We explain what environmental pollution is and what its causes and consequences are. Also, its characteristics and classification.
What is environmental pollution?
Pollution is the presence in the environment of substances or materials that cause direct or indirect adverse effects on human health and living beings in general. This phenomenon arises when ecosystems are not able to absorb and eliminate the toxic substances they receivewhich produces its accumulation and subsequent environmental degradation.
The effects of environmental pollution can be serious and long-lasting, and can affect not only human health, but also fauna and flora, as well as soil and water. These effects can manifest themselves directly or indirectly, and can vary in magnitude (from minor environmental effects to the death of animal and plant species).
Additionally, pollution can have negative economic impacts such as decreased agricultural productivity, reduced tourism activity, and degradation of natural resources.
Water pollution
Water pollution is an environmental problem that has negative consequences on human health, aquatic life and the environment in general. It occurs when substances or materials are introduced into the water that affect its quality and make it unsuitable for human or animal consumption.
Many times factories use rivers and other bodies of water to dispose of the waste generated by their activities. The absence of adequate regulation and measures to control pollution led to a significant increase in water pollution levels around the world.
Furthermore, many human settlements dump their sewage waste into the water without adequate treatment. When wastewater is not treated properly it can contain bacteria, viruses and other dangerous chemicals. that can have adverse effects on human and animal health.
Water pollution too has a significant impact on biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. Chemicals in water can kill aquatic organisms and disrupt natural ecosystems. Furthermore, water pollution can affect food chains and biological processes, which can have consequences not only on aquatic but also terrestrial ecosystems.
air pollution
Air pollution is related to the burning of fossil fuels, industry, agriculture, transportation and energy production. It is produced by the accumulation of polluting gases in the atmosphere such as carbon dioxide, methane, carbon monoxide, chlorofluorocarbon, nitrogen oxide and sulfur oxide.
The main consequence of air pollution is climate change. Most of the polluting gases emitted are greenhouse gases (GHG), which increase the amount of heat retained in the atmosphere and cause an increase in the global temperature of the planet. This increase in temperature has enhanced other extreme climate phenomena such as droughts, floods and hurricanes.
Soil pollution
The health and life of all living beings depend on the organic and inorganic balance of the soil. Plants, which are the base of the food chain, obtain nutrients and water from the soil, so any source of pollution in this environment can produce negative effects on the health of animals and people.
Discharges of toxic waste such as chemicals, metals and oils can seriously contaminate the soil. They can even leach, accumulate and remain there for long periods of time, negatively affecting the quality of the soil and all the biodiversity that depends on it.
Inappropriate use of chemicals in agriculture (such as herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers) is also a major cause of soil pollution. These products are used to increase production and protect crops, but if used excessively or inappropriately they can alter the natural balance of the soil and cause serious environmental problems.
Causes of pollution
Pollutants can be classified as follows:
- Industrial chemicals. They are waste substances or by-products of various industrial and material transformation processes that, when dumped into land or water, alter their chemical balance.
- Greenhouse gases. They are gases that contribute to the increase in the global temperature of the planet. The main ones are carbon dioxide and methane.
- Radioactive materials. They are toxic radioactive elements capable of producing diseases and genetic mutations.
- Non-biodegradable waste. They are plastics and other petroleum-derived materials that have very long biodegradation cycles. They are abundant in the garbage that is produced daily, they deteriorate the quality of life of plants and animals and unbalance ecosystems.
Types of pollution
Depending on the extent of its source, pollution can be classified into:
- Punctual. The polluting source is easily delimitable and located at a point in the territory.
- Linear. The source of the contamination extends along a line or sequence.
- Diffuse. Polluting substances reach the environment in a dispersed, multiple or varied manner.
Depending on the natural environment where it occurs:
- Hydric or water. It occurs when foreign or harmful substances enter the water of seas, rivers, lakes and lagoons, and even groundwater deposits.
- Terrestrial or soil. It occurs when foreign or toxic substances spread through the soil and alter its physical and chemical properties.
- Atmospheric or air. It occurs when gases and suspended solids are dispersed in the atmosphere and deteriorate air quality.
Depending on the type of contaminant:
- Chemical contamination. It is produced by industrial waste, toxic waste or compounds that alter the chemical and biological properties of the environment.
- Radioactive contamination. It is produced by the presence of radioactive materials capable of causing damage to the genetic material of living beings.
- Thermal pollution. It is produced by the increase in air or water temperature as a result of human activities.
- Noise pollution. It is produced by constant sounds or noises with intense frequencies that negatively affect the quality of life of living beings.
- Electromagnetic pollution. It is produced by electromagnetic waves emitted by telephone antennas, high voltage towers, radio and television stations, and satellite communication systems that can have negative effects on human health.
- Light pollution. It is produced by excess artificial light in the environment, which harms the health of humans and animals.
- visual pollution. It is caused by the presence of annoying elements in the urban landscape, which affect the visual perception of the environment and which, in excess, can generate discomfort and stress, and affect people's quality of life.
Degradability
The degradability is the ability of a material to decompose and return to its original state in nature. It is the ability of a material to be decomposed by living organisms or by natural processes and be reinserted into the environment without causing damage or environmental deterioration.
Currently, degradability has become a topic of great importance due to the negative impact that many materials have on the environment. Most materials used in everyday life (such as plastic or glass) are not biodegradable and they take hundreds of years to decompose.
This means that once they are discarded they remain in nature for a long time, which generates pollution and deterioration in ecosystems in the very long term.
Consequences of pollution
Pollution has consequences on life and the balance of ecosystems. Some of the most important are the extinction of species, the loss of biodiversity, the emergence of diseases (in man and in animals and plants), the increase in acid rain and the deepening of climate change.
References
- Mexican Academy of Sciences (2007) The effects of environmental pollution on our health. https://www.amc.edu.mx/
- DKV (2022) Radioactive contamination: what it is, why it occurs, what are its consequences. https://dkv.es/
- Institute for Geoenvironmental Health (sf) Air pollution causes around 400,000 premature deaths in Europe. https://www.saludgeoambiental.org/
- Ecole (2021) What is water pollution? https://ecolec.es/
- FAO (2018) Soil pollution is contaminating our future. https://www.fao.org/
- Martin, E (2022) Thermal pollution. Causes and consequences. https://www.narasolar.com/
- United Nations Organization (sf) What is climate change? https://www.un.org/
- UNAM (sf) Light pollution. http://www2.astroscu.unam.mx/
