Environmental Pollution

What are environmental pollutants? Environmental pollution is one of the greatest problems that we are facing.  Environmental pollution is defined as the “spread of contaminants into the environmentcausing harm.” Humans are a large contributing factor to environmental pollution, causing detrimental effects on our ecosystem. Pollution occurs when the atmosphere cannot process and counteract harmful substances. The main types of environmental pollution are air, water and soil.

Air pollution is the most harmful form in our environment. As I previously stated, human activities play a large impact on pollution. With that being said some of the biggest air polluters are, fossil fuels emitted by vehicles, factories or industries, and coal.

It is very common when driving down the road to see smog coming from smoke stacks this is not only causing harm to the environment but also the people living in close proximity. Although, some pollution is visible others are invisible. When we breathe in air we are inhaling possibly harmful particles that travel through our respiratory system. These particles can stick to the sides of the airway and therefore travel deeper into the lungs.

Water pollution is also a huge problem that our world is facing. There are many different contributing factors that play a role in water contamination. There are many factors that play into the contamination of water.  According to the World Health Organization “780 million people don’t have access tosafe drinking water.” One of the largest contributing factors to water contamination is the lack of proper sanitation facilities. Because of this in developing countries people will use the restroom anywhere. This can cause serious illness and possible fatality. Human waste is being disposed into our waterways on a daily basis, at high quantities. “Water pollution is all about quantities.” After flushing a toilet the contaminated water is sent to a treatment facility, however it is very common for the water to still be contaminated when released back into the waterways.

When walking around every day it is very common to see litter on the side of the road or in different bodies of water. Plastics are extremely hazardous to marine life, causing animal to choke. Another prime example of water pollution was the BP oil spill; this spill covered a vast area of the ocean and affected the aquatic life greatly.

It is important to note that these sources of pollution can occur simultaneously. For example, when it rains chemicals and fertilizers, can runoff into nearby waterways thereby causing the water to become contaminated. This can be very dangerous for aquatic life possibly eliminating the amount of oxygen they can get and therefore resulting in death. There are many preventative measures that can be taken to reduce pollution. Being aware of what you are contributing or the activities that you are doing is a start. Say you want to attend an event a few streets away, get out and walk or ride a bike instead of taking your car and contributing to the pollution.

This topic is very important and we should work toward eliminating or finding better ways to manage the pollution that is being created due to human activity. Environmental pollution presents a serious long term global problem. Pollution has extremely negative impacts on crucial things that the environment provides such as clean air and clean water, which are two things needed for survival.