Pollution

Pollution is an issue of concern in the modern world that we live in today. There are many types of
pollution, namely air, water and noise. Pollution in our environment will undoubtedly affect our
quality of life. Our naturally beautiful world becoming ugly because it is suffering from the effects of
environmental pollution. Pollution can also cause various health problems and other negative
effects.

Air pollution is caused by the emission of toxic gases from vehicles, factories and open burning.
Nowadays, there are more and more vehicles on the road as society gets more affluent. More and
more people strive to have a better quality of life by having the convenience of driving to their
destinations instead of taking public transportation. Automobiles provides transport to millions
people around the world to enable them to travel to their workplace, school and other places,
therefore, the air around us is getting more polluted by the carbon dioxide that is emitted. Carbon
monoxide is another type of gas which harmful to the environment as it can cause the reduction of
oxygen in the bloodstream.

Another example of contributor to the air pollution is the manufacturing factories. The
manufacturing of products in factories to meet the growing demand of society is also causing air
pollution. Factories release toxic gases to the environment. Some factories also use coal to generate
heat and energy. As a result from the burning of coal, carbon dioxide is released into the
environment.

Besides factories, many people are still practising open burning as a way of disposing their
household wastes. Although burning our household wastes is a convenient way of getting rid of our
rubbish, it is harmful to the environment as it contributes to the worsening of the air quality. As a
result, air pollution causes people to suffer from health problems such as chest pain and asthma. In
extreme cases, people can contract lung cancer.

Water pollution is also a problem that we are currently facing. The marine life is the first to
suffer from water pollution as they depend on the nutrients in the water to survive. As a result, we
are robbed of beautiful sea corals and unique species of fishes. Besides ruining our marine heritage,
the disappearance of marine life will affect the livelihood of fishermen, not to mention our source of
food. Water pollution is caused by harmful waster from industries, farms and sewerage systems
which are dumped into our sources of water such as rivers and lakes. This irresponsible act
contaminates our drinking water and can cause serious health problems and can even culminate in
death.

Noise pollution is another form of pollution. Noise from heavy machinery and vehicles can
cause hearing problems and in extreme cases, deafness. As there is growing number of vehicles on
the road, we are exposed to noise pollution every day. The government in advanced countries
encourage their citizens to take the public buses and trains by providing an affordable and efficient
transportation system. This effort discourages people from driving their private vehicles and
consequently reduces the number of vehicles on the road.

We must work together to reduce pollution so that the future generations can live in a
healthy, unpolluted environment. As the saying goes, precaution is better than cure. Lets hands on
hands together by recycle and conserve the world for the better future.
Effects of Noise Pollution

1. Hearing Problems: Any unwanted sound that our ears have not been built to filter can cause problems
within the body. Our ears can take in a certain range of sounds without getting damaged. Man made
noises such as jackhammers, horns, machinery, airplanes and even vehicles can be too loud for our
hearing range. Constant exposure to loud levels of noise can easily result in the damage of our ear drums
and loss of hearing. It also reduces our sensitivity to sounds that our ears pick up unconsciously to
regulate our body’s rhythm.

2. Health Issues: Excessive noise pollution in working areas such as offices, construction sites, bars and
even in our homes can influence psychological health. Studies show that the occurrence of aggressive
behavior, disturbance of sleep, constant stress, fatigue and hypertension can be linked to excessive noise
levels. These in turn can cause more severe and chronic health issues later in life.

3. Sleeping Disorders: Loud noise can certainly hamper your sleeping pattern and may lead to irritation
and uncomfortable situations. Without a good night sleep, it may lead to problems related to fatigue and
your performance may go down in office as well as at home. It is therefore recommended to take a sound
sleep to give your body proper rest.

4. Cardiovascular Issues: Blood pressure levels, cardio-vascular disease and stress related heart problems
are on the rise. Studies suggest that high intensity noise causes high blood pressure and increases heart
beat rate as it disrupts the normal blood flow. Bringing them to a manageable level depends on our
understanding noise pollution and how we tackle it.

5. Trouble Communicating: High decibel noise can put trouble and may not allow two people to
communicate freely. This may lead to misunderstanding and you may get difficult understanding the
other person. Constant sharp noise can give you severe headache and disturb your emotional balance.

6. Effect on Wildlife: Wildlife faces far more problems than humans because noise pollution since they
are more dependent on sound. Animals develop a better sense of hearing than us since their survival
depends on it. The ill effects of excessive noise begin at home. Pets react more aggressively in households
where there is constant noise.

They become disoriented more easily and face many behavioral problems. In nature, animals may suffer
from hearing loss, which makes them easy prey and leads to dwindling populations. Others become
inefficient at hunting, disturbing the balance of the eco-system.

Species that depend on mating calls to reproduce are often unable to hear these calls due to excessive
man made noise. As a result, they are unable to reproduce and cause declining populations. Others
require sound waves to echo-locate and find their way when migrating. Disturbing their sound signals
means they get lost easily and do not migrate when they should. To cope up with the increasing sound
around them, animals are becoming louder, which may further add to the pollution levels. This is why
understanding noise pollution can help us lower the impact it has on the environment.

As of now, there do not exist many solutions to reduce sound pollution. On a personal level, everybody
can help reducing the noise in their homes by lowering the volume of the radio, music system and the
television. Listening to music without headphones is also a good step forward. Removal of public
loudspeakers is another way in which the pollution can be countered.

As is controlling the sound levels in clubs, bars, parties and discos. Better urban planning can help in
creating ‘No-Noise’ zones, where honking and industrial noise are not tolerated. It is only when our
understanding noise pollution is complete, can we take steps to eradicate it completely.
Effects of Air Pollution

1. Respiratory infections

Air pollution is the leading cause of respiratory diseases. Exposure to air pollutants can cause lung
cancer and even asthma. Asthma can lead to death if not well treated, as it might cause difficulty in
breathing. A prolonged exposure of pollutants can cause lung cancer.

2. Global warming

The rise in sea level, rising temperature in the world, and the melting of ice glaciers are the evidence
for the global warming. Global warming is a direct effect of air pollution in the world. The only way
to curb this increasingly destructive menace is to reduce air pollution.

3. Depletion of ozone layer

With the greenhouse effect which is the major contributor of the release of chlorofluorocarbon into
the atmosphere has led to the depletion of ozone layer. This layer is important in shielding the earth
from the destructive ultraviolet (UV) radiations.

4. Formation of acid rain

Emission of harmful gasses such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen into the atmosphere lead to the
formation of acid rain. It is quite common for rain water to have sulfuric acid due to rampant cases
of air pollution in the modern society. Acid rain is a major threat to the aquatic life as well as human
beings.

There are carcinogenic substances in the acid rain, and it has devastating effects to even metal
which can be observed by the extent of corrosion that often results.

5. Eutrophication

Air pollutants such as nitrogen oxide speed up the growth of algae on the water surface. This growth
competes with aquatic life for oxygen, therefore, posing a major threat to fishing. The only way to
reduce the devastating effects of air pollution will be to come up with effective ways of reducing air
pollution.

Earth’s atmosphere has a self-regulating mechanism that ensures sequestration of carbon among
other pollutants. The mechanism works to ensure that the ecosystem is not affected by the changes
occurring in the atmosphere. However, if people continue to add more pollutants than the earth is
able to remove, then the response will be increased smog, acid rain, global warming and a number
of health problems.