What is Pollution?

What is Pollution?

Pollution is the contamination of natural environment with contaminating elements that cause adverse changes. Thus, it is the process which destroys the natural environment i.e. an anti-natural process. These contaminating elements are called as Pollutants. They are either foreign elements or natural elements which contaminate the natural environments. Majority of pollution is caused by the activities carried out by humans for its benefits or enjoyment of natural resources.

Forms (Types) of pollution:

There are different forms of pollution according the natural habitat which it effects. Major forms of pollution are:

1. Air pollution

2. Light pollution

3. Littering

4. Noise pollution

5. Soil contamination

6. Radioactive contamination

7. Thermal pollution

8. Visual pollution

9. Water pollution

10. Plastic pollution

In today’s world, the worst form of pollution is the air pollution. It is causing premature deaths in one out of every sixth death in the world. Air pollution is directly affecting each and every living habitat on our earth. On the other hand, Water pollution and Land pollution is becoming more serious problems day by day.

Causes of pollution:

Fundamentally, there are two causes of pollution: man-made activities and natural processes (such as volcanoes, asteroid etc). In reality, the major concern is the large scale man made activities caused by humans for its benefit or development or for carrying out its day to day activities.

In India, Air pollution is becoming a prime concern. Air pollution is caused by following type of pollutants:

1. Hydrocarbon emissions from Motor Vehicles

2. Dusts lying on the road

3. Chemical plants

4. Coal fired power plants

5. Oil refineries

6. Petrochemical plants

7. PVC factories

8. Metal production factories

9. Plastic factories

10. Heavy Industries

11. Nuclear waste disposal activity

12. Large livestock farms

13. Seasonal burning of crops

14. Dust from mining activities

According to Science News, pollution (air, water and soil) killed 9 million people in the year 2015. (these are basically premature deaths) Thus, it is effecting age from the reverse side. We can count our age backwards, if are heavily exposed to pollution (whether air, water or soil … Does it matter?)

Words of advice:

At macro level, everybody is responsible for such degradation of environment due to introduction of pollutants. If we pledge to take action at an individual level, it will in the long run help ourselves. It’s like laws of karma, what goes out, comes in!

In the next articles, we shall address the following questions:

What is air pollution and the main pollutants?

How it is measured?

Case study of Air Pollution in Delhi?

Effects of Air pollution on our health?

Safety tips from Air pollution?

References:

1. Wikipedia

2. https://www.livescience.com/22728-pollution-facts.html

3. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/pollution-killed-9-million-people-2015 [source of pic]