Types of Pollution and Their Negative Impacts

Pollution is hurting society

 Pollution is a major issue that is growing larger each and every day. Pollution is in the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. While many people still fail to realize it, pollution is harming our society day in and day out. The release of contaminants into the environment is not something that has just started in recent times. Pollution dates back to the Paleolithic era which is the era when the ability to generate fire first started. Civilizations back then did not even know that they were affecting their surroundings. The fires that were started by burning wood, trees, and leaves were polluting the air. It has become a bigger issue as civilizations have grown. When the term pollution is coined around, many think of littering out of a car window or throwing garbage on the floor. However there is much more to pollution than just littering the planet. There are many different kinds of pollution such as air pollution, water pollution, land pollution, noise pollution, thermal pollution and radioactive pollution. These six different branches of pollution all contribute to the same cause. Society is being greatly affected by pollution and through trial and error we must learn to control our society to protect our society.

 Making these fires out of wood trees and leafs led to smoke which polluted the air. The early settlers also practiced making tools out of led and the metal grinding left small particles all over the place which polluted the land as well. Throughout the years, pollution has progressively gotten worst and worst. Today we are leaving in a much polluted world and some may not even know it. However it is affecting society negatively.

 One of the six main branches of pollution is air pollution. Air pollution occurs when the

air around us contains gases, dust, fumes, odors at harmful levels. If the amounts of these

elements are high enough they could be harmful to humans and animals. It could also cause

damage to plants and materials.

                As stated previously air pollution has been around for many years and has an impact on society. As industries grew so did the air pollution. Core samples taken from glaciers show air pollution associated with Greek, Chinese, and Roman metal production. The fires were started to create forged metal. Society has had this problem for a long time but with the advance in industrial production and automobiles it has become a larger problem. Cars and other sources of transportation are big air pollutants. The carbon dioxide from the exhaust and the fuel are in the air and have a negative impact on society. The chemicals that are in the air from all pollutants are hazardous to people, animals, plants, and even soil.  Some of the common ways that air pollution affects the way we live is that it can cause diseases like asthma and pulmonary disorders. It has also been found to cause different types of cancer from the chemical, Benzene; which comes from exhaust. When the chemicals from the exhaust mix in the atmosphere they can cause acid rain.  The acids rain down on the land stopping plant growth and can even decay buildings.

         Air pollutions effects on society are not just from cars and exhausts. Any harmful chemical that can get into the air stream is a possible danger to all of us. When volcanoes erupt ash from volcanoes can travel hundreds to thousands of miles from the wind. Ash can cause breathing problems and can block sun rays which will change the temperature on the land. Forest fires are another way that harmful pollutants can enter the airstream. Fires emit carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. The chemicals that are in the air cause heart conditions and breathing problems. Air pollution has caused global warming and climate change which leads to effects on everyone around the world.  If people are not more careful and we do not come out with better regulations about releasing harmful chemicals into our environment air pollution will continue to have an effect on society.

         Another main type of pollution that affects the society that we live in is water pollution. The earth is covered by more water than land. Any waste, materials, or chemicals that are released into the water can be hazardous not only to the animals and plants that live in the water, but also to society in general. Any pollutant that finds its way into a body of water such as a pond, lake, sea, or ocean will be affected. Harmful pollutants could poison fish and other seafood that we eat along with the problem of contaminating our water supply. Pollutants in water can cause viruses, bacteria, intestinal parasites and diseases. Our waters are used for commercial and recreational activities which can pollute the water with the fuel leaking out into the water. Oil spills are a big example of how the water can be polluted and it can have a powerful impact on the people not only who live in that area but can be felt all the way around the world. Fish and other sea life that may be consumed can be destroyed affecting a large amount of people. Beaches can be affected by the polluted water washing up on shore. We saw how big of a deal and oil spill can make recently when the BP oil spill occurred. Water can also be polluted by littering. Garbage and other items that are thrown into the water can pollute and can also give off waste into the water supply. Household chemicals that are used can reach the water supply. Water is one of our most important factors of life. We must be cautious about what we use and how we dispose of these items to keep our water supply non-toxic.

   Land pollution is another main problem in our society. When industrial and domestic wastes are not disposed properly harmful substances and chemicals go into the ground. If garbage isn’t recycled properly we are polluting our land. This will harm animals, humans, and plants.  Land pollution affects our society by causing disease, and many health concerns which are harmful to all living things. Fertilizer and pesticide are poisonous and can be very harmful to our environment. The growing population is a problem because agricultural lands are being transformed into residential areas. We are killing our trees and forests. The garbage dumps on land makes our streets unhealthy. People have to take the time to recycle properly. This will greatly decrease the health issues in our society.

   Noise pollution is another growing problem in our society. Loud noises can affect our hearing. When using machinery and loud devices such as a lawn mower or power tool use ear plugs to prevent hearing damage. Noise can prevent communication with people. It is stressful and rude if you can’t have a conversation due to noise. Many people have sleep deprivation  due to the noise around them. People should respect others by lowering the TVs, radio, phone and any other loud devices. Noise in school is very disruptive to children trying to learn. You should be aware of how loud you are speaking when you are in a school environment. Noise pollution can affect societies because a lot of noise can lead to stress over time. This branch of pollution can also lead to high blood pressure, lack of sleep and an increase in headaches. Many underwater animals communicate through sound. Sound underwater can be travelled at up to five times faster than in the air or on land. Sonar’s and ships can make noise that will travel very far and at a very loud frequency which will disrupt the aquatic life community and lead to the same affects that we have on land. While many people don’t think of noise pollution as a big deal, it is a very big deal.

            Another type of pollution that is unspoken about is thermal pollution. Thermal pollution is the harm to lakes and rivers resulting from the release of excessive waste heat into them. The common cause of thermal pollution is when plants decide to use water as coolants. The common threats to the water dwelling life are when industrial plants or nuclear plants release super heated water into the lakes or rivers. Organisms that have adapted to particular temperature range can be killed by the abrupt rise in water temperature known as ‘thermal shock’. The increase in the water temperature decreases the oxygen supply in the water. The super heated water can affect the food chains in the areas of the heated water. This could in turn hurt the local aquatic life that people need as a source of food. Bacteria may also grow more in areas that have thermal pollution. Bacteria in the water and in the aquatic life could be unhealthy people. A large portion of the thermal pollution comes from power plants near the water. Without the correct safeguards these plants can “poison” the surrounding waters by the plants with bad effects to society.

               Clearly, there are several different types of pollution. All can be hazardous to society and affect the way we live. Pollution is caused by things that society is producing or using to live with. Pollution has an everyday affect on society as a whole. Whether it is bad gases in the air, noise that we hear that will lead to hearing loss or stress, or garbage that is polluting our land and water, pollution is a problem to all of us. Pollution can cause severe and even fatal health effects by breathing it in or ingesting polluted products. Pollution affects all of society in some way and is something that needs to be controlled. Proper education about the dangers of the different types of pollution is key on winning the pollution battle. Everyone needs to know the risks involved of how pollution affects the planet. We need continued legislation for transportation manufacturers about lowering the emissions and using a cleaner energy source. Recycling programs that tear down and reuse materials that would have hurt the land or water are needed and are important to a healthier Earth. Therefore, pollution can be stopped if we take the correct measures.

Works Cited

• http://www.wma.net/en/30publications/10policies/n3/
• http://www.opsociety.org/issues/underwater-noise-pollution
• http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Thermal_pollution from_coal_plants
• http://www.rpi.edu/dept/chem-eng/Biotech-Environ/Environmental/THERMAL/tte1.htm
• http://books.google.com/books?id=1kFbRYQUqcAC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
• http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=gD14h8SKdeoC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=effects+of+pollution+on+society&ots=RdBdnv3wTV&sig=r5A4bZ4K_OtxKlVLbG5PMEcAjVI#v=onepage&q=effects%20of%20pollution%20on%20society&f=false
• http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=6378449