Understanding Environmental Pollution: A Call for Urgent Action 

From air and water contamination to soil degradation, pollution is a global crisis with severe consequences for human health, ecosystems, and the economy. By adopting sustainable practices, we can mitigate its impact and protect our planet for future generations.

Environmental pollution is the gratuitous jettisoning of a multitude of materials or energy into Earth’s natural resource pool, such as water, land, or air, which results in long- or short-term harm to the atmosphere and its ecological health, leading to catastrophic repercussions for living beings and their lives, both quantitatively and qualitatively.

There are different forms of environmental pollution, such as air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. These are the three substantial forms of environmental pollution.

Air Pollution: 

It is the contamination of air due to the existence of entities called sludge in the atmosphere, which are injurious to the health of humans and living beings or cause damage to common materials.

The WHO estimates that nearly 7 million deaths each year are caused by indoor and outdoor air pollution. The World Bank estimates that pollution costs the world economy $5 trillion per year in lost labor and premature deaths.

Common sources of air pollution include: 

– Household ignition devices

– Motor vehicles

– Industrial facilities

– Forest fires

– Agricultural activities

Effects of air pollution: 

Air pollution is a paramount environmental health hazard that can cause a wide assortment of maladies and other health complications.

– Cancer: The International Agency for Research on Cancer classified air pollution as a leading cause of cancer.

– Cardiovascular Disease: Air pollution causes cardiovascular diseases, including stroke and ischemic heart disease.

– Respiratory Disease: Air pollution can cause respiratory diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lower respiratory infections.

– Other diseases linked to air pollution include Type 2 diabetes, obesity, systemic inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, immune, neurological, and reproductive damage, and even death.

Ways to prevent air pollution:

– Reduce driving: Walk or bike instead of driving.

– Shop locally instead of traveling long distances.

– Avoid garbage burning and smoking.

– Avoid using firecrackers.

– Plant more trees.

– Turn off your engine when not in use.

Water Pollution: 

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies, with damaging ramifications for their use. It is usually a result of human activities. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs, and groundwater. Water pollution results in sludge mixing with these water bodies. Water pollution is a global problem that affects one in three people on the planet.

Causes of water pollution include: 

– Point Source Pollution: This comes from a single source, such as a factory or sewage treatment plant.

– Non-point Source Pollution: This comes from widespread sources, such as nutrients and pesticides from farming activities.

– Mining: The grinding of ores and processing with water can release toxic metals into waterways.

– Oil Spills: Accidental oil spills or oil from roads and parking lots can pollute water bodies.

– Marine Debris: Plastic and other debris can be blown in by the wind or washed in by storm drains and sewers.

– Carbon Pollution: The ocean absorbs carbon pollution from the air, contributing to water pollution.

– Radioactive Waste: The radioactive material produced by nuclear energy can be hazardous if not disposed of properly.

– Natural Causes: Mercury can leach from Earth’s crust.

– Other causes include bacteria, viruses, parasites, pharmaceutical products, nitrates, and phosphates.

Effects of water pollution: 

Water pollution has numerous harmful effects on the environment, human health, and the economy, including:

– Environmental Damage: Water pollution can harm ecosystems and aquatic environments.

– Food Chain Disruption: It can reduce the number of primary consumers, leading to a reduction in secondary and tertiary consumers.

– Human Health: Drinking or using polluted water can cause health problems such as digestive issues, toxicity, and death. Serious chemical pollution can lead to chronic toxicity and neurological problems.

– Economic Effects: Managing and restoring polluted water bodies can be costly.

– Water Quality: Water pollution can affect the quality of water, making it dangerous for human use.

– Soil Quality: Water contaminated with chemicals can degrade soil quality when used for irrigation.

Ways to prevent water pollution: 

– Enforce pollution laws: Pollution control panels should enforce laws to prevent water pollution.

– Wastewater treatment: Wastewater treatment plants remove pollutants from wastewater before discharging it into freshwater sources.

– Control air pollution: Air pollution affects water quality. Emissions from vehicles, factories, and fossil fuel burning can increase carbon dioxide in the air, which water vapor absorbs.

– Protect drinking water sources: Protecting the source of drinking water is the most important barrier against contamination.

– Use fertilizers and pesticides carefully: Overuse of fertilizers and pesticides can contaminate water sources and harm aquatic life.

– Conserve water: Conserving water helps prevent water pollution in lakes, rivers, and local watersheds.

– Control soil erosion: Soil erosion contributes to water pollution. Erosion occurs when the top layer of soil is washed away by water or wind.

– Dispose of toxic chemicals properly: Properly dispose of toxic substances such as paint, motor oil, and grease.

Land Pollution: 

Soil contamination, as part of land degradation, is caused by the presence of xenobiotic chemicals or other modifications in the natural soil environment. It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, or improper disposal of waste.

The degradation of Earth’s land surface can be caused by many human activities, including:

– Waste Management: Poorly managed waste, such as municipal solid waste, is a major cause of land pollution. This includes improper disposal of hazardous waste and littering.

– Agriculture: Unsustainable agricultural practices, such as overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, can lead to soil poisoning and contamination.

– Mining: Mining or mineral extraction can cause land pollution.

– Construction: Construction and demolition waste, such as bricks, cement, nails, and concrete, can contaminate the land.

– Soil Erosion: Soil erosion can degrade the quality of the soil.

Other factors contributing to soil degradation include industrial activities, military activities, radioactive waste, salinization, and other hazardous wastes.

Effects of land pollution include: 

– Human Health: Humans can be exposed to pollutants through contaminated air, water, soil, or food, leading to health issues such as cancer, respiratory illnesses, and birth defects.

– Food Security: Soil contamination can reduce crop yields and make food unsafe to eat.

– Ecosystem Health: Pollutants can accumulate in sediments, affecting local ecosystems.

– Wildlife: Land pollution can endanger wildlife species, forcing them to migrate, adapt to new environments, or perish in the process.

– Climate Change: Land pollution contributes to climate change, leading to flash floods and irregular rainfall.

– Wildfires: Polluted areas can become dry, increasing the risk of wildfires.

– Air Pollution: Burning waste increases air pollution.

– Economic Impact: Soil degradation can cause global economic losses exceeding half of the world’s annual GDP.

Ways to prevent land pollution: 

– Reduce chemical use: Reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides can prevent soil contamination. Farmers can use natural ingredients like manure and biofertilizers instead.

– Recycle: Recycling reduces the amount of garbage sent to landfills, saving space and reducing the need for raw material extraction.

– Reforestation: Reforestation prevents soil erosion and makes land more fertile. It also reduces surface erosion, preventing river and lake silting.

– Soil Testing: Soil testing can help reduce pollution from stormwater runoff by identifying the soil’s needs, reducing the over-application of fertilizers, manure, and soil amendments.

– Use biodegradable plastics: Biodegradable plastics produce less waste than petroleum-based plastics and decompose into non-toxic components.

Healthy soils are essential for human health and the production of food, biomass, fiber, and certain medicines. They also help retain and filter water and play a key role in the carbon and nutrient cycles. To save our environment from further damage or pollution, we need collective effort, sustainable solutions, public awareness, and individual responsibility.

Navreena Mushtaq is a Class 10th student at Sabir Abdullah Public High School, Wanihama, Anantnag. The source of the article, according to her, is Internet. Feedback at [email protected]