Salazar Jose Marie H.

Earth Life and Science

STEM 11 – Obedience

Water Pollution and Air Pollution

Introduction
Water is a colorless and odorless substance found all over Earth. Water is made up of
billions of molecules Each molecule is made of one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms
held together by strong covalent bonds.
Water is found in three different forms on Earth - gas, solid, and liquid. The form water
takes depends on the temperature. Water on our planet flows as liquid in rivers,
streams, and oceans; is solid as ice at the North and South Poles; and is gas (vapor) in
the atmosphere. Water is also underground and inside plants and animals. All living
things need water in some form to survive on Earth. People can go weeks without food
but can live only a few days without water.
Water is an important resource with many uses including food production, cleaning,
transportation, power generation, recreation, and more.

The Air you breathe is made up of lots of other things besides oxygen! Oxygen only makes up
about 21% of air. About 78% of the air you breathe is made up of another gas called
nitrogen. There are also tiny amounts of other gases like argon, carbon dioxide and
methane. Plant and animal life on earth can’t survive without air. In fact, every breath you
take contains methane, a gas that could kill you if breathe too much of it. In addition to
supplying the oxygen you need to survive, air is an important part of several essential
cycles that also make life on Earth possible.

Water Pollution is defined as the presence in groundwater of toxic chemicals and biological
agents that exceed what is naturally found in the water and may pose a threat to human health
and/or the environment. Additionally, water pollution may consist of chemicals introduced into
the water bodies as a result of various human activities. Any amount of those chemicals pollutes
the water, regardless of the harm they may pose to human health and the environment.
While Air Pollution refers to undesirable amounts of particulate or gaseous matter in the
atmosphere according to the California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board.
Air pollution can occur naturally during a forest fire, dust storm or volcanic eruption, but the
biggest source of pollution for the past 100 years has been the activities by the humankind.
We need water and air to “survive”, and in order to keep that fresh water and fresh air. We had
to do some action to give way to the right direction.
Salazar Jose Marie H. Earth Life and Science
STEM 11 – Obedience

Discussion

Water Pollution
Water pollution occurs when large bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, oceans, and groundwater,
are fully contaminated with bacteria or harmful chemicals. This happens when pollutants are
directly put into the water, usually at the hands of a person. This is a crisis that is facing the world
today, especially for the millions around the world without access to clean drinking water. The
main reason we want to spend our time focusing on water pollution and its effects, is because we
want to protect some of the larger bodies of freshwater.
There are some types of water pollution occurring in our barangay in Balayan Batangas here are
some of them.

Causes and Types

Surface Water Pollution

The first type of water pollution. As the name states, it is the pollution of a body of water that is
above the ground. This is usually a stream, a lake, or a river. This is a common place that a lot of
pollution winds up, especially in freshwater areas. For the most part, these bodies of water above
ground become polluted when the water from a runoff after a rain storm, carries a lot of bacteria
and pollutants into that body of water. The pollutants can range from salts on the roads during
winter, to chemicals used for cleaning, to fertilizers being used on farms nearby. All of these
things, while beneficial to us, can be detrimental to a body of freshwater.

Oxygen-Depleting Pollution

In any body of water there are micro-organisms. While we cannot see them with the naked eye,
they are there and have a direct effect on the water life in the body of water. There are two main
types of micro-organisms: aerobic and anaerobic. If there is too much matter in the water that is
biodegradable, meaning that it can easily decay, this makes microorganisms grow more readily;
they love biodegradable stuff, and they want to eat as much as they can from it. However, the
more microorganisms, the more oxygen they need. If they use up all the oxygen in the water, the
aerobic organisms will die. This can also lead to life in the water, such as various types of fish,
dying as well. However the anaerobic organism do not die, but if they run out of oxygen, they
produce ammonia and sulfides within the water that is very toxic and harmful. This is the reason
why we cannot be throwing any waste that is biodegradable into our water sources

Microbiological Pollution

This type of pollution is not as well known to many. There are so many places around the
world where people drink water that has been untreated, such as directly from a river or a
lake. Sometimes these bodies of water can be polluted naturally without humans causing
the pollution. This can usually happen because of microorganisms within the water that
can be various forms of bacteria and protozoa. Because of this natural pollution at a
microbiological level, much of the water life can eventually die. This can also cause serious
and even fatal illnesses to humans, which is why it is recommended to drink from a treated
source of water.

Suspended Matter Pollution

Salazar Jose Marie H. Earth Life and Science
STEM 11 – Obedience

Another form of pollution is one that cannot dissolve easily in water; these are a variety of
substances and chemicals that do not dissolve in the water, but settle at the bottom. They lie
there, unknown to us, and kill aquatic plant life. This can lead to a cycle that will kill fish
because their food source will die.

The Effects of Water Pollution

There are so many types of water pollution, and we experienced many types of these pollution,
but we want to reiterate the hazardous effects that can happen.

First thing of all is that pollution in the water can lead to the death of animals within the water.
It kills a lot of these organisms such as fish, birds, seagulls, dolphins, and they usually can be
found washed up dead on the beach. If you kill a certain animal’s food source, that animal will
die as well. This is all about a cycle that always starts with pollution caused by man.

Pollution causes considerable disruption within the sea’s food chain. Imagine the smallest fish
in the water which needs to eat small organic particles. If those organic particles die, then those
fish cannot eat and they die. Then the medium-sized fish, who would eat the smaller fish, starve
and dies. Then the larger fish, such as a shark, goes hungry as well. Even if you are killing at the
smallest level, it has a direct effect on the entire cycle.

Discussion
Salazar Jose Marie H. Earth Life and Science
STEM 11 – Obedience

Air pollution
Air Pollution can be defined as the presence of toxic chemicals or compounds (including those of
biological origin) in the air, at levels that pose a health risk. In an even broader sense, air
pollution means the presence of chemicals or compounds in the air which are usually not present
and which lower the quality of the air or cause detrimental changes to the quality of life (such as
the damaging of the ozone layer or causing global warming).
Vehicles crowding roadways, power plants pumping smoke and chemicals from consumer
products have many people thinking about air pollution and how it affects the planet. Air
pollution is a complicated problem with many causes and effects and few solutions. Reducing air
pollution and its effects will require the cooperation of people everywhere.

Causes
The two main forms of outdoor air pollution include particulate matter, sometimes called black
carbon pollution, and noxious gases. Burning fossil fuels to power vehicles, homes and industrial
plants releases tiny particles of matter into the air, according to information from the Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory. Noxious gases such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxide react with the sun to create new and dangerous compounds, including smog and
acid rain. Dr. Cheryl E. Merritt of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute reports that carbon
monoxide accounts for the majority of the pollution from human activity and that exhaust creates
most of that carbon monoxide.

Effects

The particulate matter and noxious gases floating in the atmosphere can trap solar heat in a
process known as the greenhouse effect. Ideally, the sun rays should penetrate the atmosphere
and the Earth surface should reflect excess radiation back out of the atmosphere. However, air
pollution bounces some of that excess heat back down to Earth and contributes to climate
change. The Environmental Protection Agency reports on its website that if the current trend of
rising temperatures continues, it could lead to the melting of the polar icebergs, rising sea levels
and flooding in coastal areas. Air pollution destruction of the ozone layer exacerbates the
problem of the greenhouse effect and leads to its own complications. The ozone layer serves as a
filter limiting the sun ultraviolet, or UV, radiation entering the atmosphere. Chlorofluorocarbons,
or CFCs, carbon dioxide and other ozone depleters react with the sun radiation and break down
to their component atoms, which then rob the ozone of oxygen atoms. Currently, the ozone layer
concentration decreases by about 2 percent each year, allowing for more and more UV radiation
to reach the Earth surface. The increase in radiation can cause skin cancer, damage to the human
immune system and eye damage. It also kills small aquatic organisms like plankton, affecting
marine food chains and releasing additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when the life
forms decompose.

Conclusion

Preventions and Solutions to Water Pollution

Salazar Jose Marie H. Earth Life and Science
STEM 11 – Obedience

So, what’s the solution for water pollution? A big problem is that many people aren’t sure how to
prevent water pollution, when it is incredibly easy to make a difference to your impact on the
environment.

The main things an average person can do is never throw garbage away or litter outside. Throw it
in the proper bin. Use your water effectively, and do not just keep it running all day. Also, do not
put chemicals or oils down the sink or the toilet as this can end up right in the groundwater.
To use cleaning liquids, ensure they are environmentally safe. Never overuse pesticides and
fertilizers on your lawn. Get in contact with your local government and tell them that these
matters mean something to you. Be the change.

Prevention and Solution to Air Pollution

In this industrial age, air pollution cannot be eliminated completely, but steps can be taken to
reduce it. The government has developed, and continues to develop, guidelines for air quality
and ordinances to restrict emissions in an effort to control air pollution, reports Dr. Cheryl E.
Merritt of the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute. On an individual level, you can reduce your
contribution to the pollution problem by carpooling or using public transportation.

Additionally, buying energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances or otherwise reducing your
electricity use will reduce the pollutants released in the production of electricity, which creates
the majority of America’s industrial air pollution, according to the Oberlin College Resource
Conservation Team.
Salazar Jose Marie H. Earth Life and Science
STEM 11 – Obedience