Pollution is the addition of harmful substances to the environment. Pollution brings about chemical, physical or biological changes to the environment. Pollutants are the substances that cause pollution. Pollutants can either be man-made or natural (Beychok & Milton, 1987). There are different types of pollution, and they include, air pollution, land pollution, light pollution, sound pollution, thermal pollution, visual pollution and water pollution. The different types of pollution have different causes, effects and the preventive measures.
Types of Pollution
Air pollution is the addition of gases to the environment that contaminate the natural air. Some of the air pollutants include harmful gases, smoke, oxides of sulphur, carbon and nitrogen. Most of these gases occur from different sources that include exhaust fumes from vehicles, spills from radiation and nuclear accidents, harmful gases from paints and burning of plastic materials and burning of fossil fuels like oil, coal and gas. Air pollution has several effects that include causing of allergies, asthma and several respiratory diseases (Spengler, John & Sexton 1983).
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According to Spengler, John & Sexton (1983), land pollution is the improper disposal of waste and misuse of resources that cause degradation to the earth’s surface. Some of the forms of land pollution include dumping of waste materials in natural habitats, throwing litter along roads, excessive use of pesticides and other farming chemicals, oil spilling that happens on the land, nuclear accidents that lead to radiation spills, and unsustainable logging and mining that leads to damage and debris (Beychok & Milton,1987). Land pollution leads to the damage that is done to the natural habitats to wild animals. Deforestation also affects negatively the natural resources and make the environment look ugly.
Light pollution refers to the tendency of the sky becoming very bright at night and thus the visibility of the stars is inhibited. Beychok & Milton (1987) noted that the visibility of the planets is also inhibited, and this causes improper lighting of the communities. Some other causes of light pollution include the presence of unnecessary light around the homestead, street lights that shine light randomly in all directions instead of just directing its lights downwards to the streets (Spengler, John & Sexton 1983). Light pollution leads to a lot of wastes of energy. This light can also harm the human health through affecting the sleep cycles. It also corrupts the telescopes of children and their curiosity.
Noise pollution refers to loud sounds that are annoying and harmful to humans and animals. Sound pollution may be as a result of, demolition or construction noise, human activities like concerts or other sporting events, motor vehicles, airplanes and helicopters (Spengler, John & Sexton 1983). Noise pollution causes a lot of disruption to the stress levels of human beings, makes animals and young children to be scared. In other cases, it makes wild animals not to hear their predators and thus endangering their lives.
Thermal pollution refers to human activities that lead to increase in temperature. Some of these activities include releasing warm water from manufacturing industries to water, increase of temperatures in areas where there is a lot of concrete activities like in big towns. This temperature can lead to death of aquatic creatures like fish and the plants because the conditions become very uncomfortable (Beychok & Milton, 1987).
Spengler, John & Sexton (1983) outline that water pollution is the contamination of water bodies like lakes and oceans. The pollution may include running raw sewage to water bodies, dumping of wastes to water bodies and spilling of industrial waste materials to the water bodies. This kind of pollution causes infections to human beings and greatly spoils aquatic life.
Pollution Control Measures
Air pollution can be prevented through the control of the fuels that are used by cars, power stations and airplanes. There should also be the establishment of zones where smoking can be done. The industries and factories that produce harmful gases should be encouraged to reuse the gases for other purposes or to turn them to harmless forms before releasing them to the environment.
Policies should be introduced to fine the industries that release their waste products carelessly to the environment (Beychok & Milton, 1987). This will reduce the existence of sewage materials in the water bodies and on the land. Civil education should also be conducted to the farmers so as to ensure that they use the correct proportions of farm chemicals.
Campaigns should be done to educate people on safe disposal of litter. This should also be done to familiarize the public on the disposal of organic waste places in places where it will not affect the environment. Manufacturing industries should be sensitized on the importance of recycling of inorganic materials like plastic that do not decompose.
In conclusion, pollution is an issue that is prevalent in the whole world. Pollution can be effectively controlled if the right measures are taken. The environmental and health effects that come as a result of pollution are so severe and need urgency. All the states in the globe need to put collective measures in order to control pollution effectively.
- Beychok & Milton. Emissions from refuse incinerators. Atmospheric Environment : 29–36. 1987
- Spengler, John & Sexton. Pollution: A Public Health View. Health 221 (4605).1983
