Pollution

• Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural

environment that cause adverse change.[1] Pollution can take the
form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as
radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the components of
pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally
occurring contaminants. Although environmental pollution can be
caused by natural events, the word pollution generally implies that
the contaminants have an anthropogenic source – that is, a source
created by human activities. Pollution is often classed as point
source or nonpoint source pollution. In 2015, pollution killed nine
million people worldwide (one in six deaths).[2][3] This remained
unchanged in 2019, with little real progress against pollution being
identifiable. Air pollution accounted for 3⁄4 of these earlier
deaths.[4][5]
• Major forms of pollution include air pollution, light
pollution, litter, noise pollution, plastic pollution, soil
contamination, radioactive contamination, thermal pollution, visual
pollution, and water pollution.
 Chemical Pollution
• Chemical pollution is defined as the presence or increase in
our environment of chemical pollutants that are not
naturally present there or are found in amounts higher
than their natural background values. Most of the
chemicals that pollute the environment are man-made,
resulted from the various activities in which toxic chemicals
are used for various purposes. Chemical intoxication is
caused by exposure to chemical pollutants and can have
immediate effects or delayed effects, which may appear
after weeks or even months after the exposure occurred.
Severe chemical intoxication may cause the death of the
person that inhales an increased quantity of such
substances.
• Chemical pollution introduces chemicals into the natural
environment, negatively affecting the air, water and soil.
Such pollutants can come from a wide variety of sources.
When chemical pollutants are concentrated or in an area
for period, they can adversely affect the ecosystem and
those who live in the area
 Causes of chemical pollution
• Chemical compounds are organic or inorganic chemicals that
are the main causes of chemical pollution. The most common
chemical pollutants are those compounds used across large
areas and which are persistent, meaning they do not easily
degrade in nature. Examples are most pesticides, herbicides,
insecticides used in agriculture and gardening, as well as
chlorinated solvents used in many industrial processes and dry-
cleaning activities.
• Based on their chemical structure, chemical contaminants can
be classified into naturally-occurring and man-made categories.
They can be organic or inorganic (organic compounds always
contain carbon and carbon-hydrogen bonds, whereas most
inorganic compounds do not contain carbon).
• Chemicals can enter the environment from many different
sources such as landfills, incinerators, tanks, drums, or
factories. Human exposure to hazardous chemicals can occur at
the source or the chemical could move to a place where people
can come into contact with it. Chemicals can move through air,
soil, and water
• The presence of hundreds of potentially toxic chemical substances
in the environment, generally caused by human activity, is the
cause of chemical pollution. These pollutants contaminate the
water, soil, air and food.
• A general classification of chemical pollutants based on their
chemical structure includes:
• Organic chemical pollutants – are those chemicals of organic origin
or that could be produced by living organisms or are based on
matter formed by living organisms. Common organic chemical
pollutants include:
• Crude oil and petroleum refined products (e.g., gasoline, diesel
fuel, kerosene, mineral spirit, motor oil, lubricating oil);
• Solvents (e.g., acetone, MEK, toluene, benzene, xylene) used in
industry as well as in many household products;
• Chlorinated solvents (e.g., PCE, TCE, 1,1,1-TCA, 1,2-DCA, 1,1,2-TCA)
used in industrial degreasing processes, as well as in dry cleaning,
and in various household products;
• Pesticides / Insecticides / Herbicides are commonly used in
agriculture and may contain toxic organic chemicals and metals
(such as mercury and arsenic
• PAHs (polyaromatic hydrocarbons) are found in petroleum
products, crude oil, but are also a result of burning activities (e.g.,
from coal power plants as well as historical manufacturing gas
plants);
• PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl ethers) which are now banned but
were used in transformers and are already present in large amounts
in environment
• Alcohols (e.g., ethanol, methanol, isopropanol) are used in a large
variety of applications and household products;
• Trihalomethanes (e.g., chloroform, dibromochloromethane,
chlorobromomethane, bromoform) which are common products of
water chlorination
• Phenols are usually an indication of waste water and a result of
industrial processes;
• Plastics are a result of industrial processes as well as our daily
activities involving using and disposing of a large variety of plastics
(e.g., bags, bottles, containers)
• Detergents (e.g., nonylphenol ethoxylate) include a variety of
chemical compounds with surface activity;
• Organo-metallic compounds (e.g., organo-arsenicals, organo-
mercurials) are usually pesticides / insecticides / herbicides.
• Inorganic chemical pollutants – are those chemicals of
mineral origin in (not produced by living organisms).
Common inorganic chemical pollutants include:
• Metals and their salts – usually from mining and smelting
activities, as well as disposal of mining wastes;
• Inorganic fertilizers (e.g., nitrates, phosphates) used largely
in agriculture and gardening. If present in large amounts in
water they can be harmful to human health and usually
trigger algae blooming events;
• Sulfides (such as pyrite) are usually mined minerals and
once disposed of in the environment, they may generate
sulfuric acid in the presence of precipitation water and
microorganisms
• Ammonia is a poisonous gas if released in higher amounts
and may cause blindness followed by death;
• The oxides of nitrogen and sulfur are very common air
pollutants resulting from vehicle emissions, industrial
processes, and other human activities
• Acids and bases are used in a variety of industrial applications as
well as in chemical laboratories. These are less problematic
chemicals because their effect can be easily neutralized in the
environment, but if spread in large amounts they may still pose a
threat to environment and human health;
• Perchlorate includes the perchloric acids and its various salts.
Perchlorate is used in a variety of applications including rocket fuel,
explosives, military operations, fireworks, road flares, inflation bags,
etc. Perchlorate is problematic because it is persistent and may
damage thyroid function in humans.
• Associated Pollutants
• The most common chemicals handled at most industrial sites are a
group of chemicals generically called chlorinated solvents. These
are organic chemicals that do not form naturally. They consist of
carbon, hydrogen, and Cl (usually from 1 to 4 chlorine atoms).
• There are several chlorinated solvents with most common use
including:
• trichloroethylene (TCE)
• perchloroethylene (PCE or PERC), and
• 1,1,1-trichloroethane (1,1,1-TCA).
 Effects of chemical pollution
• Short-Term Effects on the Environment
• When a chemical pollutant enters a body of water, it can impact
surrounding wildlife, watershed and residents. For example, if
chemicals get into to a freshwater supply that people and/or animals
rely on for drinking, it may no longer be safe for consumption or
sanitation purposes. Toxic releases from industrial plants into the
environment and agricultural runoff can threaten water supplies in the
short term.
• Long-Term Effects on the Environment
• Fertilizers or sewage can introduce chemicals containing nitrate or
phosphate into bodies of water. Nitrate and phosphate are food for
the algae in water. An overload of these chemicals will cause the algae
to bloom. As the excess algae die and decay, dissolved oxygen is used
up and the overall quality of the water is degraded. Aquatic life dies
from oxygen deprivation.
• When emissions from industrial plants like sulfur and nitrogen oxides
enter the atmosphere, they can produce acid rain. Acid rain can
weaken plant life, stress marine animals and cause the soil to leach
toxic metals. In some cases, chemical pollution can kill populations of
beneficial species that support ecosystems, like bees.
 Effects on health
• Chemical pollution can affect animals -- including humans -- when
ingested, breathed in or absorbed through the skin. Short-term exposure
to some chemical pollutants can impair the immune, endocrine and
reproductive systems. Pollutants may cause lesions, alter liver function or
darken the skin. Chemical pollutants may also trigger asthma symptoms in
those diagnosed with the disease. Exposure to chemical pollution can also
lead to headaches, upper respiratory infections, dizziness and nose,
throat or eye irritations. According to the World Health Organization,
developing fetuses are among the most sensitive to some types of
chemical pollution, as the toxins can affect the development of organ
systems and growth.
• Global Warming
• The class of chemical pollutants called greenhouse gases may contribute
to global warming. Greenhouse gases released as a result of human
activities include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated
gases. Methane and nitrous oxide are released mostly through
agricultural activities. The burning of fossil fuels and deforestation release
carbon dioxide. Many industrial processes release fluorinated gases. The
effects of global warming include accelerated ice melt at the Earth's
poles, rising sea levels, and loss of species who are unable to adapt.
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