various type of pollution

8/4/2019 Various Type of Pollution

1/7

Various Type of Pollution

Sound Pollution

Noise, by definition, is unwanted sound. What is pleasant to some ears

may be extremely unpleasant to others, depending on a number offactors. The natural environment contains many sources of noise - wind,volcanoes, oceans, and animal sounds are all familiar intrusions acceptedat various levels. Man-made noises - from machines, automobiles, trains,planes, explosives and firecrackers, etc. - are more contentious. Bothkinds of noise affect sleep, hearing, communication, as well as mental andphysical health.

Pollution is a noun derived from the verb pollute, meaning: to foul. It isnow increasingly understood that pollution from noise is an important

component of air pollution, which was previously understood as beinglimited to material pollution. Noise is an inescapable by-product of theindustrial environment, which is increasing with advances inindustrialization and urbanization. Even in non-industrial areas, noisefrom such activities as printing, auto-repair, grinding, affects those livingin the immediate surroundings. Noise not only causes irritation orannoyance but also constricts the arteries, and increases the flow ofadrenaline and forces the heart to work faster. Continuous noise causesan increase in the cholesterol level resulting in permanent constriction ofblood vessels, making one prone to heart attacks and strokes. Health

experts are of the opinion that excessive noise can also lead to neurosisand nervous breakdown.

Noise travels through air and hence it is measured in ambient air qualitylevel. Noise is measured in decibels. Experts believe that continuous noiselevels in excess of 90 decibels can cause loss of hearing and irreversiblechanges in nervous systems. The World Health Organization [WHO] hasfixed 45 decibels as the safe noise level for a city. Metropolitan areas inIndia usually register an average more than 90 decibels; Mumbai is ratedthe third noisiest city in the world, with New Delhi following closely.

Waste and Water Pollution

When toxic substances enter lakes, streams, rivers, oceans, and otherwater bodies, they get dissolved or lie suspended in water or getdeposited on the bed. This results in the pollution of water whereby thequality of the water deteriorates, affecting aquatic ecosystems. Pollutantscan also seep down and affect the groundwater deposits.

Today, many people dump their garbage into streams, lakes, rivers, and

seas, thus making water bodies the final resting place of cans, bottles,plastics, and other household products. The various substances that we


2/7

use for keeping our houses clean add to water pollution as they containharmful chemicals. In the past, people mostly used soaps made fromanimal and vegetable fat for all types of washing. But most of todayscleaning products are synthetic detergents and come from the

petrochemical industry. Most detergents and washing powders containphosphates, which are used to soften the water among other things.These and other chemicals contained in washing powders affect the healthof all forms of life in the water.

The effects of water pollution are not only devastating to people but alsoto animals, fish, and birds. Polluted water is unsuitable for drinking,recreation, agriculture, and industry. It diminishes the aesthetic quality oflakes and rivers. More seriously, contaminated water destroys aquatic lifeand reduces its reproductive ability. Eventually, it is a hazard to human

health. Nobody can escape the effects of water pollution

Air Pollution

One of the formal definitions of air pollution is as follows The presencein the atmosphere of one or more contaminants in such quality and forsuch duration as is injurious, or tends to be injurious, to human health orwelfare, animal or plant life. It is the contamination of air by thedischarge of harmful substances. Air pollution can cause health problemsand it can also damage the environment and property. It has causedthinning of the protective ozone layer of the atmosphere, which is leadingto climate change.

Modernisation and progress have led to air getting more and morepolluted over the years. Industries, vehicles, increase in the population,and urbanization are some of the major factors responsible for airpollution. The following industries are among those that emit a great dealof pollutants into the air: thermal power plants, cement, steel, refineries,petro chemicals, and mines.

Air pollution results from a variety of causes, not all of which are withinhuman control. Dust storms in desert areas and smoke from forest firesand grass fires contribute to chemical and particulate pollution of the air.The source of pollution may be in one country but the impact of pollutionmay be felt elsewhere. The discovery of pesticides in Antarctica, wherethey have never been used, suggests the extent to which aerial transportcan carry pollutants from one place to another.

Listed below are the major air pollutants and their sources.

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas that is producedby the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels including petrol, diesel,


3/7

and wood. It is also produced from the combustion of natural andsynthetic products such as cigarettes. It lowers the amount of oxygenthat enters our blood . It can slow our reflexes and make us confused andsleepy.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the principle greenhouse gas emitted as aresult of human activities such as the burning of coal, oil, and naturalgases.

Chloroflorocarbons (CFC) are gases that are released mainly from air-conditioning systems and refrigeration. When released into the air, CFCsrise to the stratosphere, where they come in contact with few othergases, which leads to a reduction of the ozone layer that protects theearth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.

Lead is present in petrol, diesel, lead batteries, paints, hair dye products,etc. Lead affects children in particular. It can cause nervous systemdamage and digestive problems and, in some cases, cause cancer.

Ozone occur naturally in the upper layers of the atmosphere. Thisimportant gas shields the earth from the harmful ultraviolet rays of thesun. However, at the ground level, it is a pollutant with highly toxiceffects. Vehicles and industries are the major source of ground-levelozone emissions. Ozone makes our eyes itch, burn, and water. It lowersour resistance to colds and pneumonia.

Nitrogen oxide (Nox) causes smog and acid rain. It is produced fromburning fuels including petrol, diesel, and coal. Nitrogen oxides can makechildren susceptible to respiratory diseases in winters.

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) consists of solids in the air in theform of smoke, dust, and vapour that can remain suspended for extendedperiods and is also the main source of haze which reduces visibility. Thefiner of these particles, when breathed in can lodge in our lungs andcause lung damage and respiratory problems.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a gas produced from burning coal, mainly inthermal power plants. Some industrial processes, such as production ofpaper and smelting of metals, produce sulphur dioxide. It is a majorcontributor to smog and acid rain. Sulfur dioxide can lead to lungdiseases.

Chemical Pollution

In some parts of the world, the bodies of whales and dolphins washing

ashore are so highly contaminated that they qualify as toxic waste andhave to be specially disposed of. There are many different sources of


4/7

chemical pollution, including:

domestic sewage industrial discharges seepage from waste sites atmospheric fallout domestic run-off accidents and spills at sea operational discharges from oil rigs mining discharges and agricultural run-off.

However, the chemicals that are probably of most concern for everyoneare the persistent pollutants: those substances that enter marine food

chains and are eventually passed along the chain to the marine toppredators in increasing amounts.Persistent pollutants include pesticides,such as DDT, and industrial chemicals, most famously the PCBs.

Ecology is the science of the study of ecosystems.Ecologicalbalancehas been defined by various online dictionaries as "a state ofdynamic equilibrium within a community of organisms in which genetic,species and ecosystem diversity remain relatively stable, subject to

gradual changes through natural succession." and "A stable balance inthe numbers of each species in an ecosystem."

The most important point being that the natural balance in an ecosystem ismaintained. This balance may be disturbed due to the introduction of newspecies, the sudden death of some species, natural hazards or man-madecauses. In this field trip we will explore how human population anddevelopment affects the ecological balance.

Take time to explore this site as your gateway to the world ofecology. It hasinteresting articles and facts. There are features such as the Environmental

Timeline that shows how there were different concerns about the environmentthroughout history.The environmental impact of war is an interesting article on how preparationof war and warfare leads to environmental losses.

The carpet bombing of the lush green forests during the Vietnam war led tothe loss of habitat of many species. Special features on population and theenvironment show how population has increased from the industrial age andhow it will affect the environment. There are additional resources for higherclasses.
http://www.borealforest.org/index.php?category=glossary&%20page=forestry_term&content=forestry_terms_de#ehttp://www.borealforest.org/index.php?category=glossary&%20page=forestry_term&content=forestry_terms_de#ehttp://www.borealforest.org/index.php?category=glossary&%20page=forestry_term&content=forestry_terms_de#ehttp://www.borealforest.org/index.php?category=glossary&%20page=forestry_term&content=forestry_terms_de#ehttp://www.ecology.com/http://www.ecology.com/http://www.ecology.com/http://www.ecology.com/http://www.borealforest.org/index.php?category=glossary&%20page=forestry_term&content=forestry_terms_de#ehttp://www.borealforest.org/index.php?category=glossary&%20page=forestry_term&content=forestry_terms_de#e


5/7

The Sun, which provides the energy for everything on the planet.

Producers: these include all green plants. These are also known as autotrophs, sincethey make their own food. Producers are able to harness the energy of the sun to

make food. Ultimately, every (aerobic) organism is dependent on plants for oxygen

(which is the waste product from photosynthesis) and food (which is produced in theform of glucose through photosynthesis). They make up the bulk of the food chain or

web.

Consumers: In short, consumers are every organism that eats something else. Theyinclude herbivores (animals that eat plants), carnivores (animals that eat other

animals),parasites (animals that live off of other organisms by harming it),

and scavengers (animals that eat dead animal carcasses). Primary consumers are the

herbivores, and are the second largest biomass in an ecosystem. The animals that eat

the herbivores (carnivores) make up the third largest biomass, and are also known as

secondary consumers. This continues with tertiary consumers, etc.

Decomposers: These are mainly bacteria and fungi that convert dead matter intogases such as carbon and nitrogen to be released back into the air, soil, or water.Fungi, and other organisms that break down dead organic matter are known

as saprophytes. Even though most of us hate those mushrooms or molds, they

actually play a very important role. Without decomposers, the earth would be

covered in trash. Decomposers are necessary since they recycle the nutrients to be

used again by producers.

This table shows the relational biomass of each of the major groups in the food chain:

Tertiary Consumers

Secondary Consumers

Primary Consumers

Producers

\ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | /

Decomposers

How have humans affected the food chain?

When we spray pesticides, we put the food chain in danger. By breaking one link on thechain means all of the organisms above that link are in threat of extinction (like the domino

effect). By hunting animals nearly to extinction, everything above the animal in the food

chain is put in danger. A 'chain reaction' in the food chain can be perilous! Since the food

chain provides energy that all living things must have in order to survive, it is imperitive that

we protect it.

What is the difference between the 'Food Chain' and 'Food Web?'

A popular misnomer, the 'food chain' is not actually a linear chain but a complex web.

Energy is passed from one organism to another in a complex network like a spider's web.


6/7

A food chain is the sequence of who eats whom in a biological community (an ecosystem) to

obtain nutrition. A food chain starts with the primary energy source, usually the sun or

boiling-hot deep sea vents. The next link in the chain is an organism that make its own food

from the primary energy source -- an example is photosynthetic plants that make their own

food from sunlight (using a process called photosynthesis) and chemosynthetic bacteria that

make their food energy from chemicals in hydrothermal vents. These arecalled autotrophsor primary producers.

Next come organisms that eat the autotrophs; these organisms are

called herbivores or primary consumers -- an example is a rabbit that eats grass.

The next link in the chain is animals that eat herbivores - these are called secondary

consumers -- an example is a snake that eat rabbits.

In turn, these animals are eaten by larger predators -- an example is an owl that eats snakes.

The tertiary consumers are are eaten by quaternary consumers -- an example is a hawk thateats owls. Each food chain end with a top predator, and animal with no natural enemies (like

an alligator, hawk, or polar bear).

The arrows in a food chain show the flow ofenergy, from the sun or hydrothermal vent to a

top predator. As the energy flows from organism to organism, energy is lost at each step. A

network of many food chains is called a food web.

Trophic Levels:The trophic level of an organism is the position it holds in a food chain.

1. Primary producers (organisms that make their own food from sunlight and/orchemical energy from deep sea vents) are the base of every food chain - these

organisms are calledautotrophs.

2. Primary consumers are animals that eat primary producers; they are alsocalled herbivores (plant-eaters).

3. Secondary consumers eat primary consumers. They are carnivores (meat-eaters)and omnivores (animals that eat both animals and plants).

4. Tertiary consumers eat secondary consumers.5. Quaternary consumers eat tertiary consumers.6. Food chains "end" with top predators, animals that have little or no natural enemies.

When any organism dies, it is eventually eaten by detrivores (like vultures, worms and

crabs) and broken down by decomposers (mostly bacteria and fungi), and the exchange of

energy continues.

Some organisms' position in the food chain can vary as their diet differs. For example, when

a bear eats berries, the bear is functioning as a primary consumer. When a bear eats a plant-

eating rodent, the bear is functioning as a secondary consumer. When the bear eats salmon,

the bear is functioning as a tertiary consumer (this is because salmon is a secondary

consumer, since salmon eat herring that eat zooplankton that eat phytoplankton, that make

their own energy from sunlight). Think about how people's place in the food chain varies -

often within a single meal.


7/7

Numbers of Organisms:In any food web, energy is lost each time one organism eats another. Because of this, there

have to be many more plants than there are plant-eaters. There are more autotrophs than

heterotrophs, and more plant-eaters than meat-eaters. Although there is intense competition

between animals, there is also an interdependence. When one species goes extinct, it can

affect an entire chain of other species and have unpredictable consequences.

EquilibriumAs the number of carnivores in a community increases, they eat more and more of the

herbivores, decreasing the herbivore population. It then becomes harder and harder for the

carnivores to find herbivores to eat, and the population of carnivores decreases. In this way,

the carnivores and herbivores stay in a relatively stable equilibrium, each limiting the other's

population. A similar equilibrium exists between plants and plant-eaters.

various type of pollution

Documents