Types of Pollution and How to Reduce Them - Coldfax Business News and Analysis

Pollution is a public health concern, and is considered to be any harmful material introduced to the environment. Many materials can cause such harm and are referred to as pollutants.

Pollutants are pervasive, as much of what it takes for humans to live their daily lives contributes harmful materials to the environment. Some pollutants are natural but still cause harm to the world’s air, land, and water.

Pollutants can be things like:

Volcanic ash
Trash and sewage
Factory runoffs
Car exhaust
Burning coal for electricity
Pesticides

Environmental pollution is a problem all over the world. While it’s much more prevalent in urban areas, traces of pollutants can be found in the most natural of places due to air and water currents that can spread harmful materials across the globe.

The frightening fact is that there is more than one type of pollution. The comforting part is that there are steps to slow and prevent pollution. Keep reading to find out more.

What types of pollution are there?

Air pollution

Air pollution is any hazardous substance, natural or manufactured, that exists in the air. Air pollution can be invisible, but it can often be seen.

If you’ve ever been to Los Angeles and driven the 405, gone on a hike, or sat on the beach and seen a hazy brown layer hovering above the city or the ocean, that is visible air pollution.

This haze, often called smog, is not just a problem in Los Angeles; it’s a worldwide issue.

Natural air pollution can come from:

Wildfire smoke
Volcanic eruption ash and gas
Methane gas from soil decomposition

Manufactured air pollution can come from:

Vehicle emissions
Homes heated by fuel oils and natural gas
Manufacturing and power generation byproducts, especially coal-fueled
Chemical production fumes

The chemicals that are most concerning as sources of air pollution are:

Particulate matter
Carbon monoxide
Ozone
Nitrogen dioxide
Sulfur dioxide

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 99 percent of the world’s population breathes air above the recommended contamination limits. People in metropolitan areas are at higher risk; however, everyone is affected.

One of the most problematic parts of air pollution is that the particles, themselves, are too small to be seen and can cause serious health problems upon inhalation.

Health studies have found that air pollution is directly linked to the following:

Breast cancer
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Lung cancer
Cardiovascular diseases
Strokes
Pregnancy risks
Respiratory diseases
Dementia
Asthma

Data suggests that air pollution is responsible for one in six deaths worldwide. That number continues to rise, and most deaths are considered premature.

Water pollution

Polluted water is water that manufactured or natural chemicals have contaminated. Similar to air pollution, some water pollution can be visible, and some cannot.

Some water pollution is easy to see, as the water is murky, contains trash, or gives off a foul odor. Other polluted water might look completely safe.

Natural water pollution happens through natural gas and oil leaks into a water source. For example, Coal Oil Point Seep in California is a petroleum seep that leaks oil into the ocean — so much so that it creates tar balls that wash up onto the beach or decompose in the ocean.

While nature contributes to water pollution, human activities have a much bigger hand in the problem.

Manufactured water pollution includes:

Factory runoffs that create cyanobacteria
Mining and drilling that creates sulfuric acid
Oil spills that kill millions of animals
Radioactive pollution and solid waste
Buried chemical waste that causes cancer and birth defects
Untreated sewage that contaminates water and reduces fishery
Fertilizer with phosphorus and nitrogen causes cyanobacteria
Power plants that heat water and cause thermal pollution, which can ruin local river ecosystems
Plastic pollution, like bags that suffocate aquatic life
Toxic chemicals that contaminatemarine life, which humans then consume

In addition to anthropogenic water pollution, acid rain can result from air pollution and water pollution. Acid rain is not just a term that sounds like the plot of an end-of-the-world sci-fi movie; it is an actual chemical process.

When nitrogen oxide mixes in the air with sulfur dioxide and those two chemicals come into contact with a body of water, they combine and evolve into a type of acid. This is one of the ways that pollution is spread all over the world.

When the chemicals fall as acid rain, wind can carry the pollutants worldwide. This is why some chemicals can be found in areas that should have no traces of them.

Noise pollution

Noise might not be the environmental crisis you think of when considering pollution. And while it might not contaminate the air or water, that does not mean it doesn’t negatively affect society.

Noise pollution is considered to be persistent, disturbing, or unwanted noise. It’s considered pollution because it is a phenomenon that affects the quality of life of those in the environment.

If you live in a metropolitan area, you are likely more accustomed to noise pollution than those in rural areas. Like other types of pollution, noise pollution is connected to health issues.

Noise pollution sources include:

Emission products
Cars, trucks, motorcycles, trains, transport equipment
Airplanes and helicopters
Construction and construction equipment

Studies show that issues related to noise pollution include:

Stress-related illnesses
High blood pressure
Speech interference
Hearing loss
Disruption of sleep
Loss of productivity

Light pollution

Light pollution, also referred to as photo pollution, is an excessive amount of light that creates a glow in the night sky. Light pollution is another type of pollution that people might not consider because it is less widely spoken about.

However, it can affect humans and animals. Like noise pollution, light pollution is much more common in city environments.

Light pollution is caused by:

Car lights
Streetlamps
Offices, buildings, and factories
Outdoor advertising, like billboards

While some light is necessary for safety, it can negatively affect the circadian rhythm of humans and animals. Interrupting the circadian rhythm causes a decrease in melatonin production, which is directly connected to sleep quality.

Light pollution and its adverse effects on sleep are connected to:

Sleep deprivation
Fatigue
Headaches
Stress
Anxiety

Because circadian rhythm is a characteristic all organisms possess, light pollution affects animals too.

Animals base their migration patterns on seasons and the amount of light that guides them. Animals that live or migrate through areas with excessive light cannot see enough of the starlight or moonlight and can end up confused in their migration patterns.

When animals fall far enough from the migration patterns that they are completely lost, they often die — ultimately affecting the circle of life.

Soil pollution

Soil pollution is a type of land pollution involving contaminated soil that can harm those who touch it, ingest it, or breathe in its toxic fumes.

Soil pollution can be caused by the following:

Chemicals from byproducts of industrial hazardous waste
Waste from homes, livestock, or municipal areas
Agrochemicals
Petroleum-derived products
Oil spills
Leaching from landfills
Fertilizers and pesticides
Irrigation with untreated wastewater
Land application of sewage sludge

Soil is an integral part of the ecosystem, making its contamination dangerous from the ground up. Polluted soil can create new species of pests and diseases that can throw the balance of the current ecosystem out of hand. Animals who experience toxicity from contaminated soil are then eaten by other animals higher in the food chain, and the cycle continues.

Polluted soil can affect humans, whether they eat plants or animals, because antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and genes can spread, which affects immune systems and the ability to fight off new pathogens.

In addition to health issues, soil pollution significantly impacts food security. With so many people depending on crops for livelihood, crop depletion due to decreasing quality in soil has affected over 40 percent of the world’s population.

How to combat pollution

Some of the facts about pollution seem bleak. However, while much destruction has been caused to this planet, there are steps to take to slow pollution.

Ways to decrease air pollution

There are several different ways, no matter your lifestyle, to do your part in increasing air quality. Look at the comprehensive list below to reduce air pollution through various scenarios.

Day-to-day strategies include:

Buy products with the Energy Star label
Utilize carpools, take public transportation, bike, or walk
Follow gasoline refueling instructions, do not spill fuel, and always make sure your gas cap is tightened
Keep all vehicle engines properly tuned, and tires inflated
Use environmentally safe cleaning products, paints, and other products
Practice composting and mulching
Light gas logs instead of wood logs

There are days when high ozone levels or high particle levels are expected throughout the year. Many people may feel health effects like itchy eyes, throat, and nose when this happens — somewhat like allergies.

When high ozone days or particle days are predicted, it is essential to reduce your carbon footprint as much as possible.

On high ozone level days, you can:

Choose a cleaner commute using the Google Maps feature or using rideshare options like public transportation, carpooling, walking, or bike riding
Conserve electricity by turning off the air conditioning or setting it to above 78 degrees
Complete any gasoline-powered equipment activities or chores…

Read More:Types of Pollution and How to Reduce Them

2023-01-20 05:00:00