Written by admin on Nov 28th, 2008 | Filed under:
earth contamination
Major forms of pollution and major polluted areas!
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, characterized by size PM10 to PM2.5, is produced from natural sources such as volcanoes or as residual oil fly ash from power plants. Diesel particles are another class of airborne particulate matter.
* 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.
* Soil contamination occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground leakage. Among the most significant soil contaminants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals, MTBE, 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.)
* Noise pollution, which encompasses roadway noise, aircraft noise, industrial noise as well as high-intensity sonar.
* Light pollution, includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference.
* 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.
* 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.
The Blacksmith 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.
Effects on us and our planet!
Human health
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. Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance. Mercury has been linked to developmental deficits in children and neurologic symptoms. 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.
Ecosystems
* Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen can cause acid rain which reduces the pH value of soil.
* Soil can become infertile and unsuitable for plants. This will affect other organisms in the food web.
* Smog and haze can reduce the amount of sunlight received by plants to carry out photosynthesis.
* 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.
* Biomagnification describes a situation where toxins may pass through trophic levels, becoming exponentially more concentrated in the process.
* Ocean acidification, the ongoing decrease in the pH of the Earth’s oceans.
* Global warming.
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