Geography assignment

Environmental Pollution

Submitted by: Maaz Ahmad Siddiqui

Submitted to: Ma’am Faiza Ali
Submission date: 6 of May, 2022
Class: Eight
Section: Red

Criteria:
Length According to topic /5
Addressed options: Original content /5
Organized and easy to follow; includes summary /10
Refer to topics in the course /5
Grand total /25

Pollution
Pollution is when some substance or matter causes harm to the
environment and atmosphere of the earth. Over the years pollution has
seen a considerable increase and is expected to increase even more in
the future. According to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data
published by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, pollution
increased 5.5 percent on average in America alone, from 2016 to 2018.
This rapid change in pollution endangers many species and humans on
earth.

There are 3 main types of pollution:

 Air pollution
 Water pollution
 Land pollution

Air pollution
Air pollution, as the name suggests is the Air that has become polluted
due to harmful substances or matter such as Smoke and/or Fumes.
Air is essential for Humans, Animals, and Plants. We need air to be able
to survive. Clean, dry air is primarily made up of 78% nitrogen and 21%
oxygen The remaining 1 percent is a mixture of other gases,
mostly made up of argon (0.9 percent), along with small amounts
of carbon dioxide, methane, hydrogen, helium, etc. Air pollution can be
hazardous substances from both human-made and natural sources.

Vehicle emissions, fumes from chemical products, Industry emissions,

and activities such as smoking are the primary sources of human-made
air pollution.

Nature releases hazardous substances into the air, such as smoke from
wildfires, ash and gases from volcanic eruptions; and gases, like
methane, which are released from decomposed organic matter in soils.

The tiny substances that pollute the Air are called

Particulates. Quantity of Particulates is directly
proportional to the amount of Pollution in the Air, in
other words the more the Particulates in the Air the
more Polluted it is. Studies have shown that from
the last 5 decades Air Particulates have
increased enormously and tend to increase
even more as the earth sees more
developments.

Furthermore, there are two sub-types in Air

Pollution:

 Indoor air Pollution

 Outdoor air Pollution

We will discuss both of these types in detail.

Indoor Air Pollution

Indoor Air Pollution is the contamination
of household air or the air inside human-built
areas. It is measured by the term IAQ which
stands for Indoor Air Quality, according to
Environment Protection Agency (EPA)
Average Americans spend 90% of their lives
Indoor. Many of the less harmful particulates
In the air outside tend to get 2-5 times more
Harmful inside due to common indoor pollutants
That are:
  Airborne particles: released from Smoke,
Gases, Sneezes, etc.
 Indoor formaldehyde: released from Indoor
Smoking, Cooking, Furniture, etc.
 Household odors and gases: released from
Painting, Cooking, Perfumes, etc.
 Ozone (O3): taken in from outside, also known as ground-level
Ozone.
 Carbon dioxide: released as waste from human breath.

Indoor Air Pollution is a cause of many diseases and illnesses, as stated

by Nancy Irwin Maxwell, in her book, Encyclopedia of Energy, 2004:

” Exposure to indoor air pollution in developing countries has been most

clearly associated with increased risk of acute lower respiratory infection,
middle ear infection (otitis media), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
An estimated 1.5 to 2 million deaths each year in developing countries are
due to indoor air pollution from the burning of biomass fuels, with perhaps 1
million of these due to acute lower respiratory infections in children under
age 5.”

Outdoor Air Pollution

Outdoor Air Pollution is the contamination of the air present outside. Air
quality outside is measured with the Air
Quality Index, AQI for short. The AQI is
just like a thermometer for the air and runs
from 0 to 500 degrees. However, instead
of showing changes in the temperature,
the AQI is a way of showing the amount of
pollution in the air. Outdoor Air Pollution is
comparatively less harmful than Indoor Air
Pollution as it is equally spread among the
big space while Indoor Air Pollution is way
more congested. According to EPA six
pollutants (carbon monoxide, lead,
nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter
of different size fractions, and sulfur dioxide) are common in outdoor air
and can harm human health and the environment.

Outdoor Air Pollution similar to Indoor Air Pollution can also cause many
diseases and illnesses. It is also worth mentioning that Outdoor Air
Pollution, according to multiple verified sources is more dominant in
developing nations due to multiple factors. Dale A. Dickinson, Karen
E. Iles, in International Encyclopedia of Public Health (Second Edition),
2017, says that:

“The association between outdoor air pollution and a variety of disease

outcomes including asthma, cancer, and cardiovascular disease has been
extensively investigated. Since mixtures of air pollutants are ubiquitous in the
urban atmosphere, it has been difficult to ascertain the specific pollutant(s)
responsible for the observed effects. The WHO estimated that exposure to
particulate air pollution is responsible for ∼800 000 (1.2%) of total premature
deaths worldwide.”

Water Pollution

Water pollution is the contamination of a water body, this could be the

Ocean, River, Lake or even a Pond. We all know how important water is
important both for us and the Sealife. Just like humans like us live on the
land some animals such as fish, alligators, craps, and sea stars live in
deep and shallow water bodies. Clean and pure Water is also necessary
for Humans and Animals on land as drinking of Water is an important
necessity of life on earth. 70% of the earth’s surface is water and so it
seems that it will never run out but unfortunately this is not true, Ocean
water has high salinity levels that make it impossible for humans to drink.
The only resource of clean water left is running water from rivers or
lakes, this water is also slowly depleting due to Global warming which
would be discussed later. Ocean water is getting dirtier and dirtier every
day with a whooping 8 million pieces of Plastic reaching our ocean each
day.

There are about 5.25 trillion macro and micro pieces of plastic in our
ocean & 46,000 pieces in every square mile of ocean, that weigh up to
269,000 tons of Plastic. This doesn’t even include rest of the rubbish and
chemicals let in Ocean water each day. This is no good news for Sea life
and indirectly humans.

Due to all this rubbish and junk in the water millions of sea animals die
each month, this may lead to the extinction of Sea animals in future. I
would also like to add that humans and Animals both are dependent on
fish and other sea animals for food and nutrition.

Some of the different types of Water Pollution are:

  Chemical pollution.
 Groundwater pollution.
 Microbiological pollution.
 Nutrient pollution.
 Oxygen-depletion pollution.
 Surface water pollution.

Chemical Pollution
The most common type of water pollution,
chemicals can taint both underground water
sources and those on the Earth’s surface such
as Rivers. As a vital element of the
agricultural industry, it isn’t surprising that
much chemical contamination comes from the
insecticides and antifungals used in farming, but
wastes from industrial sites are also leading
sponsors to this type of pollution.

Groundwater Pollution
As cited above, cultivation is a significant
source of water pollution. Fertilizers and
pesticides, when applied on crops can go deep
into the ground and taint underwater rivers and
water springs, consequently, compromising the
quality of wells, holes and other spaces from
which groundwater is taken for human use.

Microbiological Pollution
Unlike most others on this list, microbiological pollution
can arise naturally or affectedly. Micro-organisms such
as microbes, protozoans, pathogens, viruses, and
other disease-causing organisms can penetrate water
supplies, causing diseases such as bilharziasis,
hepatitis, looseness, typhoid fever, intestinal worms,
and Asiatic cholera. Humans are most vulnerable to
this sort of pollution in places where acceptable water
treatment structures are not
yet in place.

Nutrient Pollution
Extra amount of nutrients can upset water-based bionetworks. Composts
contain a big amount of advantageous nutrients which, if pollute rivers,
lagoons and water-based bodies, can cause bacterial and mycological
growth that can mass out sunlight and constrain the growth of other
organisms.

Oxygen-depletion Pollution
In this process, those classes which depend upon oxygen
to survive are eradicated, while anaerobiotic ones
continue to live. Some anaerobiotic micro-organisms
produce Ammonia, Sulfates, and other harmful
contaminants, which can create the water even more
hazardous for animals (and hypothetically humans, too).

Surface-water Pollution
In all water sources above earth, i.e., streams,
ponds, oceans, coasts, and waters, surface
water pollution can happen both naturally,
unintentionally, and purposely. For
example, nursing has an all-important role in
normal flood management, which can clue to
reduced water quality, while unintentional oil
spills and industries discharging waste into key
water sources are also key sponsors.

There are point sources and non-point sources of pollution in water,

explained by J. Jeffrey Peirce, and P. Aarne Vesilind, in Environmental
Pollution and Control (Fourth Edition), 1998:

“Storm drainage, even though the water may enter watercourses by way of
pipes or channels, is considered nonpoint source pollution.
Other nonpoint source pollution comes from farm runoff, construction sites,
and other land disturbances, discussed further in Chapter 10.
Point source pollution comes mainly from industrial facilities and
municipal wastewater treatment plants. The range of pollutants is vast,
depending only on what gets “thrown down the drain.”
Land Pollution
Just like Air Pollution is dirty and spoiled air, and Water Pollution is dirty
and spoiled water, Land Pollution is dirty and spoiled land that has either
been littered with spoiled. This occurs when waste is not discarded
properly. The cleanliness of our land is vital for our survival. If not
cleaned properly it can lead to the extinction of Plants and Animals. Due
to developments and other things like the need for Urbanization we
humans have changed our priorities a bit and have started focusing on
Modernization and have forgotten to protect our environment.
Deforestation, the cutting of trees and plants are also a part of this type
of pollution and plays a vital role in the increase of temperatures on the
earth, also known as Global warming. There are several ways in which
we do Land Pollution which include:

 Deforestation and Soil Erosion

 Agricultural Activities
 Mining Activities
 Overcrowded Landfills
 Industrialization
 Urbanization
 Construction Activities
 Nuclear Waste
 Sewage treatment
 Littering

Land pollution has many effects on people, animals, micro-organisms,

and plants. Some of the listed above are discussed down below:

Litter 

Littering, the wrong way of disposing of trash, is unfortunately very

common. When someone throws something such as a wrapper or a
piece of plastic on the ground from a car window, even that small bit of
pollution affects the environment enormously. According to Keep
America Beautiful, 76% of litter found on roadways is from people
walking and motorcyclists. Not all litter that is thrown, however, is
intended. A large volume of litter can simply fall off a vehicle, etc.…
All types of litter, whether intentional or not, causes pollution by releasing
toxins, chemicals, and different small particles as it degrades.
Urbanization and Construction

When people settle in areas that previously used to be grasslands it

increases pollution on the land as the newly settled people start throwing
trash. When new areas are built, construction takes place which involves
deforestation and improper disposal of construction waste.

Mining

Mining is the digging out of minerals and other materials such as Oil out
of the ground, which are then used for a large range of purposes,
producing gas/petrol for vehicles, generating electricity, and selling
materials made of gold and silver. This causes damage and pollution in
its availability. That’s why finding alternatives for energy such as Solar
and Wind energy that aren’t dug up from the earth’s surface.

This type of pollution can cause many diseases just like other types of
pollution. It damages the ecosystem and messes with the nature that
can attract dangerous insects that cause Malaria and/or Dengue. They
also increase bacterial growth and the growth of micro-organisms. It also
prevents plants from growing and their health.

Other types of Pollution

There are some minor types of other pollution rather than Land, Water,
and Air pollution. These types aren’t that significant but they do affect
the environment a lot.

Light pollution

In the modern world we see developments taking place day by day, one
of the major developments to date is light in the forms of Lamps, Street
lights, Bulbs, Tube lights, and Traffic lights. Light may cause pollution in
form of excessive light, that is misdirected. This pollution can disturb the
routine of humans and animals. Humans may feel depression and
sleeplessness that lead to headaches. Animals get affected by light a lot
as well, the animals that stay awake at night, nocturnal life, has issues
as light pollution drastically alters their night-time environment
by changing their night into day.
 Light trespass
Over-illumination
Glare
Light clutter
Sky glow

Noise pollution

No matter in which part of the world we live, noise is a dominant in every

area that exists. Noise is when the amount of sound passes its extreme
limit that is 70-75 dBa (decibels A) for 24 hours, this is almost the level of
noise a Vacuum cleaner produces when in function. With rapid
developments and construction, the amount of noise being produced
has seen a dramatic increase. Some of the major causes of noise
pollution are Cars, Planes, Horns, Machines, Music, Animals, Airports,
Construction sites, etc.…
This can cause damage to human ears and could possibly lead to
deafness later, some other minor issues include Headaches, depression,
anxiety, etc.…