphere, these
gases return to our earth in the form of acid rain.
• Moreover, also many private people emit significant amounts of toxic gases into the
air trough the use of motor vehicles.
• Additionally, also the excessive use of fertilizer and pesticides in agricultural
processes can contribute to the formation of acid rain since these substances contain
harmful components which can enter the air.

17.

Biodiversity loss
• Pollution can also lead to a serious loss in biodiversity.
• Since animals and plants usually are quite sensitive to changes in their natural living
conditions, pollution of all kinds may harm them in a significant manner.
• For example, through water pollution, many water animals and plants will get
contaminated with harmful or even toxic substances, which in turn may lead to
diseases or even death for the affected organisms.
• Moreover, soil pollution may cause some plants to die off since they may not be able
to adapt to the new conditions.
• In addition, through deforestation, many animals and plants will lose their natural
habitat, which also likely leads to a significant loss in biodiversity.
• The problem of biodiversity loss due to deforestation is especially severe in the
Amazon Rainforest where large areas of forest are cut or burned down which leads to
severe adverse effects for the local flora and fauna.

18.

Endangerment of species
• Many species have already become endangered due to several kinds of pollution.
Some of them are even at risk to become extinct.
• Through pollution, many animals and plants lose their natural habitats.
• Since they are often not able to adapt properly to a polluted environment, they often
die due to high pollution levels.
• For species that are only present in a few parts of our planet, this may lead to the
extinction of these species if the respective areas are affected by pollution.

19.

Global warming
• Global warming is a big environmental issue which is mainly caused by air pollution.
• Air pollution is caused by the emission of greenhouse gases from industrial processes
and also from the emission of motor vehicles of all sorts.
• Moreover, the transportation of goods over long distances is another great cause for
air pollution and the resulting global warming issue.
• Making things worse, deforestation also contributes to the acceleration of global
warming since trees are natural carbon dioxide storage spaces and deforestation sets
free large amounts of CO2.

20.

Ozone depletion
• Ozone depletion can also be caused by several kinds of pollution.
• In our daily life, we use several items that lead to ozone depletion.
• For example, carbon tetrachloride contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer
and is used in many refrigerators as well as in soaps, insecticides and solvents.

21.

Public health problems
• There are many severe public health issues related to several sorts of pollution.
• For example, air pollution can result in lung cancer and may also lead to some
cardiovascular diseases.
• Global warming may contribute to the development of epidemics or even pandemics
since many bacteria like warm conditions.
• Moreover, the excessive use of fertilizer may lead to health conditions since humans
consume harmful substances when they eat fruits or vegetables.
• Moreover, in factory farming, large amounts of antibiotics are used in order to keep
the livestock healthy.
• However, this use of antibiotics may lead to antibiotic-resistance and therefore may
lead to serious health issues for humans since some antibiotics may no longer work
against certain severe diseases.

22.

Decrease in living quality
• Many sorts of pollution also lead to decrease in living quality.
• For example, people living near main streets often complain about noise, dust and
particle pollution which lower their well-being.
• Moreover, land pollution also lowers the living quality of people since people usually
prefer nice clean areas compared to areas that are polluted with several kinds of
trash.

23.

Economic effects
• Apart from the environmental effects of pollution, there are also severe economic effects.
• Especially in the long term, pollution all sorts will impose quite high social costs on
humanity since they adverse effects will be devastating.
• For example, if we continue to pollute our air and emit large amounts of greenhouse
gases, global warming will be a big issue in the near future.
• The effects of global warming will be horrific since global warming will lead to the
destruction of large areas of land since these areas will simply be flooded due to rising
sea levels.
• A vast number of people will lose their homes or will even die from those effects.
• Moreover, in the affected areas, the probability for the spread of pandemics will also
increase dramatically.
• Therefore, through the loss of livelihood and the loss of large areas of land, there will also
be dramatic economic effects resulting from pollution.

24.

Solutions
• Switch from car to alternative means of transportation
• Avoid plastic packaging
• Avoid the use of disposable plastic cups
• Avoid waste production
• Reduce the use of detergents
• Change consumption behavior
• Save electricity
• Restore natural habitats
• Education
• Convince others

25.

Switch from car to alternative means of transportation
• You can make your contribution to mitigate air pollution through the switch from car
to public transport.
• Even better would be to substitute your car through the use of your bicycle.
• Moreover, walking short distance instead of using motor vehicles would further
improve your ecological footprint.

26.

Avoid plastic packaging
• Our plastic consumption and the resulting plastic pollution are a serious
environmental problem.
• Many of our daily life items are packaged into plastic.
• You should avoid the consumption of items that are wrapped in plastic at all cost.
• Try to buy in organic food stores instead of conventional stores.
• Organic food stores often use environmentally-friendly packaging instead of plastic.
• Moreover, you can also bring your own bag instead of buying plastic bags.

27.

Avoid the use of disposable plastic cups
• Every year, we use around 500 billion plastic cups worldwide!
• This insane number implies a huge level of plastic pollution.
• Instead of using disposable plastic cups, you can bring your own mug that can be
reused many times.
• This should not be a big deal and you can contribute to a reduction of plastic waste.

28.

Avoid waste production
• In our nowadays society, we produce enormous amounts of waste.
• Almost every item is wrapped into packaging material.
• This problem is especially severe when it comes to the delivery of goods.
• Delivered items are usually packaged in enormous amounts of packaging which in
turn leads to significant amounts of waste.
• In order to avoid these kinds of waste production, try to buy in local stores instead of
using delivery services.
• Moreover, try to avoid food delivery services and cook your own dishes instead.

29.

Reduce the use of detergents
• Detergents can also be a significant problem since the harmful ingredients of
detergents can contaminate our water.
• In developed countries, the use of detergents is often rather harmless these
countries have sophisticated water treatment plants.
• However, in many development countries, clothes are still washed in rivers and
detergents used in the cleaning process are emitted straight into these rivers.
• This in turn can lead to significant water pollution and may hurt many water animals
and plants.

30.

Change consumption behavior
• Since the industrial revolution period, our consumptions levels increased
dramatically.
• Everyone wants to have the newest versions of electronics, the newest clothes and
so on.
• However, striving for the newest and best versions of material things leads to an
enormous amount of pollution since it implies the production of large amounts of
waste.
• In order to get rid of the waste, it is often burned.
• In the combustion process, many harmful gases are emitted into the air which in turn
leads to particle pollution and also speeds up the global warming process.

31.

Save electricity
• The production of electricity is often done through the use of fossil fuels.
• In the combustion process of fossil fuels, harmful gases are emitted into the air,
including greenhouse gases which contribute to global warming.
• Therefore, in order to mitigate these adverse effects, you should try to save
electricity whenever possible.
• You can buy electricity-efficient household devices instead of energy-intensive ones.
• Moreover, turn off your lights whenever you do not need them.

32.

Restore natural habitats
• You can also try to restore natural habitats in your local area.
• There are several organizations which strive to restore biotopes in order to ensure
biodiversity.
• You can join these organizations or restore habitats by yourself, depending on your
preference.
• By joining organizations, you have the advantage that you can talk to people which
have similar intentions like you and you may also find new friends.

33.

Education
• Education is key to solve several kinds of problems.
• Also, in the context of pollution, it is crucial that we educate people about the
adverse effects of pollution on our planet and how we can mitigate pollution of all
sorts.
• This education should start at an early age since children are usually easier to
influence than adults.
• Moreover, children often have a significant impact on the behavior of their children.
• Thus, by convincing children on the importance of avoiding pollution whenever
possible, these children may also convince their parents to behave more
environmentally-friendly.

34.

Convince others
• You should also try to convince your family and friends when it comes to the topic of
environmental pollution.
• Many people are not even aware that their behavior has a big impact on our
environment.
• Many people may also not care too much about their adverse impact since they lack
a feeling of responsibility for their actions.
• By showing people how their actions can potentially destroy our planet, we can
increase the social pressure and people are more likely to change their behavior in an
ecologically-friendly manner.

35.

Conclusion
• Pollutions of all sorts are a big environmental problem in our current environmental
state.
• Pollution can impose several adverse effects on humans as well as on a variety of
animals, plants and other living organisms.
• We can all make our contribution to avoid pollution in our daily life.
• Apart from our own actions, we should also convince other people about the
importance of avoiding pollution.
• By doing so, our own positive impact is multiplied.
• Together, we can make a big impact for saving our environmental system and
therefore to ensure a livable future for the next generations if we are willing to make
certain sacrifices.

36.

Sources
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution
• https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/cars-trucks-buses-and-air-pollution
• https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environmental-pollution