Pollution Definition, Aspects and Solution

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The addition of constituents to water, air or land, which adversely alter the natural quality of our
environment is known as POLLUTION.
POLLUTION may also be defined as an undesirable variation in the physical, chemical or
biological characteristics of our water, air and land that may or will harmfully affect human life
or that of desirable species, our industrial processes, living conditions and cultural assets, or that
may or will waste or deteriorate our raw material resources.
Global Aspect of Pollution
Entire world can be considered as a single vast ecosystem of the universe consisting of two parts
:
(i) Biotic Community (or Living Part)
That is, the BIOSPHERE in which life exists. The lack of living creatures and the disbalance in
their life balance, gives rise to the crises in biological community.
(ii) Abiotic Community (or Nonliving Part or Physical
Environment
The abiotic or physical environment of all the organisms existing on the earth or globe exists in
three main zones : ATMOSPHERE, LITHOSPHERE and HYDROSPHERE.
Causes of Environmental Pollution
The root cause of environmental pollution has been mans misbehaviour with the nature. Albeit,
there are several reasons for environmental pollution, for example :
(i) Harmful gases in the atmosphere
The concentration of harmful gases is increasing! day by day in the atmosphere. Increasing
carbon dioxide (CO2) content will warm up the earths atmosphere to such an extent that it will
melt the polar ice and will cause a subsequent rise in the sea-level. Thus low lying areas will be
submerged carbon-dioxide is harmful to our health. Carbon- monodioxide, sulphur dioxide (S0
2
),
hydrogen sulphide, nitrogen oxides, ozone etc. also constitute the other harmful pollutants.
(ii) INDUSTRIAL WASTES (or EFFLUENTS)
Discharge of untreated industrial effluents (for example, breveries, tanneries, dying, textile and
paper) can cause very serious pollution indeed.
(iii) SEWAGE AND DOMESTIC WASTES
Dumping of tonnes of sewage, dead humans and animals and domestic wastes from cities into
the water reservoirs are one of the major causes of water pollution. Discharge of untreated or
partially treated sewage may cause : (a) depletion of oxygen content caused by biological
oxidation of organic matter; and (b) stimulation of algae growth.
The above effects affect the diverse uses of water.
(iv) INSECTICIDES AND PESTICIDES
Insecticides used to kill insects which destroys (damages) our crops, spread several diseases in
man, after spraying are washed off to the rivers and lakes and become a part fish body and other
animal there. In the same way pollution of food grains by insecticides and pesticides and the
various diseases caused by such food grains are also well known.
(v) AUTOMOBILE EXHAUSTS
The air becomes foul by the exhaust from the internal combusa- tion engines of automobiles
used for personal conveyance, transport of goods and passenger traffic in the modern world. This
polluted air is unhealthy for breathing.
Carbon-monodioxide a deadly poisonous gas discharged from the automobiles and factories is a
serious problem in big cities of the world. It causes headaches, lost of vision, nausea, pain,
convulsions, asthmatic spasm etc.
(vi) FERTILIZERS AND DETERGENTS
FERTILIZERS applied in the fields are also washed off into streams, rivers and the seas. Here
they increase the growth of algae (algae is a microscopic green plant). This algae consumes the
oxygen of water much more than they returned to water in dissolved state (during
photosynthesis). In short supply of oxygen the animal living in water become suffocated.
DETERGENTS also cause a serious pollution problem to the fresh water resources. Major
ingredients of most detergents is phosphates. When discharged into water they support luxuriant
growth of algae.
Antipollution Measures
Some common antipollution measures are in the following manner:
(i) Air Pollution, can be controlled by
(a) Planning trees on the roadsides; laying parks and gardens in the spacing houses and
colonies.
(b) Keeping a check on the quality of fuels meant for automobiles etc.
(c) Less use of oil and coal for running factories.
(d) Controlled nuclear tests.
(e) Strict safeguard against disasters (like Bhopal Gas Tragedy)
(ii) Noise Pollution, may be checked by
(a) Making highways, circular and ring roads, not in close touch with towns and cities.
(b) Methodical spacing of office hours of different categories, school and colleges, factories
and industries.
(c) Restrictions on the use and volume of loudspeakers pressure horns of vehicles etc.
(iii) Soil Pollution, may be reduced by
(a) Training the people for hygiene and sanitation.
(b) Providing lavatories and proper hygienic conditions; recycling of scrap and other waste
material.
(c) Proper dumping of unwanted material.
(d) Production of natural fertilizers.
(e) Restriction on the use of chemicals which are otherwise fatal to plants and animals.
(f) Plantation of forests extensively.
(iv) Water Pollution, can be reduced by
(a) Proper disposal of sewage, dreading of shallow rivers and streams and cleaning operations
in lakes.
(b) Effective filteration and chlorination of drinking water.
(c) Reducing and recycling the radioactive contents of nuclear power plants.
(d) Checking of a random disposal of factory wastes, specially into rivers which are the major
source of drinking water.
(e) Use of bio-reactors to fight organic pollution of water.
(f) Nuclear explosions should not be done in seas.