Environmental Pollution

We explain what environmental pollution is, its types, causes and consequences. Also, how can it be avoided.

What is environmental pollution?

environmental pollution It is the degradation of the environment as a result of the introduction of substances and physical elements that alter its nature in drastic, unpredictable and dangerous ways, making him less fit for life as we know it. In other words, it is environmental damage due to the action of pollutants of different types.

Environmental pollution is a typical phenomenon of the impact that economic activities and the way of life of human beings have on the ecosystem.

It can occur in different contexts and different degrees, generally with negative consequences for living beings in general, including humanity itself. It is estimated, for example, that different forms of environmental pollution cost the lives of millions of people around the world in 2015.

Polluting agents, that is, those causing environmental pollution, can be of very different nature, occur in any physical form and also have varied origins. However, they are usually classified into three categories, according to their behavior once introduced into the ecosystem:

• Biodegradable. Those that are soon in the environment begin a natural decomposition process, which allows natural forces to deal with them after a certain amount of time. This does not mean that they have no impact on the environment, but rather that said impact can be compensated by nature after a certain period of time, or in other words, that the natural processes themselves are enough to restore balance within the environment. a relatively short time frame.
• slow degradation. Those that also respond to natural biodegradation processes, but do so in a very gradual and laborious manner, taking large amounts of time and prolonging their environmental impact far beyond what it takes to deal with a biodegradable element. Many of these contaminants require the action of adjuvants or catalysts to degrade.
• Non-biodegradable. Those that are immune to natural biodegradation processes or whose response to them is so long, slow and difficult, that they are practically considered eternal. Their effects on the environment, then, are continuous, prolonged and virtually permanent, which is why they constitute the most serious case of environmental pollution.

See also: Primary and secondary pollutants

Types of environmental pollution

Depending on the specific place or environment in which the pollution occurs and the harmful effects occur, it is possible to classify environmental pollution as follows:

• Atmospheric or air pollution. It occurs when gases or aerosols (tiny suspended solids) are poured into the atmosphere, introducing unusual chemical elements into it and reacting unexpectedly, altering the planet's natural cycles. This is the case, for example, of gases that deteriorate the ozone layer, allowing direct entry of solar radiation; or also the gases emitted by internal combustion engines, which increase carbon in the atmosphere and contribute to global warming.
• Land or soil pollution. It occurs when the soil is a recipient of chemical or toxic substances, or solid materials that alter its physical-chemical properties, reducing its fertility and making it more sensitive to erosion, desertification or drought. Soil contamination rarely remains in the soil, however, and often brings with it water contamination as well. This is the case of mining waste, which radically alters the composition of the soil, making it infertile, and in the process runs off with the rain into nearby rivers.
• Water or water pollution. It occurs when the water directly receives the polluting substances, whether liquid or solid. The latter then proceed to dissolve in the water of rivers, lakes and seas, or to poison underground water deposits, thus reducing the amount of drinking water in the world and bringing about chemical changes that dramatically affect flora and fauna. This is what happens, for example, with the discharge of our sewage into rivers and lakes, which adds organic substances that alter the chemical balance of the water, promoting the disordered growth of certain algae and at the same time killing other species, which which results in the impoverishment of the biological diversity of the aquatic ecosystem.
• Space or space pollution. It happens with each space flight that occurs and with each satellite in orbit that stops working: we are mining the low orbit of the planet with small fragments of garbage, many of which remain “falling” eternally, without ever precipitating into the atmosphere (with whose friction would eventually disintegrate). If this continues, we will soon have a ring of garbage around the planet, which will put future space missions at risk.

On the other hand, it is possible to classify environmental pollution according to the nature of the pollutant, as follows:

• Chemical contamination That which takes place due to the action of substances and elements foreign to the environment, or present in it but in fixed proportions that are altered and bring chemical, physical and biological consequences. This type of pollution occurs because discharged substances react with those in the environment in unpredictable and commonly harmful ways, poisoning the environment and destroying the world's delicate natural balance. An example of this is the sulfur-rich gases that certain industries release into the atmosphere, and which once in the clouds react with water vapor forming sulfuric acid, that is, acid rain.
• Radioactive contamination. Considered as a particular form of chemical contamination, it is that which is a consequence of chemical materials of an unstable nature, which release harmful subatomic particles into the surrounding environment, capable of damaging DNA and poisoning living beings, depending on the degree of exposure. to this type of electromagnetic radiation (ionizing radiation). Radioactive elements are produced in different industries, used in medicine or underproduced in nuclear power plants, such as certain isotopes of uranium and plutonium. The worst thing is that these materials can take centuries to stabilize and stop emitting harmful particles.
• Thermal pollution. That which consists of the drastic modification of the temperature of an ecosystem due to the introduction of very hot or very cold substances or materials in considerable quantities. This type of pollution usually modifies the chemical and physical processes of the environment, since temperature affects many of them, accelerating or slowing them down, or even triggering others that, at ordinary temperatures, would not occur. An example of this form of pollution is the return of boiling water from power plants or steel industries to the sea.
• Garbage pollution. That produced by solid commercial, industrial and daily product waste from our lives, which is collected in landfills or, worse still, is discarded along with sewage into rivers, lakes and seas, where they produce large accumulations of garbage. Plastic is probably the most serious danger of this type of pollution: it takes centuries to biodegrade, but at the same time the action of the elements cuts it into tiny pieces (microplastics) that animals ingest and accumulate inside, and have even been found inside the human body.
• Light pollution. That which occurs when artificial light sources are introduced into an environment, destroying the light order (which imposes the sunrise and sunset) of many animal species, and which in some cases can even affect the performance of human beings. This is what happens, for example, with illuminated signs in rural areas, especially when they are illuminated all night.
• Noise pollution That which occurs due to the incorporation of chaotic sounds, of high intensity or in excessive numbers in the environment. This is a type of pollution typical of cities, where it gradually affects the organism of all people and animals, but also in factories, airports and other spaces where high-volume noises are produced. A typical example of this is the noise from wind power plants, since the blades, by continuously rotating, produce a noise that bursts into the natural landscape.
• Electromagnetic pollution. That which is the result of the proliferation of electromagnetic waves in an environment, such as radio waves, television, microwaves, etc. This is a form of pollution that has yet to be fully understood, typical of the era of telecommunications, in which satellites, radio stations and a true chaos of electromagnetic signals proliferated that, perfectly, could be affecting our health or that of the environment.

Finally, we can distinguish between three ways in which environmental pollution occurs, as follows:

• Point pollution. That which happens at a single point, that is, in a specific place and without permeating its surroundings. For example, the presence of solid waste in a landfill.
• Linear pollution. That which is produced according to a linear trajectory, that is, following a determined path in the environment. For example, waste gases released by an airplane during flight as they follow their travel path.
• Diffuse pollution. That which is not limited to a certain region of the environment, but is transmitted from one to another and is difficult to contain in a single space. For example, the use of pesticides and pesticides in the agricultural industry contaminates the soil, but it is transmitted by the action of rain to underground water deposits and at the same time runs off into rivers and seas.

Causes of environmental pollution

The causes of environmental pollution are, for the most part, a consequence of human activities and the post-industrial way of life of our societies.

Never before have human beings had so much knowledge of the natural sciences and so much capacity to produce new materials or to find new forms of energy, which make our lives easier but have, unfortunately, a tremendous environmental cost. The main sources of environmental pollution due to human action are:

• basic industries. Steel mills and other industries that use energy and raw materials to produce basic inputs for other industries often produce significant levels of pollution of different types, and this despite the fact that many of them already take minimal measures to protect the ecosystem from its effect. such as wastewater cooling wells, ventilation towers, etc.
• Electric power plants. One of the great dilemmas of contemporary human beings is the generation of electricity, since everything around us depends on this resource, but generating it in turn requires some other form of massive production of transformable energy, for which we usually burn fossil fuels. , produce controlled nuclear explosions or take advantage of the fall of large water courses. Whatever the case, obtaining electricity is one of the greatest polluting activities of human beings.
• urban life. We have distanced ourselves from nature: our cities not only produce significant quantities of smog and toxic gases, the result of industries and automobile circulation, but they are also large centers of garbage production, sewage and noise and lights. artificial. For this reason, ecological alternatives are sought for many of the activities that support our contemporary way of life.
• Air and sea transport. Every day, thousands of planes fly through the skies of the world, powered by petroleum-derived fuels that leave a trail of polluting gases in their wake, directly into the atmosphere we breathe. The same thing happens with our boats, which leave a trail of spent fuel in their wake, both in the water and in the air, and yet they are activities that we do not seem to be able to do without, as we join a globalized world.
• Lack of ecological public policies. In most of the world, polluting is not even a crime, or not for all citizens equally. Thus, ecological damage, often irreparable, is ignored or considered minor, and we leave future generations to pay the price for our comfort in the present.

On the other hand, certain natural accidents can also be a source of pollution, such as volcanoes, capable of throwing heavy metals and other toxic elements everywhere. But such catastrophic events are usually extremely rare by comparison.

Consequences of environmental pollution

The consequences of environmental pollution are always serious, although they may have a greater or lesser scope, and may or may not last indefinitely over time. Among the main consequences of this phenomenon we have:

• Impoverishment of biodiversity. The Earth is the only planet with life, as far as we know, and this life has very high diversity rates, with billions of different species forming part of very complex biological and biochemical circuits. By modifying or destroying their habitats, unbalancing their population relationships or eradicating entire species, we are contributing to fewer species of living beings in the world, and we are missing out on their beauty and resources that could tomorrow save our lives.
• Decreased quality of human life. Although modern medicine has miraculous mechanisms to extend our lives, the proliferation of new diseases and syndromes typical of prolonged exposure to pollution is a reality for the human species. Genetic damage, physiological damage, even the gradual loss of fertility of the species are among the most worrying problems attributed to environmental pollution.
• Climate change and natural disasters. The idea seems simple, but apparently it is not easy to understand: the changes we introduce to the environment will bring unpredictable consequences, and some of them will be on a large scale. Global warming, climate change and more extreme weather times are some of the symptoms that should make us sound the world's alarm bells. Otherwise, tomorrow there may not be as much of the world to take care of, or we may no longer be the ones who should do it.

How to avoid environmental pollution?

There is no simple answer to this question, since the solution is necessarily a combination of public and private, collective and individual measures, and this will probably imply a drastic change in our way of living and in our philosophical values. To reduce the impact our existence has on a vast and beautiful planet like ours, we should:

• Take individual measures. For this there is the three Rs program: Reuse, Reduce and Recycle, for example. This means reusing what is still alive instead of buying a new one; reduce the consumption of resources to what is strictly necessary, that is, not waste water or electricity, nor produce more garbage than necessary; and finally, recycle those materials that can be returned to the industry.
• Take collective action. It is not true, of course, that we are going to compensate for all the ecological damage of industries and power plants simply by reducing and sorting our garbage, so we must also press as citizens for our governments to take ecological measures, such as educating inform the masses about it, fine the major polluters, provide the necessary measures for large-scale recycling, and in general, think about society with a necessary sustainable perspective.

Environmental pollution in Mexico

The capital city of Mexico is an example of how the human way of life can have harmful consequences for itself and for the rest of living beings. Being one of the most populated cities on the planet, The amount of garbage and polluting gases produced is enormous and this notoriously impoverishes the health and quality of life of its inhabitants, human beings and animals alike.

The figures are impressive: it is estimated that around 14,000 people die each year in Mexico City from causes derived from pollution, that around 2.8 tons of lead are dumped annually in wastewater and that around 547,000 tons of carbon dioxide are released into the wastewater. the atmosphere.

In addition, the air we breathe daily is poisoned with irritating and carcinogenic substances, to the point that many newly arrived visitors experience symptoms of flu or conjunctivitis derived from the toxicity of the city's air.

Continue with: Environmental contingency

References

• “Pollution” on Wikipedia.
• “Pollution in Mexico City” on Wikipedia.
• “What types of pollution exist and what can you do?” at UNHCR.
• “What is environmental pollution?” in the Town Hall of Huelva (Spain).
• “What is environmental pollution?” (video) in Aula365 – Los Creadores.
• “Environmental pollution” in the Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Sports of the Government of Colombia.