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History of pollution

Pollution control.

What is pollution?

Does pollution cause climate change, how can we reduce pollution.

• How does water pollution affect aquatic wildlife?
• Is red tide caused by water pollution?

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• World Wildlife Fund - Pollution
• The Canadian Encyclopedia - Pollution
• CORE - Analysis of Environmental Pollution in Developing Countries
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• Table Of Contents

Pollution occurs when an amount of any substance or any form of energy is put into the environment at a rate faster than it can be dispersed or safely stored. The term pollution can refer to both artificial and natural materials that are created, consumed, and discarded in an unsustainable manner.

What kinds of pollution are there?

Air pollution , water pollution , and land pollution are three major forms of environmental pollution. Pollution can also refer to excessive human activity, such as light and noise pollution , or to specific pollutants such as plastic or radioactive material. Learn more in this infographic.

Air pollution is the main cause of climate change . Human activities such as burning fossil fuels and mass deforestation lead to the increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere , which traps heat inside the atmosphere through a process called the greenhouse effect . This impacts climate patterns and sea levels around the world.

Pollution can be reduced through processes such as recycling and the proper treatment of water and toxic waste . The reduction of corporate fossil fuel extraction is another way to counter air pollution . According to the Carbon Majors Report prepared by the Carbon Disclosure Project in 2017, more than 70 percent of greenhouse gas emissions comes from only 100 companies.

How many people die annually from pollution?

Air pollution is estimated to kill 7 million people every year. Radioactive and toxic waste in water can cause many diseases, including fatal conditions such as typhoid fever and cholera . Consumption of contaminated water causes approximately 485,000 deaths every year.

pollution , the addition of any substance ( solid , liquid , or gas ) or any form of energy (such as heat , sound, or radioactivity ) to the environment at a rate faster than it can be dispersed, diluted, decomposed, recycled, or stored in some harmless form. The major kinds of pollution, usually classified by environment, are air pollution , water pollution , and land pollution . Modern society is also concerned about specific types of pollutants, such as noise pollution , light pollution , and plastic pollution . Pollution of all kinds can have negative effects on the environment and wildlife and often impacts human health and well-being.

Although environmental pollution can be caused by natural events such as forest fires and active volcanoes , use of the word pollution generally implies that the contaminants have an anthropogenic source—that is, a source created by human activities. Pollution has accompanied humankind ever since groups of people first congregated and remained for a long time in any one place. Indeed, ancient human settlements are frequently recognized by their wastes— shell mounds and rubble heaps, for instance. Pollution was not a serious problem as long as there was enough space available for each individual or group. However, with the establishment of permanent settlements by great numbers of people, pollution became a problem, and it has remained one ever since.

Cities of ancient times were often noxious places, fouled by human wastes and debris. Beginning about 1000 ce , the use of coal for fuel caused considerable air pollution, and the conversion of coal to coke for iron smelting beginning in the 17th century exacerbated the problem. In Europe, from the Middle Ages well into the early modern era, unsanitary urban conditions favoured the outbreak of population-decimating epidemics of disease, from plague to cholera and typhoid fever . Through the 19th century, water and air pollution and the accumulation of solid wastes were largely problems of congested urban areas. But, with the rapid spread of industrialization and the growth of the human population to unprecedented levels, pollution became a universal problem.

By the middle of the 20th century, an awareness of the need to protect air, water, and land environments from pollution had developed among the general public. In particular, the publication in 1962 of Rachel Carson ’s book Silent Spring focused attention on environmental damage caused by improper use of pesticides such as DDT and other persistent chemicals that accumulate in the food chain and disrupt the natural balance of ecosystems on a wide scale. In response, major pieces of environmental legislation, such as the Clean Air Act (1970) and the Clean Water Act (1972; United States), were passed in many countries to control and mitigate environmental pollution.

Giving voice to the growing conviction of most of the scientific community about the reality of anthropogenic global warming , the  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change  (IPCC) was formed in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to help address greenhouse gas emissions. An IPCC special report produced in 2018 noted that human beings and human activities have been responsible for a worldwide average temperature increase between 0.8 and 1.2 °C (1.4 and 2.2 °F) since preindustrial times, and most of the warming over the second half of the 20th century could be attributed to human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels .

The presence of environmental pollution raises the issue of pollution control . Great efforts are made to limit the release of harmful substances into the environment through air pollution control , wastewater treatment , solid-waste management , hazardous-waste management , and recycling . Unfortunately, attempts at pollution control are often surpassed by the scale of the problem, especially in less-developed countries . Noxious levels of air pollution are common in many large cities, where particulates and gases from transportation, heating, and manufacturing accumulate and linger. The problem of plastic pollution on land and in the oceans has only grown as the use of single-use plastics has burgeoned worldwide. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane and carbon dioxide , continue to drive global warming and pose a great threat to biodiversity and public health .

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Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides and Online Environmental Resources for Educators

Find an array of environmental and science based lesson plans, activities and ideas below from EPA, other federal agencies and external organizations.  ​ Encontrar recursos para estudiantes y maestros.

Topics: Air | Climate Change | Ecosystems | Energy | Health | Waste | Water

Acid Rain: A Teacher's Guide   (PDF 56 pp, 4.6 MB) Lesson plan and activities from EPA for teachers on acid rain. Grades: 6-8 Type of Resource: Lesson plan

Acid Rain Student Pages Find the acid rain student pages, as well as general information for older students or adults. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Lesson plans and experiments

AIRNOW Get up-to-the-minute information about air pollution in your community, through a joint project from EPA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Park Service and other partners. The AIRNOW website includes maps, forecasts, and information about the health effects of air pollution. Grades: 9-12 Type of Resource: Website

AIRNOW Air Quality Resources  Find air quality curriculum materials and activities from AIRNOW, including a toolkit and workshop opportunities for teachers. Grades: K-8 Type of Resource: Curriculum guide

Measuring Air Quality Improvements from Vegetative Barriers This unit has been designed by EPA as a teaching aid on the topic of air quality; particularly, investigating the role vegetative barriers play in improving air quality for surrounding areas. Grades: K-5 Type of Resource: Lesson Plan

Carl Gets Some Rest (PDF 12 pp, 765 KB) This EPA coloring and story book, for children in pre-school through 2nd grade, teaches a simple lesson: there are many transportation alternatives to using a car. Grades: K-2 Type of Resource: Coloring Book

Creating Healthy Indoor Air Quality in Schools This EPA page provides information on indoor air quality in school buildings and how to order the Tools for Schools Action Kit. The kit shows how to carry out a practical plan of action to improve indoor air quality at little or no cost using common-sense activities and in-house staff. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Toolkit

EnviroAtlas Educational Materials These ready-made lesson plans can be used in formal and informal education settings and are aligned with Next Generation and State Science Standards. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Lesson Plans

Noise Pollution for Kids   (PDF 15 pp, 6.54 MB) This EPA booklet for your students will teach you how to identify which sounds are loud and ways to protect your hearing and health. Grades: K-5 Type of Resource: Activity book

Particulate Matter (PM) Air Sensor Kits Particle pollution known as particulate matter (PM) is one of the major air pollutants regulated by EPA to protect public health and the environment. A PM air sensor kit has been developed by EPA researchers as an educational tool to teach children about air quality and air science. Grades: 5-12 Type of Resource: Hands-on activity guide

Basic Ozone Layer Science Find a straightforward explanation of the ozone layer and ozone depletion. Grades: 9-12 Type of Resource: Website

AIRNOW's Ozone: Good Up High, Bad Nearby (PDF 4 pp) Ozone acts as a protective layer high above the Earth, but it can be harmful to breathe. This publication provides basic information about ground-level and high-altitude ozone. Grades:6-12 Type of Resource: Booklet/Brochure

Plain English Guide to the Clean Air Act A brief introduction to the 1990 version of the Clean Air Act, to help you understand what is in the law and how it may affect you. Grades: 9-12 Type of Resource: Booklet

RadTown USA EPA's RadTown USA is a virtual community that aims to educate students about the sources of radiation in our daily lives. Grades: 9-12 Type of Resource: Virtual activity

Teaching Kids to Conserve Energy at Home: Resources for K-12 teachers and parents This 11-minute presentation focuses on an introduction to energy and the environment, energy saving tips, how to use the Energy Star home energy yardstick, and homework ideas. Grades: K-12 Type of Resource: Video

Village Green Project These lessons provide a unique opportunity for students to learn about air quality as it relates to various topics of science appropriate to their grade level. The purpose of these lessons is to engage students of varying ability levels through hands-on and minds-on thinking. Each lesson is designed to focus around the topic of air quality; from issues of human health to career and 21st century skills. Grades: K-8 Type of Resource: Lesson Plan (PDF)  (52 pp)

Lea en español:  ¿Por qué Coco es de color naranja?

Why is Coco Orange? Coco has a problem. He is a chameleon, but he cannot change colors, and his asthma is acting up. Read how Coco and his friends at Lizard Lick Elementary solve this mystery as they learn about air quality and how to stay healthy when the air quality is bad. Grades: Pre K-2 Type of Resource: Book

Other resources

NOAA's Education Resources Website Explore this site to find the information you need to teach students about weather, climate change, and oceans. You'll find activities, background information, and much more! Grades: 6-12

National Park Service Education Resources Classroom materials, field trip opportunities and professional development programs for educators from the National Park Service. Grades: All

Climate and Health Lesson Plan and Toolkit by The American Public Health Association This lesson adopts materials developed by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIH) to make it easy for public health professionals to guest teach at local high schools. For more resources aimed directly at teachers, see Climate Change and Human Health Lesson Plans by NIH. Grades: 9-12

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Essay on Environmental Pollution

Here we have shared the Essay on Environmental Pollution in detail so you can use it in your exam or assignment of 150, 250, 400, 500, or 1000 words.

You can use this Essay on Environmental Pollution in any assignment or project whether you are in school (class 10th or 12th), college, or preparing for answer writing in competitive exams. 

Topics covered in this article.

Essay on Environmental Pollution in 150-200 words

Essay on environmental pollution in 250-300 words, essay on environmental pollution in 500-1000 words.

Environmental pollution is the contamination of the natural environment by harmful substances, resulting in adverse effects on living organisms and ecosystems. It encompasses air, water, and soil pollution caused by human activities such as industrialization, transportation, and waste disposal.

Pollution poses severe threats to human health and the environment. It leads to respiratory problems, waterborne diseases, and ecosystem disruptions. Air pollution affects air quality, causing respiratory illnesses and contributing to climate change. Water pollution degrades water sources, impacting aquatic life and jeopardizing human access to clean drinking water. Soil pollution affects agriculture and food safety.

Addressing environmental pollution requires collective action. It involves adopting sustainable practices, promoting renewable energy sources, and implementing strict regulations on industrial emissions and waste management. Awareness campaigns and education about environmental conservation are vital to inspire behavioral changes.

Efforts to reduce pollution can help create a healthier and more sustainable environment for future generations. By prioritizing pollution control and embracing eco-friendly practices, we can protect human health, preserve biodiversity, and safeguard the planet’s natural resources.

Environmental pollution refers to the contamination of the natural environment by various pollutants, resulting in harmful effects on living organisms and ecosystems. It is a pressing global issue that poses significant threats to the health and well-being of both humans and the planet.

Various forms of pollution contribute to environmental degradation. Air pollution occurs when harmful gases and particles are released into the atmosphere from industrial activities, transportation, and the burning of fossil fuels. Water pollution occurs when pollutants such as chemicals, sewage, and waste are discharged into rivers, lakes, and oceans, endangering aquatic life and contaminating drinking water sources. Soil pollution occurs when harmful substances like pesticides, heavy metals, and industrial waste contaminate the soil, affecting plant growth and the food chain.

The consequences of environmental pollution are far-reaching. It leads to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and other health issues in humans. It also disrupts ecosystems, causing the decline of plant and animal species, and damaging habitats. Pollution affects the quality of air, water, and soil, posing a threat to biodiversity and the overall balance of nature.

Addressing environmental pollution requires collective efforts from individuals, governments, and organizations. Sustainable practices such as reducing emissions, conserving resources, recycling, and using eco-friendly technologies are crucial in mitigating pollution. Strict regulations and policies need to be implemented to control industrial emissions and ensure proper waste management. Awareness campaigns and education on the importance of environmental conservation can inspire individuals to make conscious choices and adopt environmentally-friendly lifestyles.

In conclusion, environmental pollution poses a significant threat to our planet and its inhabitants. It is imperative that we take immediate and proactive measures to reduce pollution levels and preserve the environment for future generations. By adopting sustainable practices and promoting environmental awareness, we can work towards creating a cleaner and healthier planet for all.

Title: Environmental Pollution – A Global Crisis in Need of Urgent Action

Introduction :

Environmental pollution is a pressing global issue that threatens the health and well-being of both humans and the planet. It refers to the introduction of harmful substances or pollutants into the natural environment, resulting in adverse effects on living organisms and ecosystems. Pollution can take various forms, including air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution. Each of these forms poses unique challenges and impacts different aspects of the environment. Addressing environmental pollution is crucial to protect human health, preserve biodiversity, and ensure the sustainability of our planet.

Air Pollution

Air pollution is one of the most significant forms of environmental pollution. It occurs when harmful gases, particles, and chemicals are released into the atmosphere, primarily as a result of industrial activities, transportation, and the burning of fossil fuels. The main pollutants include carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Air pollution poses severe health risks, particularly to vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions. It can cause respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular problems, and even premature death. Additionally, air pollution contributes to climate change, global warming, and the depletion of the ozone layer.

Water Pollution

Water pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies, including rivers, lakes, oceans, and groundwater sources. It occurs when pollutants such as chemicals, sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff are discharged into waterways without adequate treatment. Water pollution not only affects aquatic life but also endangers human health, as polluted water is often used for drinking, irrigation, and recreational activities.

The consequences of water pollution are far-reaching. It leads to the destruction of aquatic ecosystems, the loss of biodiversity, and the contamination of food sources. Waterborne diseases, such as cholera and typhoid, are prevalent in areas with contaminated water supplies. Moreover, the pollution of oceans and seas poses a threat to marine life and can cause widespread ecological damage.

Soil Pollution

Soil pollution occurs when the soil is contaminated by toxic substances, including heavy metals, pesticides, chemicals, and industrial waste. It can result from improper waste disposal, industrial activities, agricultural practices, and mining operations. Soil pollution not only affects plant growth and agricultural productivity but also poses risks to human health through the ingestion of contaminated food.

The impact of soil pollution extends beyond the immediate area of contamination. It can lead to the loss of fertile land, soil erosion, and the disruption of ecosystems. The accumulation of pollutants in the soil can enter the food chain, affecting the quality and safety of agricultural products. Long-term exposure to contaminated soil can lead to various health issues, including cancers, respiratory problems, and neurological disorders.

Noise Pollution

Noise pollution refers to excessive or unwanted noise that disrupts the environment and causes discomfort. It can arise from various sources, including transportation, industrial activities, construction sites, and urbanization. Prolonged exposure to high levels of noise can have detrimental effects on human health, including hearing loss, stress, sleep disturbances, and impaired cognitive function.

Effects on Human Health

Environmental pollution poses significant risks to human health. The inhalation of air pollutants can lead to respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and lung cancer. Waterborne diseases caused by contaminated water sources can result in gastrointestinal issues, skin infections, and even death. Exposure to soil pollution can lead to various health problems, including organ damage, developmental disorders, and certain types of cancer. Additionally, noise pollution can have detrimental effects on mental health, leading to stress, anxiety, and sleep disorders.

Impact on Biodiversity and Ecosystems

Environmental pollution also has devastating effects on biodiversity and ecosystems. Air pollution harms plant and animal life disrupts ecosystems, and contributes to the loss of biodiversity. Water pollution affects aquatic habitats, leading to the decline of fish populations, the destruction of coral reefs, and the loss of other marine species. Soil pollution impairs soil fertility and affects the growth and survival of plants, which are the foundation of terrestrial ecosystems. The contamination of land and water by pollutants disrupts natural processes, jeopardizing the delicate balance of ecosystems and leading to ecological imbalances.

Solutions and Mitigation Strategies

Addressing environmental pollution requires a multi-faceted approach involving individuals, communities, governments, and international organizations. Some key solutions and mitigation strategies include:

• Transitioning to clean and renewable energy sources to reduce air pollution and combat climate change.
• Implementing stricter regulations on industrial emissions and promoting sustainable industrial practices.
• Encouraging sustainable agricultural practices that minimize the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers to reduce soil pollution.
• Improving waste management systems, including recycling and proper disposal of hazardous waste.
• Promoting water conservation and implementing effective wastewater treatment methods to reduce water pollution.
• Raising awareness and educating communities about the importance of environmental conservation and responsible behavior.
• Investing in research and technological innovations that support sustainable development and pollution control.

Conclusion :

Environmental pollution is a global crisis that demands immediate and collective action. The consequences of pollution on human health, biodiversity, and ecosystems are severe and far-reaching. By adopting sustainable practices and implementing effective pollution control measures, we can mitigate the impacts of environmental pollution. It requires the commitment and collaboration of individuals, communities, governments, and international entities to address this pressing issue.

Through a combination of policy interventions, technological advancements, and behavioral changes, we can create a cleaner and healthier environment for future generations. It is essential to prioritize sustainable practices, reduce emissions, conserve resources, and promote responsible consumption and production patterns.

Ultimately, the fight against environmental pollution requires a global effort to protect our planet and ensure a sustainable future. By working together, we can preserve the beauty of our natural world, safeguard human health, and create a harmonious coexistence between humans and the environment. It is our collective responsibility to take action today for a cleaner and greener tomorrow.

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Environmental Pollution: Types, Causes and Effects

Environmental Pollution: Environmental Pollution is not a new phenomenon, yet it remains one of the greatest threats to the health and well-being of humanity and one of the major environmental causes of death and morbidity. For example, substances such as plastic materials, heavy metals , etc., once released into the atmosphere. By natural processes, it cannot be degraded and are harmful to living organisms. In environmental pollution , pollutants originate from a source, are transported by air or water, and are dumped into the soil by human beings. The long-term impacts of pollution are still being felt despite global attention to the issue. Day by day, our atmosphere is becoming more and more polluted due to anthropogenic activities. It is usually due to the pollutants released into the air, water, soil, etc., through many human activities. Let us examine the different types of environmental pollution.

Environmental Pollution Definition: Types of Environmental Pollution

Environmental Pollution is the effect caused by undesirable changes in our surroundings that have harmful impacts on plants, animals, and human beings.  A substance that causes Pollution is known as a Pollutant. Pollutants can be solid, liquid, or gaseous substances present in greater concentrations than in natural abundance and may produce due to human activities or natural happenings.

For example, an average human being requires around 12−15 times more air than food. So, even a tiny amount of pollutants in the air becomes significant compared to similar levels in food. Pollutants can be degradable, like discarded vegetables rapidly broken down by the natural process. Slowly degradable pollutants remain in the environment unchanged for many decades.

What is Pollution?

Modifying the environment caused by human influence, which often renders the environment harmful and unpleasant to live in, is called Pollution. Atmospheric Pollution is caused by gases such as sulphur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides being released into the atmosphere by various industries and by burning fossil fuels. Water Pollution is caused by many substances, such as those found in fertilisers and industrial effluents.

Types of Environmental Pollution

Based on the part of the environment that is polluted, Pollution is of the following types:

Air Pollution

Water pollution, soil pollution, noise pollution, radioactive pollution.

Air Pollution occurs due to undesirable changes in the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of air that exert harmful effects on all living beings. Harmful effects caused by air pollution depend on the following:

• Concentration of pollutants
• Duration of exposure to the pollutants 
• Type of the organism it affects

Causes of Air Pollution

Check out the causes of environmental pollution in the below-mentioned section:

1. Particulate pollutants which constitute metallic particles, dust particles, soot, aerosol, and smoke. 2. Gaseous pollutants in the air constitute carbon dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and sulphur dioxide.

Effects of Pollution on Environment

Now let us check out the effects of pollution on the environment in the below-mentioned section:

Effects of Air Pollution

The various effects of air pollutants on plants, animals, and humans are as follows:

• It causes fruit damage and various leaf diseases like chlorosis, necrosis, and mottled spots on leaves.
• Decreases the growth yield of crops and causes premature death of plants.
• Weakens plants and increases infestation by pests.
• Acid rain damages the aerial parts and also acidifies the soils. It leads to the production of radicals, thus, decreasing photosynthesis and productivity.
• About \({\rm{40\% }}\) of human deaths occur due to air pollution.
• Causes an increase in susceptibility to diseases.
• Causes cancer and genetic mutations.
• Causes respiratory ailments like asthma, hay fever, and other allergic diseases.
• Causes cardiovascular diseases and damage to the central nervous system, resulting in premature death.
• Causes immediate effects like inflammation, nausea, headache, and irritation to the eyes and nose.
• The negative impact of air pollution on animals is more or less similar to that on humans. Chronic poisoning results from the ingestion of forage contaminated with atmospheric pollutants.
• Among metallic contaminants, arsenic, lead, and molybdenum are harmful to animals. Fluoride is another pollutant, which causes fluorosis among animals.

The major causes of air pollution are as follows:

• Excessive use of fossil fuels by automobiles
• Smokestacks of thermal power plants, smelters, etc.
• Particulate and gaseous air pollutants released by various industries
• Garbage decomposition
• Use of petrol and diesel

Water Pollution is defined as any undesirable change in physical, chemical, or biological properties of water that may affect living beings adversely. Due to human activities, ponds, rivers, oceans, and estuaries are getting polluted in several parts of the world.

Sources of Water Pollution

Let us look at the sources of water pollution in the section below:

• Discharge of untreated domestic sewage into rivers leads to water pollution.
• Excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides in agriculture also causes water pollution.
• Discharge of toxic waste from factories and refineries. etc., pollute water.
• Oil spills that are an accidental release of oil by tankers in oceans may cause marine water pollution.
• Inappropriate disposal of litter such as plastic bags, wrappers and bottles, lead to Water Pollution.

Effects of Water Pollution

Water Pollution affects both animals and plants and leads to an adverse impact on the aquatic ecosystem. The major effects of Water Pollution are as follows:

• Water-borne diseases: Sewage gives the maximum opportunity for the pathogenic and non-pathogenic microorganisms to grow. These pathogenic (disease-causing) microorganisms are responsible for several water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera, dysentery, jaundice, hepatitis, etc.
• Toxic waste material: Toxic waste material from the industries such as heavy metals, pesticides, cyanides, and many organic and inorganic wastes are released directly into the river, lakes, and ocean, affecting the species present in these aquatic ecosystems, and ultimately affecting human health.

Soil Pollution is the build-up of persistent toxic compounds, chemicals, salts, radioactive materials, or disease-causing agents in the soil, which have adverse effects on plant growth and animal health. Causes of Soil Pollution

Soil Pollution is caused by the presence of man-made chemicals or other alterations in the natural soil environment. This type of contamination usually arises from the rupture of underground storage links, application of pesticides, percolation of contaminated surface water to the subsurface, fuel dumping, leaching of wastes from landfills, or direct discharge of industrial wastes to the soil.

The common chemicals involved are petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides, lead, and other heavy metals. The occurrence of this phenomenon is correlated with the degree of industrialisation and intensities of chemical usage.

Effects of Soil Pollution

Soil Pollution can have several harmful effects on ecosystems and human, plant, and animal health. The detrimental effects of soil pollution may come from direct contact with polluted soil or contact with other resources, such as water or food, grown on or come in direct contact with the contaminated soil. Some of the effects are:

• Reduced soil fertility
• Reduced nitrogen fixation
• Release of pollutant gases 
• Release of radioactive rays causing health problems
• Pollution of drinking water sources
• Foul smell and release of gases
• Waste management problems.

The unpleasant, discomfort-causing sound from any source is called noise. The sustained presence of harmful, unwanted, or annoying noise in the environment is called noise pollution. Any object that produces noise is a potential source of noise pollution. Examples are television and radio (when played at a loud volume), air coolers, automobiles, blaring loudspeakers, and air conditioners.

Impacts of Noise Pollution

Noise has a jarring effect on us. One should not underestimate the impact of noise pollution on people. Here are some of the harmful effects of noise pollution:

• Irritation and loss of concentration
• Sleep disturbance and stress (which can lead to high blood pressure)
• Ear damage and loss of hearing (which may result from exposure to a sudden loud noise or from continuous exposure to noise over some time)

Measures to Reduce Noise Pollution

Minimising noise pollution requires a certain degree of discipline from all of us. Some of the measures one should adopt to keep noise pollution under control are given below:

• The use of loudspeakers should be avoided.
• People living in flats (and houses close to each other) should not talk too loudly or play the television/music too loudly so as not to disturb their neighbours.
• While driving, people should avoid playing loud music and using the horn unnecessarily.

This is considered one of the most dangerous pollution because of its permanent effects. It can cause cancer, infertility due to exposure, congenital disabilities, and blindness. It can permanently change the soil, air, and water. It can even cause mutation in species which can propagate for ages.

Climate Change

Many activities have contributed to a significant change in the climate temperature. The heat gain from air-conditioning units, vehicles on the road and other combustion processes will increase the ozone layer’s depletion rate, increasing climate temperature. A second problem is the so-called greenhouse effect.

Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere functions like the glass in a greenhouse, screening out excessive infrared rays and acting as an insulator to prevent heat from escaping day and night. Without the protection of the atmosphere, the temperature on the earth could reach the extremes they do on the moon. If we continue to burn fossil fuels, the level of carbon dioxide in the air may increase to the point where it will blanket the earth and cause it to warm to a dangerous level.

Environmental Pollution and Its Effects on Health

Let us look at environmental pollution and its effect on health in the section below:

• Air Pollution results are cancer, neurobehavioral disorders, cardiovascular problems, reduced energy levels, premature death, asthma, irritation of the eyes, nose, mouth and throat, reduced lung functioning, respiratory symptoms, etc.
• Nutrient-polluted water causes the overgrowth of toxic algae eaten by other aquatic animals and may cause death; it can also cause eruptions of fish diseases.
• Chemical contamination can cause declines in frog biodiversity and tadpole mass.
• Oil Pollution can increase susceptibility to disease, affect reproductive processes, and negatively affect the development of marine organisms. It can also be a source of gastrointestinal irritation, damage to the nervous system, and liver and kidney damage.
• Mercury in water can cause reduced reproduction, slower growth and development, abnormal behaviour and death.
• Persistent organic pollutants may cause declines, deformities, and death of fish life. Fish from polluted water and vegetables/ crops produced or washed from contaminated water could also impact human and animal health.

Environmental Pollution Prevention

Students already know about environmental pollution definition and its effects. Now let us check out how to prevent environmental pollution:

• Environmental Pollution can be controlled by proper waste management and developing green chemistry. Instead of conventional fuels and energy systems, non-conventional fuels and non-conventional energy systems must be put into practice. This will cause less pollution.
• The growth of the population must be controlled.
• Forests should be grown. Everybody must plant a tree and must protect it.
• Every citizen should feel the social responsibility of protecting and keeping the environment clean and green.

Pollution impacts the quality of life and harms biodiversity. Fresh air, water and soil are always the first certificates for survival on this planet. The government and citizens must have collective responsibility for preventing and controlling environmental pollution.

Although people do not have enough resources to repair the damage caused by environmental pollution, the prevention will gradually show improvements. We should try to work together to end pollution and build a comfortable environment.

Pollution is caused due to contamination of our environment from the pollutants released into the air, water, soil, etc. This article studied how human and natural activities cause environmental pollution. Furthermore, we can control various effects and causes of environmental pollution by taking preventive measures.

FAQs on Environmental Pollution

Let us look at some of the frequently asked questions about environmental pollution:

Question 1: What are the main causes of environmental pollution?

Ans : Water pollution, soil erosion, dumping of solid waste, rapid urbanisation, and industrialisation are the main causes of environmental pollution.

Question 2: How is the environment polluted?

Ans: Pollution refers to the addition of contaminating substances to the natural environment resulting in an adverse impact on the environment. The environment is getting polluted by human activities.

Question 3: What are the effects of environmental pollution?

Ans: Environmental Pollution has negatively affected the life of both human beings and animals. Air pollution may cause severe lungs-diseases. Soil pollution may harm farm output ratio, and noise pollution has adverse effects on hearing or auditory sense organs.

Question 4: Who is responsible for environmental pollution?

Ans: Every human activity is contributing to environmental pollution. We need to do our needful to combat the harm that has been happening to the environment and make our planet habitable in the long run.

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• Biology Article
• Types Of Pollution

Types of Pollution

What is pollution.

Air Pollution

Water Pollution

Soil Pollution

Noise Pollution

There are various types of pollution chiefly arising as a result of anthropogenic causes. Also contributing to pollution is globalisation, where humanity’s constant need for natural resources has slowly started to change the face of the earth.

Though the quality of living has drastically improved, other new issues have risen that gradually impact human health and the environment. In this article, we shall explore the meaning, causes and types of pollution. Also, we shall analyse the repercussions of pollution on human health and the environment.

“Pollution is the introduction of substances (or energy) that cause adverse changes in the environment and living entities .”

Pollution need not always be caused by chemical substances such as particulates (like smoke and dust). Forms of energy such as sound, heat or light can also cause pollution. These substances that cause pollution are called pollutants.

Pollution, even in minuscule amounts, impacts the ecological balance.  Pollutants can make their way up the food chain and eventually find their way inside the human body. Read on to explore the types of pollution and their implications.

Also Read:  Industrial Melanism

As stated before, there are different types of pollution, which are either caused by natural events (like forest fires) or by man-made activities (like cars, factories, nuclear wastes, etc.) These are further classified into the following types of pollution:

Besides these 4 types of pollution, other types exist such as light pollution, thermal pollution and radioactive pollution. The latter is much rarer than other types, but it is the deadliest.

Air pollution refers to the release of harmful contaminants (chemicals, toxic gases, particulates, biological molecules, etc.) into the earth’s atmosphere. These contaminants are quite detrimental and in some cases, pose serious health issues. Some causes that contribute to air pollution are:

• Burning fossil fuels
• Mining operations
• Exhaust gases from industries and factories

The effects of air pollution vary based on the kind of pollutant. But generally, the impact of air pollution ranges from:

• Increased risk of respiratory illness and cardiovascular problems
• Increased risk of skin diseases
• May increase the risk of cancer
• Global warming
• Ozone depletion
• Hazards to wildlife

Among the other types of pollution, air pollution is theorized to have a planet-wide implication. Scientists have even speculated an apocalypse-like scenario where air pollution if left unchecked, can bring about an extreme form of global warming called the runaway greenhouse effect. Though this is purely speculative, it is a phenomenon that has already occurred on Venus.

More to Read:   Steps to Control Air Pollution

Water pollution is said to occur when toxic pollutants and particulate matter are introduced into water bodies such as lakes, rivers and seas. These contaminants are generally introduced by human activities like improper sewage treatment and oil spills. However, even natural processes such as eutrophication can cause water pollution.

Other significant causes of water pollution include:

• Dumping solid wastes in water bodies
• Disposing untreated industrial sewage into water bodies
• Human and animal wastes
• Agricultural runoff containing pesticides and fertilisers

The effects of water pollution are very pronounced in  our environment .  Furthermore, toxic chemicals can bioaccumulate in living beings, and these chemicals can travel their way up the food chain, ultimately reaching humans.

Among the other types of pollution, water pollution has severe consequences on humans. For instance, in 1932, a grave case of water pollution incapacitated the inhabitants of an entire city in Japan with neurological diseases and mental illness for many decades. However, the immediate cause was not apparent but was eventually attributed to acute mercury poisoning. Methylmercury was dumped into the surrounding bay and had ultimately bioaccumulated inside the fish. The local population then consumed these fish, and this resulted in the manifestation of ill effects and neurological diseases.

Read More:   A grave case of water pollution

Other consequences of water pollution include:

• Disruption of the ecosystem
• Threats to marine life
• Increased risk of water-borne diseases
• Increases toxic chemicals (such as mercury) in water bodies
• Eutrophication

Soil pollution , also called soil contamination , refers to the degradation of land due to the presence of chemicals or other man-made substances in the soil. The xenobiotic substances alter the natural composition of soil and affect it negatively. These can drastically impact life directly or indirectly. For instance, any toxic chemicals present in the soil will get absorbed by the plants. Since plants are producers in an environment, it gets passed up through the food chain. Compared to the other types of pollution, the effects of soil pollution are a little more obscured, but their implications are very noticeable.

Some of the common causes of soil pollution are:

• Improper industrial waste disposal
• Acid rain which is caused by air pollution
• Mining activities
• Intensive farming and agrochemicals (like fertilisers and pesticides)
• Industrial accidents

The effects of soil pollution are numerous. Specific wastes, such as radioactive waste become particularly hazardous when they are not well-contained. A well-documented example is a nuclear accident in Chernobyl, which has left an area of 2,600 km 2  uninhabitable for several thousand years.

Other effects of soil pollution include:

• Loss of soil nutrients, which renders the soil unfit for agriculture
• Impacts the natural flora and fauna residing in the soil
• Degrades vegetation due to the increase of salinity of the soil
• Toxic dust (such as silica dust) can cause respiratory problems or even lung cancer

Read More:   Soil Profile

Noise pollution refers to the excessive amount of noise in the surrounding that disrupts the natural balance. Usually, it is man-made, though certain natural calamities like volcanoes can contribute to noise pollution.

In general, any sound which is over 85 decibels is considered to be detrimental. Also, the duration an individual is exposed plays an impact on their health. For perspective, a normal conversation is around 60 decibels, and a jet taking off is around 15o decibels. Consequently, noise pollution is more obvious than the other types of pollution.

Noise pollution has several contributors, which include:

• Industry-oriented noises such as heavy machines, mills, factories, etc.
• Transportation noises from vehicles, aeroplanes, etc.
• Construction noises
• Noise from social events (loudspeakers, firecrackers, etc.)
• Household noises (such as mixers, TV, washing machines, etc.)

Noise pollution has now become very common due to dense urbanisation and industrialisation. Noise pollution can bring about adverse effects such as :

• Hearing loss
• Sleeping disorders
• Hypertension (high BP)
• Communication problems

Learn more about pollution, the types of pollution, its causes and effects by registering at BYJU’S Biology

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the different types of pollution.

The different types of pollution include:

• Air pollution
• Water pollution
• Soil pollution
• Radioactive pollution
• Noise pollution

Name the harmful pollutants responsible for polluting the environment.

The harmful pollutants responsible for polluting the environment are:

• Nitrogen oxide
• Sulphur oxide
• Particulate matter
• Chlorofluorocarbon
• Volatile organic compounds

What are the different types of pollutants?

The different types of pollutants are:

• Primary Pollutants: These are the pollutants that are emitted directly from the sources such as volcanic eruptions, combustion of fossil fuel, etc. These include nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide, etc.
• Secondary Pollutants: These are the pollutants that are not directly emitted from the sources but are formed when primary pollutants react in the atmosphere. For eg., ozone.

What is radioactive pollution?

Radioactive pollution is the pollution caused by the release of radioactive substances in the atmosphere during activities such as nuclear explosions, mining of radioactive ores, etc.

What are the consequences of mercury pollution?

Mercury pollution is the pollution caused by the release of mercury from mercury products or emissions from coal-burning power plants in the air, water or land. Mercury pollution results in neurological and behavioural disorders in humans. Insomnia, memory loss, headaches, and tremors are some of the symptoms of mercury pollution.

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Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences Essay

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Environmental pollution is the unwarranted discharge of mass or energy into the planet’s natural resource pools, such as land, air, or water, which detriments the environment’s ecological stability and the health of the living things that inhabit it. There is an intensified health risk and pollution in middle and low-income countries due to the increased use of pesticides, industrialization, the introduction of nitrogen-based fertilizers, forest fires, urbanization, and inadequate waste management (Appannagari, 2017). Air pollution, lead and chemicals exposure, hazardous waste exposure, and inappropriate e-waste disposal all result in unfavorable living conditions, fatal illnesses, and ecosystem destruction. The essay will provide an overview of pollution and proffer solutions to combating pollution for a sustainable environment and health.

In addition to hindering economic development and considerably accelerating climate change, pollution exacerbates poverty and inequality in urban and rural areas. The most pain is always experienced by the poor, who cannot afford to protect themselves against pollution’s harmful effects. The main environmental factor contributing to sickness and early mortality is pollution due to premature deaths resulting from pollution (Appannagari, 2017). Due to the unacceptably high cost to human capital and health, as well as the resulting GDP losses, pollution must be addressed. Through initiatives like reducing black carbon and methane emissions, which are responsible for air pollution and climate change, pollution management can also significantly contribute to climate change mitigation (Appannagari, 2017). Additionally, pollution control can promote competitiveness through, for instance, job growth, increased energy efficiency, better transportation, and sustainable urban and rural development. Below are the various approaches for solutions to health and pollution problems.

First, governments should evaluate pollution as a national and international priority and integrate it into the city and country planning process. Pollution affects the health and well-being of societies and, as such, cannot be solely viewed as an environmental issue (The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, 2017). All levels of government should give pollution prevention a high priority, incorporate it into development planning, and tie it to commitments regarding climate change, SDGs, and the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Some options are both affordable and offer good returns on investment.

Secondly, governments should increase funding for pollution control and prioritize it by health impacts. There should be a significant increase in the financing for pollution management in low- and middle-income nations, both from national budgets and international development organizations (The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, 2017). The most effective international support for pollution reduction is when it mobilizes additional actions and funding from others. Examples include helping towns and nations that are quickly industrializing concerning technical capacity building, regulatory and enforcement support, and support for direct actions to save lives. Monitoring financing initiatives are necessary to determine their cost-effectiveness and to raise accountability.

Thirdly, organizations should work to build multicultural partnerships for pollution control. Public-private partnerships and interagency cooperation can be powerful tools in creating clean technology and energy sources that will ultimately prevent pollution at its source (The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, 2017). Collaborations between ministries that include the ministries of finance, energy, development, agriculture, and transport, as well as the ministries of health and the environment, are crucial in pollution control. Governments should promote monitoring systems that could identify and apportion pollution sources, measure pollution levels, guide enforcement, and assess progress toward goals. The use of new technology in pollution monitoring, such as data mining and satellite images, can boost effectiveness, broaden the monitoring area, and cut costs.

One of the main issues facing the world in the current period is pollution. Natural resources are depleting daily due to car emissions, new technologies, factories, and chemicals added to food. All of these factors seriously harm the world. However, the problems caused by pollution can be prevented by building multicultural partnerships, increasing funding for pollution control, integrating it into the country’s planning process, and adopting new technology for monitoring pollution. Preventing pollution lowers the cost to the environment and the economy.

Appannagari, R. R. (2017). Environmental pollution causes and consequences: A study . North Asian International Research Journal of Social Science and Humanities , 3 (8), 151-161. Web.

Excell High School. (2018). Environmental Science . Excel Education Systems, Inc. Web.

The Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health. (2017). Pollution and health: Six problems and six solutions. Knowledge, Evidence, and Learning for Development.

• Environment in the Novel “Ishmael” by Daniel Quinn
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IvyPanda. (2023, December 18). Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/

"Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences." IvyPanda , 18 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences'. 18 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences." December 18, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/.

1. IvyPanda . "Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences." December 18, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Environmental Pollution: Causes and Consequences." December 18, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/environmental-pollution-causes-and-consequences/.

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Environment Pollution: Classification, Causes and Its Types 

What is Environmental Pollution?

Environmental Pollution refers to any addition of unwanted material in the environment due to human activities that lead to undesirable changes in the environment and ecology. For example, sewage water being released in clean water sources like tanks, rivers, etc. is an example of water pollution.

What are Pollutants?

The different agents that cause environmental pollution are called pollutants . Pollutants can be chemicals, biological materials, or physical things that get added into the environment by accident that are directly or indirectly harmful to people and other living things.

Classification of the Pollution

Effects of Environmental Pollution

• Pollution affects the very factors which support life on the ear, such as the air we breathe, the water we drink and, at large, the ecosystems we depend upon. Thus, it poses a threat to life on the earth. 
• Pollution poses one of the greatest challenges to the health of humans and other living beings .
• Though it affects the overall well-being of the entire society, vulnerable sections like the poor, the children, the women etc are affected disproportionately by it. 
• Pollution has its negative impacts on the economy as well. For example, as per a study, water pollution would cause a loss of around 6% of India’s GDP by 2050 due to loss in sectors like fishing, agriculture, water intensive industries etc. 
• Other socio-economic impacts of pollution include food insecurity due to decreased agricultural yield, forced migration due to water crisis etc. 

Causes of Environmental Pollution

• Rapid increase in human population has increased anthropogenic activities by manifold. Most of these activities, in some way or the other, add some unwanted things to the environment. 
• Rapid urbanization in recent times has led to increased construction activities. This, in turn, is causing environmental pollution through different ways, such as release of dust in air, generation of waste materials etc. 
• Increased population and urbanization have meant increased transportation activities. This, in itself, is a major source of pollution. 
• An increased focus on industrialization of late is leading to rapid generation of industrial wastes and emissions, and hence environmental pollution. 
• Some agricultural activities also lead to environmental pollution. For example, excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides not only pollutes the soil but also nearby water bodies due to spill over. 
• There are many other causes of environmental pollution, such as Burning of fossil fuels, increased use of chemicals, etc.

Types of Pollution

Depending on the source as well as destination of the pollutants, there are various types of pollution. Some major of them can be seen as follows:

Air Pollution

• As per WHO, Air Pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
• According to WHO data , 99 percent of the world’s population breathes air that contains high levels of pollutants and exceeds WHO guideline limits, with low and middle-income countries experiencing the highest exposures.

Causes of Air Pollution

• Industrial emissions, household emissions , motor vehicles emissions,  forest fires etc are some common sources of air pollution.
• Pollutants of major public health concern include Particulate Matter, Carbon Monoxide, Ozone, Nitrogen Dioxide, and Sulphur Dioxide .

Measures Taken to Control Air Pollution

• The Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1981
• National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)
• Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring System (CAAQMS )
• Green Crackers developed by CSIR-NEERI
• The Great Green Wall of Aravalli 
• Some states like Delhi has built Smog Towers to tackle air pollution.

Water Pollution

Water pollution refers to release of unwanted substances into subsurface groundwater or into water bodies like lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries, and oceans to a level which negatively impacts the beneficial use of the water or natural functioning of ecosystems.

When harmful chemicals or microorganisms contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, the water’s quality deteriorates and it becomes toxic for both humans and the environment.

• Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels drop, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) rises, aquatic species perish, eutrophication occurs, etc. as a result of water pollution.

Causes of Water Pollution

• Agriculture is one of the primary sources of water pollution. Animal waste from farms and livestock operations, pesticides, and fertilizers wash nutrients and pathogens like bacteria and viruses into our waterways.
• More than 80 percent of the world’s wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or reused, according to the United Nations.
• Nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil spills over into marine environments.
• Radioactive substances generated by uranium mining, nuclear power plants and the hospitals that use radioactive materials for research and medicine. These waste can persist in the environment for thousands of years, making disposal a major challenge.

Measures Taken to Control Water Pollution

International measures to tackle water pollution.

• International Conventions to Mitigate Marine Pollution 
• Convention on Dumping Wastes at Sea or London Convention (1972)
• The 1972 Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by the Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, also known as “LC ’72” or the “London Convention,”
• United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLoS).

Measures Taken in India to Tackle Water Pollution

• Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974:
• Initiatives to rejuvenate rivers, like Ganga Action Plan, Yamuna Action Plan etc. 
• Initiatives taken by the Central Pollution Control Board to tackle contamination and over-exploitation of groundwater.

Noise Pollution

• Noise Pollution is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as noise that is louder than 65 decibels (dB).  
• Precisely speaking, noise becomes harmful above 75 dB and painful above 120 dB Thus, it is advised to keep noise level below 65 dB during the day. 
• An ambient noise level advisable for the nighttime is 30 dBas restful sleep cannot be achieved with noise levels above this. 
• The current status of noise pollution all over the world can be seen through the United Nations Environment Programme’s report titled ‘Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches’ which enlist the noisiest cities in the world.

Suggested Measures to Control Noise Pollution

• Suppression of noise at the source
• Acoustic zoning
• Sound insulation at construction sites
• Planting trees
• Strict legislative measures.

Soil Pollution

• The contamination of soil with abnormally high concentrations of toxic substances is referred to as soil pollution .
• Given the numerous health risks it contains, it is a serious environmental concern. For instance, exposure to soil with high Benzene concentrations increases the risk of developing Leukaemia.

Causes of Soil Pollution

• Phenomena such as loss of organic carbon, erosion, increased salt content, acidification, compacting, and chemical pollution are the major causes of current soil degradation .

Suggested Measures to Tackle Soil Pollution

• Promote eco-friendly practices in business, agriculture , and stock breeding and other sectors of the economy.
• Ensure an efficient transportation and treatment of wastewater through proper urban planning. 
• Increase topsoil conservation, landscape restoration,
• Mining waste management .

Radioactive Pollution

• When radioactive elements are accidentally present in the environment or atmosphere and pose a risk to the ecosystem owing to radioactive decay , this is known as radioactive pollution .
• The radioactive materials create damage by releasing potentially harmful ionizing radiation into the environment, such as Alpha or Beta particles , gamma rays , or neutrons.

Causes of Radioactive Pollution

• Nuclear Accidents from Nuclear Energy Generation Plants
• Use of Nuclear Weapons as Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
• Use of Radioisotopes in Health and other sectors.
• Mining 
• Spillage of Radioactive Chemicals
• Cosmic Rays and Other Natural Sources
• Nuclear Waste Handling and Disposal

Light Pollution

• Light pollution is the presence of inappropriate, unwanted and excessive artificial lighting .
• Too much light pollution has negative impacts on the environment and human health, obstructs astronomical research , disturbs ecosystems, and wastes energy.
• Specific categories of light pollution include light clutter, light trespass, over-illumination, glare and sky glow . 
• To overcome these challenges , use of Led lights, reduce the use of decorative lighting, minimise the use of light etc.

Nitrogen Pollution

• Nitrogen pollution results from an overabundance of nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia and nitrous oxide . Sometimes, the usage of synthetic fertilizers causes this pollution. 
• Another possible cause is the breakdown of large quantities of animal manures and slurry , which are frequently present in intensive livestock units.
• It may have detrimental effects on our climate, the ecosystem , and  health .

Suggested Measures to Tackle Nitrogen Pollution

• Use climate and nature-friendly growing methods and avoid using synthetic fertilisers.
• Support organic and agro-ecological farmers in order to promote farmers to transition to a future with less nitrogen.

Thus, various types of pollutions being caused by different anthropogenic activities have the potential to cause damage to the existence of life on the earth. India and the world must adopt a “green vision” as part of the development agenda. The time has come to add “clean environment” to the list of basic necessities – “roti-kapada-makaan”. 

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Essay on Environmental Pollution for Students and Children

500+ words essay on environmental pollution.

Essay on Environmental Pollution – Environment is the surroundings in which we live. But the contamination of our environment by pollutants is environmental pollution. The current stage of the earth that we are seeing is the cause of centuries of exploitation of earth and its resources.

Moreover, the earth cannot restore its balance because of environmental pollution . The human force has created and destroyed life on earth. Human plays a vital role in the degradation of the environment.

Effect of pollution on the health

The environmental pollution, directly and indirectly, affects the lives of humans and other species. These living beings co-existed on the earth with human from centuries.

Effect on Air

Carbon and dust particles string up with the air in the form of smog, damaging respiratory system , haze, and smoke. These are caused by the emission of industrial and manufacturing units by burning of fossil fuels, vehicle combustion of carbon fumes.

Moreover, these factors affect the immune system of birds which become a carrier of viruses and infections.

Besides, it also affects the body system and body organs.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Effects on Land, Soil, and Food

Human’s organic and chemical both waste harm the land and soil with its decomposition. Also, it introduces some chemical in the soil and water. Land and soil pollution mainly caused by the use of pesticides, fertilizers , soil erosion, and crop residues.

Effect on Water

Water gets contaminated easily with any pollutant whether it is human waste or chemical discharge from factories. Also, we use this water for irrigation of crops and drinking. But, because of infection they become contaminated too. Besides, an animal dies because they drink this same contaminated water.

Moreover, around 80% of pollutants of land such as chemical, industrial and agricultural waste end up in the water bodies.

Besides, these water bodies ultimately connect to the sea which means it indirectly pollutes the biodiversity of the sea.

Effect on Food

Because of contaminated soil and water, the crop or agricultural produce also get toxic. Furthermore, this contaminated food effect our health and organs. From the beginning of their life, these crops are laced with chemical components that reach a mass level until the time of harvest.

Effect on Climate

Climate change is also a cause of environmental pollution. Also, it affects the physical and biological components of the ecosystem.

Moreover, ozone depletion, greenhouse gases, global warming all these climate changes are a cause of environmental pollution.

Furthermore, some unstable climate changes are earthquakes, famine, smog, carbon particles, shallow rain or snow, thunderstorms, volcanic eruption, and avalanches are all because of climate change that happens all because of environmental pollution.

In conclusion, man has exploited the wealth of nature at the cost of his and environments health. Also, the effect that is now emerging rapidly is all because of the activities of humans for hundreds or thousands of years.

Above all, if we wish to survive and continue our life on earth then we have to take measures. These measures will help is securing our as well as our next generation future.

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Environmental Pollution [Environmental Studies Notes BCOM/BA/BSC 2nd SEM CBCS Pattern]

Unit 5: environmental pollution (8 lectures), environmental studies notes for ba, b.com and bsc cbcs pattern.

• Environmental pollution: types, causes, effects and controls; Air, water, soil and noise pollution

• Nuclear hazards and human health risks

• Solid waste management: Control measures of urban and industrial waste.

• Pollution case studies – Bharalu river, Deepor Beel, Kolong river

**************

Table of Contents

Soil Pollution

Land is an important component of environment because soil is vital for the substances of life on earth. An inch of soil takes about 500 to 1000 years to be build. It is estimated that the total surface area of earth is 3,15,14,640 square km out of which only about one third is land surface. It is a resource for which there is no substitute. So, it becomes necessary to protect soil from pollutants.

Soil pollution can be more dangerous than other types of pollution. Soil pollution is defined as the presence of toxic chemicals (pollutants or contaminants) in soil, in high enough concentrations to pose risk to human health and ecosystem. Soil pollution is the adverse alternation in the properties of the soil due to dumping of solid and semi-solid waste from agriculture, industry and urban areas. It also results because of washing down of pollutants by rain and faulty sanitation in the soil.

Sources of Soil Pollution

a) Agrochemicals: The application of inorganic fertilisers to crop lands and the use of toxic insecticides, pesticides, fungicides etc. for controlling diseases have an adverse impact of soil.

b) Industrial waste: The rapid growth of industries has resulted in the release of a lot of industrial waste on the land surface. The quality of those wastes depends on the types of raw materials and chemicals used in the industries. The toxic chemicals are absorbed by the green plants along with the nutrients and enter into the food chain and finally reaching the human being causing health hazards.

c) Domestic Garbage: Plastics are mainly used as packing materials which are normally thrown away as garbage. This garbage is pile up at public places which creates disposal problem.

d) Petroleum wastes: Contamination of soil by petroleum products is a major cause of soil pollution in several countries in the world.

e) Electric Waste: Electronic waste like cell phones, computers, gadgets, printers, radio, camera, video games, scanners, DVDs, Land phones etc. are non-biodegradable waste which is generally dumped in soil.

Measures to Control Soil Pollution

Since soil is vital for life, these should be protected from pollution. Some important measures to control soil pollution are:

a) Agro-chemicals should be used with caution in the field. Organic manure should be used instead of agro-chemicals.

b) Use of bio-fertilizers should be encouraged instead of chemical fertilizers.

c) Industrial effluents should be properly treated before discharging them on the soil. The effluents released should be subjected to proper treatment before their release into land mass.

d) The garbage produced should be dumped in closed chamber.

e) Adequate latrine facility should be provided in rural and urban areas.

f) Public awareness programmes should be implemented to educate people on health hazards due to soil pollution. Prevention of erosion and silting.

g) People should be trained regarding proper sanitary practices.

h) Application of pesticides should be controlled.

i) Bioremediation can be adopted for degradation of toxic chemicals present in soil.

Effects of Soil Pollution

a) Industrial wastes consist of a variety of chemicals which are extremely toxic. Chemical like acids, alkalis, pesticides, heavy metals etc. affect soil fertility and ultimately affect human health.

b) Nitrogen and phosphorus from the fertilizers in soil reach nearby water bodies with agricultural run-off and cause eutrophication.

c) Excess use of chemical fertilizers may result in reducing the ability of plants to fix nitrogen.

d) Pollutants in soil cause alteration in soil structure, causing death of many soil organisms which can affect the food chain.

e) Decline in the microorganisms found in the soil creating additional problems of soil erosion.

f) Contamination of underground and surface drinking water.

Water Pollution

Water is undoubtedly the most precious natural resource that exists on our planet. It is essential for the survival of any form of life. Lakes, rivers, seas and groundwater are the main source of water. Water pollution  is the  pollution  of bodies of  water , such as lakes, rivers, seas, the oceans, as well as groundwater. It occurs when  pollutants reach these bodies of  water , without treatment. Waste from homes, factories and other buildings are main pollutant of the  water  bodies.

Sources of Water Pollution:  

a) Domestic wastes if they are not properly treated and released into water bodies cause serious water pollution.

b) Industrial wastes such as Toxic chemicals, acids, alkalis, metallic salts, phenols, cyanides are released into water bodies causes thermal pollution of water.

c) Agricultural pollutants such as excessive nutrients, ammonia and nitrates, pathogens, antibiotics and hormones.

d) Run off from urban areas such as rainfall and snowmelt can wash natural and man-made pollutants into rivers, lakes, wetlands, and coastal waters.

e) Oil pollution

f) Radioactive waste produced during industrial, medical and scientific processes.

Effects of Water Pollution

Domestic and hospital sewage contain many undesirable pathogenic microorganisms, and its disposal into a water without proper treatment may cause outbreak of serious diseases, such as, amoebiasis dysentery, typhoid, jaundice, cholera, etc. Metals like  lead, zinc, arsenic, copper, mercury  and  cadmium in industrial waste waters adversely affect humans and other animals. Some of the serious effects of water pollution are listed below:

a) Drinking contaminated water causes health problems like cancer, reproductive problems, typhoid fever, stomach sickness and skin rashes in humans.

b) Excess fluoride in water causes defects in teeth and bones called fluorosis, while arsenic can cause significant damage to the liver and nervous system.

c) Oil spills in the water cause animals to die when they ingest or encounter it.

d) Excess radioactive materials in water cause genetic mutations, birth defects and cancer.

e) Excess sediments in water cause cloudiness reducing photosynthetic ability, which disrupts the aquatic food chain.

Control of water pollution

a) The first and most important step in controlling water pollution is to Increase public education and awareness around the world concerning the causes and impacts of water pollution.

b) Government initiatives like Swachh Bharat Mission helps in reducing domestic wastes.

c) Setting up effluent treatment plants to treat waste water.

d) Laws, standards and practices should be established to prevent water pollution and these laws should be modified from time to time based on current requirements and technological advancements.

e) Planting more trees will reduce the amount of sulphur dioxide and nitric oxide.

f) Industrial plants should be based on recycling operations as it helps prevent disposal of wastes into natural waters but also extraction of products from waste.

g) Thermal pollution can be reduced by employing techniques like cooling ponds, wet/dry cooling towers etc.

Air Pollution

We all breathe in air, we can feel, and even smell the air and say whether it is fresh or stale. The pollution in air may not be noticed until we see smoke coming out from some source. All human activities from cooking at home to activities in highly mechanized industries contribute to air pollution.

The World Health Organization defines air pollution as “the presence of materials in the air in such concentration which are harmful to man and his environment.”

In Simple words, it is the occurrence or addition of foreign particles, gases and other pollutants into the air which have an adverse effect on human beings, animals, vegetation, buildings, etc.

Air Pollutants

Pollutants are classified into primary and secondary pollutants.

Primary pollutants: they are emitted into the atmosphere directly from the source and retains the same chemical form. Examples are carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, suspended particulate matter(SPM).

Secondary pollutants: they are formed by the inter mingling and reactions of primary pollutants. Examples are photochemical smog, acid rain, PAN etc.

Sources and causes of Air Pollution

The sources of air pollution are classified into two groups: Natural and Man- made sources.

(a) Natural sources:

1)     Volcanic eruption: releasing poisonous gases like SO2, H2S, CO etc.

2)    Forest fires: Very large quantities of smoke and particulate matter are liberated during their breakout.

3)     Decomposition of organic and inorganic substances: Methane gas, carbon dioxide is released into the air.

4)     Dust: Dust is always present in the atmosphere in varying amount.

(b) Manmade sources:

1)    Deforestation.

2)     Burning of fossil fuels.

3)     Emission from vehicles.

4)     Rapid industrialization.

5)     Modern agricultural practices.

Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollution is very dangerous for health. Some of the adverse effects of air pollution are given below:

1. Air pollution affects our respiratory system and causes breathing difficulties.

2. Diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, lung cancer, tuberculosis and pneumonia caused due to air pollution.

3. Increased concentration of carbon dioxide in atmosphere causes global warming.

4. Air pollution causes acid rain which damages crop plants, trees and buildings. It also makes the soil acidic.

5. Ozone layer depletion due to air pollution which allows ultraviolet radiation to reach the earth. Such radiation causes various skin and eye diseases.

6. Excess nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere results in respiratory problems and bronchitis.

Measures to Control Air Pollution

Air pollution can control from the following points:

1. A raw material for feedstock should be renewable rather than depleting.

2. Better designed equipment and smokeless fuels should be used in houses and industries. Less polluting fuels should be used.

3. Growing plants capable of fixing carbon monoxide. Example: Phaseolus vulgaris, Daucus carota.

4. Growing plants capable of metabolizing nitrogen oxides and other gaseous pollutants. Example: Vitis, Pimis, Pyrus etc.

5. Use of non-conventional sources of energy should be encouraged.

6. Use of public transport to control fuel consumption.

7. Automobiles should be properly maintained and adhere to emission control standards.

8. Proper Environmental Impact Assessment for any developmental work must be done.

Environmental Studies  MCQs  Multiple Choice Questions and Answers

➡ Top 100 Environmental Studies MCQs

Environmental Studies  Chapterwise  Notes

➡ Unit 1: Introduction to Environmental Studies

➡ Unit 2: Ecosystems

➡ Unit 3: Natural Resources: Types, Renewable and Non-renewable Resources

➡ Unit 4: Biodiversity and Conservation (Available in DTS App – Only for Members)

➡ Unit 5: Environmental Pollution

➡ Unit 6: Social Issues and the Environment

➡ Unit 7: Environmental Policies & Practices

➡ Unit 8: Human Communities and the Environment

➡ Unit 9: Field work

Environmental Studies  Question Papers 

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➡ Gauhati University 2022

➡ Assam University 2019   2021

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Environmental Studies  Solved Question Papers    

Noise pollution.

Noise is one of the most pervasive pollutant. A musical clock may be nice to listen during the day, but may be an irritant during sleep at night. Noise by definition is “sound without value” or “any noise that is unwanted by the recipient”.

Noise in industries such as stone cutting and crushing, steel forgings, loudspeakers, shouting by hawkers selling their wares, movement of heavy transport vehicles, railways and airports leads to irritation and an increased blood pressure, loss of temper, decrease in work efficiency, loss of hearing which may be first temporary but can become permanent in the noise stress continues. It is therefore of utmost importance that excessive noise is controlled.

Noise level is measured in terms of decibels (dB). W.H.O. (World Health Organization) has prescribed optimum noise level as 45 dB by day and 35 dB by night. Anything above 80 dB is hazardous.

Causes and Sources of Noise Pollution

There are several sources of noise that contribute to both indoor and outdoor noise pollution which are listed below:

a) Cutting and Crushing in Industries/ Factories.

b) M ovement of heavy transport vehicles, railways and airports etc.

c) Sound generated during Construction activities.

d) Household chores such as washing and cleaning.

e) Playing of loud speakers during festivals/ social events and also hearing loud music in home.

f) Fire crackers burning during festivals and celebrations.

g) Microphones, Television and radio run in loud voice.

h) Loudspeakers in religious places.

h) Some noises are also caused by nature which are called a tmospheric noise which arises due to spurious radio frequency waves due to lightning and other natural disturbances occurring in the atmosphere. Natural phenomena like lightning, thunder, volcanic eruption, earthquake, sound of the ocean waves, etc.

Effects of Noise Pollution

a) Hearing Problems: Exposure to noise can damage one of the most vital organs of the body, the ear.

b) Poor Cognitive Function: With regular exposure to loud noise, the ability to read, learn and understand decreases significantly over time.

c) Serious diseases: High noise pollution can cause high blood pressure and loss of temperament.

d) Sleep disorders – exposure to noise reduces duration of sleep, diminish quality of sleep, Psychic disorders.

e) Wild life issues – noise bring about changes in the behavioural aptitude of birds and animals. They become inefficient in hunting and hence disturb the balance of ecosystem.

Thermal Pollution

The excessive heat dissipated into air or water from the industries increases the temperatures of the entire ecosystem and hence causes thermal pollution. Industrial waste and heat not only causes widespread climatological changes but also it can cause the damage of aquatic and terrestrial life. The effect of thermal pollution is more prominently marked in aquatic system.

The industries like iron and steel plants, petroleum refineries, nuclear reactor, electronic power plants etc. use large amount of water for cooling purposes. The water carries a lot of heat which when released into nearby bodies leads to thermal power pollution. Such an increase in temperature of the aquatic bodies by 8 to 10 degree celcius becomes injuries to the aquatic life.

When an increase in temperature of the aquatic body affects and disrupts the normal activities of the aquatic living organisms, the process is known as thermal pollution.

Sources of Thermal Pollution

a) Nuclear reactor

b) Industrial Wastes

c) Hydro-electric Power Plant

d) Thermal Power

e) Domestic Sewage

Effects of thermal pollution

Thermal pollution affects the living organism in the following ways:

a) It reduces the dissolved oxygen content of water.

b) It changes the characteristics properties of water.

c) It influences reproductive cycle, digestion rate, respiration rate and many enzymatic activities of living organism.

d) It favours the growth of certain bacteria and pathogens.

e) The egg of fish may hatch early or fail to hatch at all.

f) Thermal pollution results in low dissolved oxygen levels thereby perishing aquatic organisms.

Measures to Control Thermal Pollution

1. Colling of Pond’s water is the simplest and cheapest method to control thermal pollution.

2. Plantation of trees upon the banks of rivers, seas and other water bodies. Trees not only help in controlling thermal pollution but also aid in a better environment.

3. Creating artificial lakes for cooling of ponds.

4. Recycling of used water of factories.

5. Co-generation of heat from hot water and used in different tasks of industries.

Solid Waste Management

Industrialization across the world has brought a lot of good as well as bad things as well. One of the negative effects of industrialization is the creation of solid waste and consequent environmental degradation.

According to Britannica, “Solid-waste management is the collecting, treating and disposing of solid material that is discarded because it has served its purpose or is no longer useful. Improper disposal of municipal solid waste can create unsanitary conditions, and these conditions in turn can lead to pollution of the environment and to the outbreaks of vector-borne disease”

Human and animal activities generate different kinds of wastes. These wastes are generally in solid form, and may cause pollution of land, water and air unless treated and disposed off. The process of collection, transportation, treatment and disposal can be grouped under solid waste management. The increase in the quantity of solid waste is due to overpopulation, affluence and technological advancement.

Bad effects of solid wastes

a) Open dumps are malodorous places in which disease carrying vermins such as rats and files proliferate.

b) Methane gas is released into the surrounding air due to decomposition of solid wastes by the micro-organisms.

c) Hazardous materials dissolved in this liquid contaminate underground water and solid strata.

d) The leachate consisting of a variety of chemical constituents’ seeps and pollute the ground water.

e) Absence of landfill lingers aggravate the problem furthermore.

Types of Solid Waste

Solid wastes (waste which are neither liquid nor gaseous) can be classified into:

a) Urban or municipal wastes

b) Industrial wastes

Sources of Urban Waste

– Domestic wastes: It includes a variety of materials thrown out from homes.

– Food waste, Cloth, Waste paper, Glass bottles, Polythene bags, Waste metals, plastic containers, scrap, paints etc.

– Commercial wastes: It includes wastes coming out from shops, markets, hotels, offices, institutions, etc.

– Waste paper, packaging material, cans, bottle, polythene bags, etc.

– Construction wastes: It includes wastes of construction materials. • Wood, Concrete, Debris, etc.

– Horticulture waste and waste from slaughter houses include vegetable parts, residues and remains of slaughtered animals, respectively.

– Biomedical wastes: It includes mostly waste organic materials

– Anatomical wastes, Infectious wastes, glass bottles, plastic, metal syringe, etc.

– Mining waste: A large amount of solid waste is released from the mining activities. The increase in solid waste is due to overpopulation, affluence and technological advancement.

Sources of Industrial Waste

The main source of industrial wastes are chemical industries, metal and mineral processing industries.

– Nuclear plants: Generate radioactive wastes

– Thermal power plants: Produce solid waste in the form of fly ash 3

– Chemical Industries: Produce large quantities of hazardous and toxic materials.

– Other industries: Other industries produce packing materials, rubbish, organic wastes, acid, alkali, scrap metals, rubber, plastic, paper, glass, wood, oils, paints, dyes, etc.

Measures to Control Solid Waste

i) Sanitary Landfill: This is the most popular solid waste disposal method used today. Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying the waste, in abandoned or unused places. In this method garbage is spread out in thin layers, compacted and covered with clay, sand or plastic liner. The liners protect the ground water from being contaminated. When the landfill is full, it is covered with layers of sand, clay, top soil and gravel to prevent seepage of water.

ii) Incineration : It is the hygienic way of disposing solid waste. It is a thermal process (controlled combustion) in which the waste material is converted to heat, gas, steam and ash, which can be used for electrical generation and domestic heating. It is suitable for hazardous, organic and medical wastes. Combustible substance should be separated and removed before incineration process. Wet municipal waste should be preheated before incineration process. It reduces the volume of waste up to 20 or 30% of the original volume.

iii) Composting: It is a popular method by which bulk organic matter is converted into fertilizer by biological action. Microorganisms like fungi, bacteria convert degradable organic waste into broken, odourless mass called humus, which is a good fertilizer. Separated compostable waste is dumped in underground trenches in layers of 1.5m and finally covered with soil of 20 cm and left for decomposition.

Sometimes, actinomycetes are introduced for active decomposition. Biological action will start within two to three days. Good quality environmental friendly manure is formed from the compost and can be used for agricultural purpose.

iv) Vermi Composting: It has become very popular in the last few years. In vermi composting, earthworms are added to the compost. These help to break the waste and the added excreta of the worms makes the compost rich in nutrients. It is very useful biofertilizer and soil conditioner.

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• Pollution Essay in English for Students

Essay on Pollution for Students

Being aware of pollution is quite mandatory for all the students these days. In order to become a responsible citizen of the world for future generations, every child should know how human activities are leaving an impact on the environment and nature. This topic is quite crucial. And, school children should learn how to write an interesting essay on ‘Pollution’ effortlessly. Take a glance below. 

A Few Things to Keep in Mind:

Never ever hurry to write the essay.

Think properly and jot down your thoughts before proceeding.

Divide your write-up into a few segments such as - introduction, main body - you can make a few points as per the topic and a conclusion.

Try writing short paragraphs. Short and crisp sentences are also a great way to avoid silly mistakes.

Adding factual data wherever required is important such as year, date etc.

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Essay on Pollution

Introduction.

Pollution has become a very common yet serious issue in today’s world. It has been there in different forms since a long time even before human evolution such as volcanic eruptions, wildfire which lead to various photochemical reactions in the atmosphere. The current concern is that it is rising day by day due to various resources of pollutants. And, one of the main pollutants are humans and man-made machines. It is right to say that pollution is damaging the mother earth severely and we, humans, should play our part to prevent it from happening.

What is Pollution?

Pollution sepsis is the presence of contaminants in the natural environment that causes harm and damage and therefore leads to adverse changes.

Kinds of Pollution

There are mainly three kinds of pollution - 1) Air Pollution, 2) Water Pollution, and 3) Soil Pollution. 

Air Pollution

Air Pollution occurs due to the presence of harmful gases and substances in the air. It is due to vehicle emission, dust and dirt, poisonous gasses from the factories etc. To reduce air pollution, we should use carpooling or public transport rather than using our private mode of transportation whose harmful gas emission only adds to the problem, we should also actively avoid burning trash or other materials etc.

Water Pollution

Water Pollution happens when toxic substances get mixed in various water bodies such as lakes, oceans, rivers etc. Here toxic substances refer to the Chemical fertilizer, Industrial waste, Sewage and wastewater, Mining activities, Marine dumping etc.

Soil Pollution

Soil pollution depicts the contamination of soil due to the presence of toxic substances due to Excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides, deforestation, industrial waste etc . To maintain the soil’s fertility, the government must limit the usage of fertilizers and plant more trees.

There are a few other pollutants causing pollution apart from the aforementioned ones, such as Radioactive pollution. This is one of the rarer types of pollution. It occurs due to the presence of radioactive substances such as the presence of nuclear waste in air, solids, liquids or any other place.

Effects of Pollution on Human Health

Pollution is increasingly having a major effect on the health of human lives. People are gettin g affected by different types of deadly diseases due to the various pollution in air, water and soil. Here are the different diseases humans face due to different pollution.

Due to Air Pollution

Air is an essential part of human life. Humans cannot live without breathing air. But, air pollution causes major damage to human lives. Here are some of the major diseases caused due to air pollution.

Lung cancer

Major coronary heart disease

Respiratory problems

Due to Water Pollution

Water is another source of life. Any living being cannot survive without drinking water. But the continuous degradation and pollution of major water bodies are also causing deadly diseases to humans and animals. It is also affecting marine life. Since water is consumed all the time, it’s pollution is causing a lot of deadly diseases. Some of the major diseases caused by water pollution are as follows:

Hepatitis A

Diarrhoea 

Due to Soil Pollution

Soil is an important part of our lives. The land on which we are walking or travelling is made with soil. Due to all the chemicals mixed with the soil and degradation due to the same, it is inevitable that many harmful chemicals come in contact with our body and cause many skin diseases or in forms of food crops that are planted on such polluted soil. Direct contact can cause a lot of problems for us humans. Some of the major diseases caused due to soil pollution are as follows:

Different types of cancer

Damage of the nervous system due to contact with lead present in the soil.

liver and kidney failure

What are the Different Methods to Reduce Pollution?

The degrading quality of all the important elements like air, water and soil is affecting the lives of many children, adults as well as animals. We need to keep our environment safe and use effective methods to reduce pollution. 

Methods to reduce Air Pollution

Some of the effective methods to reduce air pollution are as follows:

Regulation of air through chimneys: The industries should disintegrate the harmful gas from the air prior to its release from the chimneys. They should check and avoid using harmful gases, which are the major causes of air pollution.

Use of public transport or cycle: If you are travelling to distant places, it is recommended to take public transport. Or if you are going to any shops or buying any garment, it is always better to use your cycle. Public transport can take you to different places along with other people; this will help reduce air pollution. If you can cycle, it will reduce air pollution and another added benefit is that it will keep your health in check.

Reduction of fires and smokes: In the dry season, many people burn plastic, papers, dry leaves, which creates a big fire and smoke that creates a harmful layer of fog suspended in the atmosphere. It is better if you stop burning plastic to reduce smoke.

Methods to Reduce Water Pollution

Some of the effective methods to reduce water pollution are as follows:

Avoid disposing of plastic and waste materials: To keep the water free from any pollution, the first thing is to avoid disposing of any sort of plastics or food waste water material in water. The waste materials get dissolved in the water and harm the aquatic life along with those who drink the water. 

Reduce use of chemicals: you should avoid purchasing harmful chemical products that can get mixed with the water and pollute it. The biggest examples are pesticides and insecticides, which causes a major effect on marine life.

Reduce use of detergents: Detergents have many strong chemicals which can cause the leather to water and wash your clothes. If these detergents get mixed with water, they can pollute the soil.

Methods to Reduce Soil Pollution 

Some of the methods to reduce soil pollution are as follows:

Avoid disposing of harmful chemicals: The industries should avoid disposing of harmful chemicals in the soil. It can change the structure and components of the soil making it an unusable surface of land for vegetation. 

Eat food in biodegradable containers: As you dispose of the food containers in dustbins, it is good to use biodegradable food containers despite using plastic containers, which are harmful to the soil.

Plant more trees: The structure of the soil can be improved by planting more trees. Trees help to hold the soil together and improve the soil quality. Hence we should plant more trees.

How to Reduce Pollution Gradually?

Upon learning about the harmful effects of pollution, it is everyone’s responsibility to take some steps towards prevention. We should be aware of all the possible preventive measures to help reduce every kind of pollution such as to curb air pollution, we should avoid bursting crackers during any festival or using public transport or carpool to reduce air pollution or cutting down the usage of loud loudspeaker, and public honking would help in noise pollution. We should always be aware of this situation and take measures accordingly. It’s us who should be cautious in the beginning and make everyone else surrounding us conscious as well. We should take eco-friendly steps like planting more trees, reducing the usage of plastic, using more sustainable products in the household etc. while talking about the pollution of the entire world, you should always remember that every small step will lead to a bigger impact one day.

In a nutshell, every kind of pollution leaves a huge negative impact on our environment, human lives, animals etc. We, as responsible citizens, must take steps towards a better tomorrow. We must join hands to take various initiatives and fight against this problem. A lot of innocent lives are put in danger due to pollution every day. If we don’t do anything from now on or take a stand to make the earth pollution-free, then the doomsday will be upon us very soon.

FAQs on Pollution Essay in English for Students

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AP®︎/College Environmental science

Course: ap®︎/college environmental science   >   unit 7.

• Aquatic mercury pollution
• Point source and Nonpoint source pollution
• Human impact on aquatic environments

Sources of pollution

• (Choice A)   hydrogen gas A hydrogen gas
• (Choice B)   benzene B benzene
• (Choice C)   polychlorinated biphenyls C polychlorinated biphenyls
• (Choice D)   methylmercury D methylmercury

Environmental Pollution

All our surroundings including air, water, soil, trees, animals make up our environment. Three factors determine the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, the concentration, and persistence. When the normal relations among these elements of nature are disturbed, the ecological balance is hampered and it is called environmental pollution. It is a sorrowful matter that the main elements of the environment which are essential for all living beings are being polluted in many ways. The major kinds of pollution, usually classified by the environment, are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Modern society is also concerned about specific types of pollutants, such as noise pollution, light pollution, and plastic pollution. The smoke from factories and motor vehicles contain harmful substances like carbon-monoxide and sulfur-dioxide. These have hampered the cleanliness of the air. Mills and factories set up by river-banks let out chemical wastes in the river water. These poisonous substances are destroying the plants and creatures of the water bodies. Pesticides and chemical fertilizers used in agriculture are also polluting water. When people drink this water or take a bath in the polluted water, they are attacked with stomach and skin diseases. Pollution introduced by light at night is becoming a global problem, more severe in urban centers, but nonetheless contaminating also large territories, far away from towns. Environment pollution may be controlled by taking different measures, we may increase aforestation. If trees are planted in large numbers, we can be benefited in different ways. Trees also increase rainfall and prevent air pollution. Laws should be passed to prevent factories from dumping wastes into rivers. Moreover, every conscious individual and institution should come forward to solve this problem for the sake of our existence.

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Faculty of applied science, environmental & occupational studies, (b. degree: environmental health), student name :, student no :, assignment number : 01, module : environmental pollution iv.

The NEMA (1998) defines the best practicable environmental option (BPEO) as the option that provides the most benefit or causes the least damage to the environment as a whole, at a cost acceptable to society, in the short term as well as in the long term. What this means is that in an environmental developmental activity the decisions and options taken should be the ones that provides for economic development now while causing the least damage to the soil, air and water sources. According to Olalde (2019:5) BPEO successfully addresses long term environmental issues which were previously not considered such as the decommissioning and post- closure stages of projects

It is therefore not the best option to protect only one aspect of the environment while neglecting the other. let’s take mining for example, the best practicable option would be any option that aims to protect the water sources in and around the area where mining takes place including ground water, an option that prevents any form of pollution, especially air pollution which may emanate from the mining activities and has a strategic plan to protect the environment from any chemicals and toxic pollutants which may be uncovered during the mining activities. This includes a detailed plan on how the mining cite will be rehabilitated after the closure of the Mining operations. Abandonment, decommissioning and repurposing of a mine can impact social and environmental systems in a range of positive and negative ways, both directly and indirectly (Webster, 1994).

Mining can alter environments, but remediation and mitigation can restore environmental systems by ensuring that plants are replanted and the site returned to its original state. Mining sites which are abandoned without proper remediation are a real threat to the environment. Toxic pollutants are washed off into clean water sources and this poses a serious threat to the already stretched water supply sources in the country, the health and wellbeing of humans including the environment’s integrity, as soil erosion may be noticed in such sites left after mining activities. Mining on its own uses a lot of water which assist with dust formation prevention during drilling; this water traps dangerous toxins and has to be cleaned before disposal to ensure that such chemicals do not reach the environment. The BPEO should then be any option that will take into account the protection of water sources especially in areas where water is a scarcity (Jones et al., 2020).

miners and those who live nearby mining areas and contaminates water supplies (Wang et al, 2019)

The polluter-pays principle stipulates that the person who damages the environment must bear the cost. Environmental harm liability induces the responsible party to own up the full social and environmental cost of his activity, thereby bringing the environmental harm down to the optimal levels which can easily be reversed or mitigated. In order for, big co-operations to abide by this policy authorities should ensure that mining licences are issued on condition that the person or company that is applying for the license has a detailed plan on how to control environmental pollution during and after the mining activities and necessary government policy- driven incentives can also be a solution. As coal mines are profit-driven organizations, they are only concerned with economic benefits if there are no policy limits. Therefore, the government should ensure such policies and regulations are effectively used to control pollution emissions especially in heavily polluting industries. To relieve the conflict between the ecological aim and coal mine profit, governments should provide some policy or financial support to coal mines to develop environmental technologies, especially waste reuse technologies, which can result in increased economic benefits for the coal mines (Luppi et al, 2012).

 Transportation

Transport is widely recognised to be a significant and increasing source of air pollution worldwide. From the public transportation system in to industrial vehicles such as mining trucks they contribute greatly to the overall air pollution in the world. The increased level of emissions in cities, busy highways and industries can be attributed to cars using petrol and diesel. Almost all modes of transport emit air pollution from the combustion of liquid fossil fuel. The combustion of fuel produces pollutants such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a highly reactive colourless, odourless and tasteless gas. Upon inhalation it enters the blood stream, binds with haemoglobin and reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood while reducing the release of oxygen from haemoglobin, which leads to tissues not getting enough oxygen to sustain bodily functions. (Colvile, 2000)

Efficient and reliable public transportation would reduce the number of cars on the road and therefore reducing the emissions of pollutants into the atmosphere. In

construction big trucks should travel lesser distances where possible. For example in a road construction project borrow pits can be identified next to the development rather than trucks travelling long distances to and fro borrow pit sites. As long as there is a plan to rehabilitate the land after the project and policies in place to ensure the rehabilitation processes are carried out properly. Therefore the governments have to ensure that the public transportation system is not only working but reliable and efficient to ensure reduction in car emission on the roads.

Mitigation is defined by Coburn et al (1994) as the process of taking preventative actions to reduce the effects of a hazard before it occurs. This is a form of reducing the severity of the impacts rather than applying corrective actions post effects. Prevention is to ensure that human actions do not lead to disasters which may be very difficult to rehabilitate once it has fully occurred.

Ways to protect water sources during construction

 The use of non-toxic materials Some building materials are very toxic and can pollute water sources both underground and on the surface. The use of green building where such materials are replaced by more safer and environmentally friendly alternatives ensures that water pollution is prevented and mitigated. When construction projects utilize non-toxic and non-chemical materials, they not only pollute less but also create healthier and more pleasant environments for future occupants. Some of these potentially toxic substances use in construction include asbestos, lead and mercury (Jalali, 2011).  Safe disposal of construction waste

Water pollution happens when toxic substances end up in water bodies

Such as rivers, lakes and ocean. pollutants can enter the water system in a.

number of ways, such as through drains, seeping into soil, or runoff directly into rivers or lakes. To prevent the pollutants from getting in touch with waterways, construction waste must be sorted and disposed of accordingly to prevent water contamination. Toxic substances such as diesel, oils, cement, glues, paints

 Sewage spillages attract insects and become breeding grounds for vectors which can lead to disease outbreaks within the community. Pests’ infestation is associated with stagnant and dirty water. Insects such as mosquitoes grow in such areas in numbers which may be extremely difficult to control. Sewage water does not only offer pests a breeding ground, it also becomes the main source of food which assists in the accelerated growth rate of these pests (Mudge & Bebiano, 1997).

Possible mitigation strategies

 One of the most effective ways of reducing the occurrence and severity of sewage spillages would be sufficient monitoring of sites where spillages are a common occurrence. this can be done with the aim of ensuring that any spillages are reported and relevant departments alerted to rectify the spillages as a matter of urgency.  Sewage spillages are sometimes caused by blockages in the system which is caused by material which is flushed down the drain which was not supposed to. Educating the general public on the types of waste that can be flushed and those that must be dumped with solid waste can also reduce the frequency of spills.  Sewage spillages are an area of concern and deserve to be given the most attention. It is common to see spillages in our communities. so one way which can help prevent sewage spillages is by identifying a team of EHPs working closely with other departments to focus more on spillage identification and address all problem areas. This would include an improved public reporting system where members of the public are encouraged to call or otherwise report spillages in their communities as to ensure that the spillages are dealt with before they become a huge problem

Generally Noise is defined as any unwanted sound, and an audible acoustic energy that adversely affects the physiological and/or psychological well-being of people, or which disturbs or impairs the convenience or peace of any person. Noise can be further classified into two categories, namely noise nuisance and noise disturbance.

Noise nuisance is audible to the point where it impairs the convenience or peace of a reasonable person. This is noise that may not necessarily be loud but can be irritating. What this means is that a sound which is regarded as noise by one person may not be regarded as such by the next person. These may include playing loud music or a musical instrument or operating a television set loudly. Noise disturbance on the other hand is defined as noise, excluding the unamplified human voice, which exceeds the rating level by 7 dBA, exceeds the residual noise level where the residual noise level is higher than the rating level, exceeds the residual noise level by 3 dBA where the residual noise level is lower than the rating level(RSA

In order to determine if a complaint is valid or not a series of tests must be conducted by a competent individual. The first option available to the complainants is to lay a complaint with a local authority by way of a written statement. Many local authorities have Noise Control Units who have the power to take steps deemed necessary to control situations regarding noise and associated complaints. Law enforcement officials will investigate the problem to see how serious the situation is. Based on their findings the local authority can if necessary, instruct the reduction of the noise and if the offenders don’t comply, can issue a fine, and in extreme cases even confiscate the equipment of close the factory till such measures are put in place to prevent noise pollution.

According to the City of Cape Town by-laws all land within the geographic area of the City must have a zoning. Zoning means the separation of various zones according to the land use category prescribed by the development management scheme regulating the use of and development of land and setting out the purposes for which land may be used and the development rules applicable to that land use category. Usually residential zones are separated from industrial zones to prevent cases like this one from happening. however due to developments overlay zoning is required where addition to the base zoning, stipulating the purposes for which land may be used and the development rule which may be more or less restrictive than the base zoning. Due to the expanding of communities over time, it is sometimes required that some zones be rezoned to allow for other developments to occur or due to land invasion zone mixing happens.

Now the manufacturer in question might be operating in the right zone and within the local regulations just that with the new development the community is now closer to

STORAGE OF GENERAL AND

Hazardous waste, facility storing health, care risk waste.

Access to waste storage facility must be limited to employees who have been trained with respect to the operation of a waste storage facility and emergency response procedures and any other person authorized by the owner of the storage facility.

Health care risk waste must be stored in a designated area that is inaccessible to unauthorised personnel and members of the public;

All reusable containers must be effectively disinfected before re-use and meet the standards specified in SANS.

Reusable containers, excluding sanitary waste bins, must be cleaned and decontaminated after each use in accordance with the standards as set out in Annexure 1 to these Regulations.

The floors of the storage facility (i. receiving area, untreated waste area, treated waste areas) must be cleaned and disinfected twice a day.

Not applicable but it is expected that facilities are maintained as clean as possible

Containers used for the storage of pathological waste must be manufactured from materials that are able to withstand the

No health care risk waste must leave a generator unless containerised in rigid, leak proof and puncture resistant

temperatures at which pathological waste must be stored

containers.

A lid used for a pathological waste container or a disposable sharps container must provide an airtight seal to prevent the emission of odours and be secured in such a way that it cannot be reopened once closed.

Not Applicable

Plastic bags used as liners which form an integral part of a rigid container must have a thickness of 601Jm or more.

Plastic bags used as liners which form an integral part of a rigid container must be in accordance with SANS 10248- 1 (as amended).

Pathological waste must be treated within 24 hours of generation unless it is stored at a temperature below - 20 C;

All anatomical waste must be treated within 24 hours of generation unless stored at a minimum temperature of -4°C, in which case the waste must be treated within 90 days from the date the container is sealed.

Sharps and pharmaceutical waste must be stored for not more than 90 days from the date of collection from the generator

Sharps waste must be stored for no longer than 90 days from the date the container is sealed to the date of treatment.

Pharmaceutical waste must be stored for no longer than 90 days from the date the container is sealed to the date

temperatures below-2DC.

According to Beukes (2008) a borrow pit is a hole, pit or excavation that has been dug for the purposes of removing gravel, clay and sand to be used in a construction project such as when building a road especially gravel roads in rural areas. The size of a borrow pits can vary in size depending on the size of the project undertaken. Opening and operating of borrow pits can result in multiple environmental and social impacts, including but not limited to degradation of productive agricultural soils, elevated levels of noise, degradation of air quality, displacement of habitats and soil erosion.

The environmental impacts related to borrow pits are the reason why there should be reinstatement and rehabilitation plans after such projects. Restoration and erosion control measures must be implemented following site use to prevent erosion. Spoils must be smoothed and gradients flattened to an acceptable level and topsoil replaced and spread over the spoil. Rootstock material and cleared vegetation must be spread over the topsoil to encourage natural re-vegetation.

The damage caused to the environment by road construction using materials from borrow areas has received little attention although many standard contracts for road construction projects include recommendations for borrow pits to be rehabilitated, these are often not enforced. Growing up in rural areas, I have come across many borrow pits, referred to as “Ikwari” (Quarry) which are un-rehabilitated, yes some are still in operation as gravel roads in the area are maintained from time to time but some have turned into unnecessary stagnant ponds which poses serious threat to adjacent communities as water ponds provide breeding sites for mosquitos which increases the level of mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria and children are exposed to the risk of drowning. this however can be avoided by ensuring that regulatory standards are fully enforced regardless of where these pits are and by ensuring that there is guidance as to which methods should be employed and the quality of reinstatement which must be achieved.

Soil erosion

Soil erosion is amongst the impacts of borrow pits which are not rehabilitated. During rainy seasons the soil is swept off by run-offs which would not have occurred if the site was properly rehabilitated and some plants replanted in the area. Some abandoned borrow pits are threats to public safety due to their dangerous vertical walls that are prone to landslides after heavy rains. The solution to this may include having the area properly profiled, surrounded by a form of fencing and the slopes smoothed. This is done in order to improve the visual impact of the area and to simplify the management of storm water runoff and improve slope safety. Measures must be taken to protect all areas susceptible to erosion by installing all the necessary temporary and permanent drainage works as soon as possible. (Scrafford, M. 2020)

Dust control

During construction air pollution is always one of the major impacts present. Construction of roads is characterised by large trucks and vehicle movement and this is why un-vegetated areas should be dampened down by water where possible to prevent dust formation during windy periods. Vegetation should be retained where possible as this will reduce dust travel. Excavations and other clearing activities must only be done during agreed working times and permitting weather conditions to avoid drifting of sand and dust into neighbouring areas. Speed limits can also be enforced for trucks to avoid unnecessary dust formation in areas where public may be affected. Any complaints or claims emanating from the lack of dust control must be attended to immediately (Gourcy & Brenot. 2011)

Jalali,S. 2011. Toxicity of building materials: a key issue in sustainable construction. Sustainable Engineering 1: 1-7.

Jones, H., Ozkundakci, D., Hunt, S & Jenkins, B. 2020. A strategic framework for implementating best practice guidelines in environmental modelling. Environmental science & policy 114: 533-541.

Luppi, B., Parisi, F & Rajagopalan, S. 2012. The rise and fall of the polluter pays principle in developing countries. International review of law and economics 32: 135- 144

Mwachukwu, M., Mwachukwu, M., Ahiarakwem, C & Nwankwo,G. 2017 borrow pits: risk factors and reclamation procedure. MOJ Civil Engineering 2: 88-95.

Olalde,M & Watson,I. The state of mine closure in South Africa. institute of mining and metallurgy 119: 543-549.

Samir, N. Y. G. 2010. Noise Sources: Noise and vibration laboratory. Florianopolis. Federal University of Santa Catarina.

Scrafford,M.A. Beaver use of borrow pits in an industrial landscape in Northwest Albetina. Environmental management 269: 1-22.

South Africa. 1989. Environment conservation act, no 73 of 1989. Pretoria. Government Printers

South Africa. 1993. Occupational health and safety act, no 85 of 1993. Pretoria. Government Printers.

South Africa. 1998. National environmental management act, no 107 of 1998. Pretoria. Government printer.

Srivastava, S. 2012. Effects of noise pollution and its solution through eco-friendly control devices in the north east India. procceedings of the 2012 international conference on modelling, optimization and computing , Himachal, 2012. Pradesh, pp 172 -176.

Tshipala,K. 2011. Construction environmental management plan: Belmont borrows pit method statement. Transnet. South Africa.

Wang,F., Jiang,B., Chen, S & Ren, M, 2019. Surface collapse control under thick unconsolidated layers by backfilling strip mining coal mines. Rock mechanics and mining science 113: 268- 277

Webster, R. 1994. Health and safety in open mining operations. Environmental management 14: 524-531.

Ahmed, W., Payyappat, S., Cassidy, M., Harrison, N & Besley, C. 2020. Sewage- associated marker genes illustrate the impact of wet weather overflowand dry weather leakage in urban estuarine waters of Sydney,Australia. Science of the total environment 705: 115-147.

Botturi, A., Ozbayram, E., Tondera, K., Rouault, P & Gilbert, I. 2020. Combined sewer overflows: A critical review on best practice and innovative solutions to mitigate impacts on environment and human health. Environmental management 14: 524 -531.

Mudge,S & Bebbianno, M. 1997. Sewage contamination following an accidental spillage in the Ria Formosa, Portugal. Marine pollution bulletin 34: 163-170.

• Multiple Choice

Thousands of doctors sound alarm on health risks linked to fossil fuel pollution

By Roxanne Fitzgerald

Topic: Climate Change

Oil and gas developments are increasing in Australia and around the world.  ( Supplied: Chris Leboutillier )

A report by Doctors for the Environment Australia has found fossil fuel pollution is leading to more deaths globally than smoking.

They say those on the frontline of care are seeing the escalating impacts in clinics and in emergency departments.

What's next?

The group is calling for a ban on all new fossil fuel projects, a ban on fossil fuel advertising and no more subsidies.

A new report released by a group of doctors has found fossil fuel pollution is killing more people globally than smoking, and is increasing rates of heart disease, cancer and poor pregnancy outcomes.

The report Fossil Fuels are a Health Hazard was launched in Canberra on Wednesday by Doctors for the Environment, a group representing thousands of doctors and health professionals across Australia.

The report also found fossil fuels were contaminating human bodies with plastics.

Most plastics are made from chemicals sourced from fossil fuels — oil, gas and coal — which the report said could leach from plastic water bottles, utensils and skin products into bodies and organs.

It said there was "very concerning evidence" about the effects of plastics on male infertility, premature birth, cardiovascular disease and various cancers.

"Fossil fuels are a health hazard," said Kate Wylie, executive director of Doctors for the Environment Australia.

"[They] are the primary drivers of climate change, which we know is the greatest health problem facing humanity."

Kate Wylie says smoke kills, whether it's coming from a cigarette, a car's exhaust or a coal mine.  ( Supplied )

Dr Wylie said as health professionals, "it's our job to loudly and fiercely" advocate for community health.

"We want to make the point that smoke kills, whether it comes from a cigarette, a car exhaust or a coal mine," she said.

"We talk about the health harms of tobacco, the health harms of alcohol, the health harms of gambling. 

"Let's talk about the health harms of fossil fuels, which [are] causing more death and disability than all of those problems combined."

A new fossil ad ban campaign is also being launched. ( Supplied: Comms Declare )

The report also cited sources estimating up to 10 million people die prematurely from fossil fuel air pollution every year, and highlighted that the World Health Organisation states 99 per cent of the planet breathes air that exceeds safety guidelines.

Despite pledging to reduce emissions to "net zero", and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports repeatedly stating no new fossil fuel projects can be opened, the federal government is rapidly expanding the oil and gas industry.

According to the Doctors for the Environment report, as of last year there were 124 new fossil fuel projects on the federal government's resources and energy major projects list — ten more than at the end of 2021. 

Report 'underplays risk' of burning fossil fuels at current rate, researcher says

Doctors for the Environment is calling for the urgent phasing out of fossil fuels, removal of fossil fuel subsidies, and a ban on fossil fuel advertising.

They're also calling for a ban on single-use and non-recyclable plastics.

"Similar to addressing the health impacts of tobacco by first quitting smoking, to address the health harms of fossil fuels we have to first quit coal, oil and gas," Dr Wylie said.

Peter Rayner is the chief scientist at the Superpower Institute and a professorial fellow at the University of Melbourne, who researches greenhouse gases. 

He said while the report was a good summary of the current state of the science, looking to the future it "almost certainly underplays the risks" of burning fossil fuels at the current rate. 

"We know enough about the medical impacts of fossil fuels now to know that you don't want to be burning lots of things in close proximity to yourself," he said.

"Over time, these impacts have been getting worse. That's partly because fossil fuels keep increasing, but also because we understand more about what they do.

"It's very likely that if someone repeats this study in three or four years' time, these effects will look worse."

However it's not all bad news, as Professor Rayner said if we cut back on fossil fuel projects now, "we'll see the health impacts immediately".

Louise Woodward, a doctor from the Northern Territory, has been campaigning against fossil fuels.  ( AAP: Lukas Coch )

Report's release comes ahead of NT election

The report has landed just over a week out from the Northern Territory election, where environmental groups have been expressing concerns around the potential impacts of an expanding gas industry .

Louise Woodward, a Darwin-based paediatrician who is part of Doctors for the Environment, said over the past five years she had seen more severe cases of asthma and more frequent presentations of chronic diseases.

She said the expansion of the oil and gas industry in the Northern Territory – with three major companies currently test fracking in the Beetaloo Basin, and two existing processing plants operating including Inpex's Ichthys facility – were worsening Darwin's poor air quality .

"The air pollution causes both acute and chronic health impacts to the surrounding population," she said, noting pregnant women, the elderly and children were particularly at risk.

"The thing that concerns me most about the gas expansion is we are not measuring air quality here in Darwin adequately.

"But what we know from around the world is that these heath impacts are real and they are likely to be severe."

Tamboran has drilled for both water and gas on its Tanumbirini site. ( ABC News: Hamish Harty )

When asked about the health impacts of fossil fuels, Chief Minister Eva Lawler said she "understood the concerns that people have" but that an expansion of the oil and gas industry was necessary. 

"You can have ecologically sustainable development, that ties in with the growth of our economy," she said. 

She also said the NT government had put in place "one of the best Environmental Protection Acts" in the world in the territory.

• plastic pollution

Plastic pellet pollution is in Galveston Bay and likely accidental, nonprofit says

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Earlier this month, Environment Texas, a nonprofit that advocates for clean air and water across the state, hosted a clean-up event at Sylvan Beach. Specifically, volunteers were cleaning up plastic pellets, a kind of microplastic found in Galveston Bay. These tiny little plastic beads, also known as nurdles, are the building blocks used to create plastic products.

Volunteer groups like Environment Texas collected more than 2 million of these pellets along the Gulf Coast. Still, an estimated 10 trillion plastic pellets enter waterways worldwide.

How do they end up in Galveston Bay? Luke Metzger, Environment Texas' executive director, says they get there typically by accident.

"Companies will discharge wastewater, often legally, and the pellets can find their way into the wastewater as part of the manufacturing process. They're not intentionally doing this, but they're being careless about it," Metzger said, claiming that this is likely a violation of the Clean Water Act.

Plastic pellet pollution's impact goes beyond an eyesore along beaches. It can impact habitats for marine life and the fishermen and women who rely on the bay for their way of life.

Diane Wilson, a former shrimp farmer documenting years of plastic pellet pollution in Lavaca Bay, claims the pollution changed her entire town.

"My community is dead," Wilson told ABC13. "The town is boarded up. They don't sell webbing anymore. They don't sell cable. They don't sell anything related to shrimping, or fishing, or welding. It literally not only kills the sea life out there, (but) it affects the fish houses, the shrimpers in the shrimp boats, and the communities."

In 2019, Wilson was on the winning side of a $50 million lawsuit against Formosa Plastics. She and others claimed the company knowingly dumped billions of plastic pellets and other chemicals into Lavaca Bay. After this, Wilson told ABC13 she sank her shrimp boat on the Formosa discharge pipe that destroyed the local fishing grounds.

This year, Environment Texas has helped bring forth new bipartisan legislation called the " Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act ." This bill would authorize the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to set new rules to prevent pellets from being discharged into waterways, making the act illegal.

For more on this story, follow Elyse Smith on Facebook , X and Instagram .

SEE ALSO: EPA announces national standard to limit PFAS in drinking water

NatGeo explores what Americans should know about contaminants in drinking water

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The sounds of summer can be deafening in NJ. What you can do about noise pollution

Noise pollution is just one of the things that we folks in the built-up areas — urbanites and suburbanites alike — have mostly given up on.

"Oh, the noise! Oh the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!"

Sound familiar? Maybe a bit like you — when you're being victimized by lawnmowers, leaf blowers, weed-whackers, commercial jets, low-flying helicopters, raucous backyard barbecues, revving motorcycles, car horns, and passing monster trucks with 2,000-watt subwoofers?

Actually it's The Grinch — the very soul of irritability. If there's one thing he loathes more than Christmas, it's a racket.

"That's one thing he hated," we read in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!"

Of course, Dr. Seuss doesn't say so. But we're guessing that The Grinch lives somewhere along the Route 95 corridor, on the Newark-Liberty International Airport flight path.

There are just so many noises! And they keep inventing new ones! Beepers, for backing trucks! Car alarms, which won't stop blaring! The piercing, tinkly tunes played by the ice cream man! It never ends.

It's a trade-off, of course. Part of what you get for living in a world of convenience — a world of cars and labor-saving machines and reproduceable sound. But is it time to reconsider that bargain?

Continual loud noise has been linked to mental conditions, like depression. Not to mention physical conditions, like tinnitus.

It's also been linked to class inequities — it's the poorest people, on the meanest streets, who get the worst of it.

In the 19th century, tanbark was laid down on the streets in front of millionaires' homes, so that traffic noise would not disturb their moneyed slumber. When the famed actress (and insomniac) Mrs. Patrick Campbell came to New York in 1914, the city went further. Not only was the entire length of 43rd Street outside her hotel covered with the mulchy mixture, but streetcars were ordered to slow down and silence their bells, newsboys were told to stop shouting, policemen wore rubber soles, organ-grinders were sent to the next block, and, according to The New York Times, "bartenders were persuaded to use a specially muffled ice when shaking their cocktails."

Most of us, of course, don't get this kind of treatment. The best we can do is yell at our neighbors. Or call the cops. Or get a set of earplugs.

Like air pollution and light pollution, noise pollution is often classed as a nuisance rather than an emergency. But perhaps it's time to look more deeply.

With this series of stories, The Record and NorthJersey.com is looking at noise as a quality-of-life issue that affects not just our sleep, but our well-being on every level. We're looking at the noisiest cities, the loudest streets, the most high-decibel appliances. We'll look at why they are what they are — and what you can do about them.

We also acknowledge that there are some sounds of summer that soothe. So, too, do we have odes to the summer symphony: the gentle lull of the ocean's wave, the crack of a bat on a baseball, the crickets chirping on a humid evening.

So we invite you to find a quiet spot to immerse yourself in suburban sounds — the good, the bad and the noisy.

This survey ranked the noisiest cities in the country. Two of them are ours

New York City, Jersey City and Newark are three of the top 50 cities with the worst noise pollution problems in the country, according to a report by Steel Guard Safety, a manufacturer of noise control products. While the abundance of noise is accepted as part of big-city living, it does come with a cost: mental health.

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Noise pollution is linked to a gamut of health effects . Much of it is centered around damage and hearing loss, often experienced by those who work eight hours a day surrounded by loud noise, whether in a factory or at an airport. What is the true price we'll have to pay?

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Teterboro in Bergen County is the busiest private airport in the nation by far, with nearly 182,000 private aircraft having flown in and out in the past year . What does that mean for residents? Not a lot of peace and quiet.

Coming Monday.

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One North Jersey town has an ordinance that prohibits "yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on the public streets." What else can you do to protect yourself from the neighbor like that guy blasting 50 Cent's "P.I.M.P." in "Anatomy of a Fall?"

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Trucks downshifting on a highway, mockingbirds at 4 a.m., babies crying, leaf blowers, lawnmowers — we list them so you don't have to .

You've heard of white noise. What about pink noise?

In a world of cacophony, it may be too much to ask for silence. Even that, as Simon and Garfunkel warned us, has sounds. So what do you do? Counteract sound with sound. Set a noise to catch a noise. That's the principle behind "sound masking" or "sound cancellation," which many of us know as "white noise." You may have heard that there is also "brown noise," "pink noise," "blue noise," "violet noise" and "green noise." Here's everything you need to know.

Not all sounds are natural! Audiobooks are one of summer's greatest pleasures

There's nothing like a stirring sea adventure, a steamy romance, a tale of international intrigue, or a bit of apocalyptic sci-fi to make you forget that you're in a traffic jam at the mouth of the Lincoln Tunnel, being honked at by drivers who seem not to have grasped the elemental fact that there is a car in front of you. Put on your headphones: Here are some of Audible's recommended titles for summer 2024.

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Groups say they’re shut out of global treaty talks on plastics pollution in Bangkok

Ahead of the last planned negotiating session for a landmark treaty to end global plastic pollution, experts are meeting in Bangkok this week to talk about financing the agreement and chemicals of concern in plastic product design.

FILE - Plastic fills waters in Port Bouet outside Abidjan, Ivory Coast, June 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Diomande Ble Blonde, File)

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FILE - Volunteers pick up trash on a river in Pecatu, Bali, Indonesia, March 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati, File)

FILE - Volunteers sort the collected rubbish on their boat while attending the Plastic Cup event near Tiszaroff, Hungary, Aug. 2, 2023. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

FILE - An excavator cleans up plastic and other waste materials on Mahim Beach on the Arabian Sea coast on Earth Day in Mumbai, India, April 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool, File)

FILE - A person walks past an art installation outside a United Nations conference on plastics on April 23, 2024, in Ottawa, Ontario. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Experts meet in Bangkok this week to advance what would be the first international treaty to tackle the surging problem of plastic pollution. Final treaty negotiations take place in South Korea in November.

Yet most of the people who have been closely tracking the negotiations — environmentalists, tribal leaders and residents from communities hard-hit by plastic production and waste — are shut out of the talks in Bangkok.

Many plastic industry representatives say they can’t get into the room either.

In a series of letters to the United Nations Environment Programme, the meeting sponsor, hundreds of organizations said the closure runs counter to typical international environmental treaty-making. They said meeting coordinators have a responsibility to be transparent and allow public participation. They worry the approach in Bangkok could set a bad precedent.

In earlier meetings of the UN Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution in 2022 and 2023, countries spent a lot of time debating rules and procedure, including how they would vote on decisions.

At this meeting of subject matter experts, the substance of what could go into the treaty will be discussed in detail. It runs through next week.

Negotiating committee Executive Secretary Jyoti Mathur-Filipp replied in a letter that she wasn’t authorized to let people in and countries had not agreed on having observers participate.

U.N. documents only spell out member states and selected technical experts as participants.

The Bangkok meeting is less formal than a treaty negotiation, she said. It is not unprecedented in U.N. treaty processes for technical experts to meet amongst themselves, Mathur-Filipp said in a written statement to the AP.

That being said, she wrote, observers are important to environmental treaties and “we work very hard” for them to be able to participate.

Anyone who wants to be in the room in Bangkok must either be part of a national delegation or chosen as one of two dozen invited technical experts.

The two expert groups are focused on the chemicals that go into plastic products and how the treaty could be financed. The negotiating countries will then take up those reports at the fifth and final session in South Korea.

In 2022, most of the world’s nations agreed to make the first legally-binding treaty on plastics pollution , including in the oceans. The goal was to complete negotiations by the end of 2024. Thousands of environmentalists, plastic industry representatives, scientists, tribal leaders, waste pickers, and others concerned about plastic pollution have traveled as observers to four continents to share their views at the prior treaty talks .

The International Council of Chemical Associations hoped its scientists and engineers who develop plastic products could provide technical advice at the Bangkok meetings. Chris Jahn, ICCA secretariat, said the association is disappointed but committed to supporting the negotiation process.

Many of the groups voicing concerns about the closure have advocated for a strong treaty, one that limits how much plastic is produced and eliminates toxic chemicals in plastics, rather than one that only deals with plastic waste. At such a critical stage in the process, if there are not enough people in the room in Bangkok who want a meaningful treaty, it could set the stage for a weaker document, leaders at the International Pollutants Elimination Network said.

“When you get close to the end, by starting to close the door when the game is getting tougher, it could be a way to try to avoid that accountability that civil society groups bring to the table,” said Vito Buonsante, policy advisor at IPEN.

In the past, observers were allowed to participate in working groups for the treaty on mercury known as the Minamata Convention, as well as in the treaty that protects human health and the environment from chemicals known as persistent organic pollutants — the Stockholm Convention.

Some countries, including China and Iran, are bringing representatives from industry associations or national oil company officials as part of their delegations to Bangkok.

Environmentalists, scientists, waste pickers and tribal leaders asked to join national delegations too, with some success. Uruguay, the Philippines and the Cook Islands are among the delegations that have nonprofits traveling with them. Scientists will be in Bangkok with several small island and European delegations.

The Indigenous Peoples Caucus is sending one specialist for each expert group. It includes communities whose land, water and air are being contaminated as fossil fuels are extracted and plastic is manufactured using hazardous chemicals, said Frankie Orona, executive director of the Society of Native Nations in Texas, so it could not settle for less. Texas is a global leader in making petrochemicals used in plastics.

“There has been so much discussion about how important it is to have Indigenous knowledge and stakeholder participation. I didn’t think it would go to this extreme, with really limited participation,” Orona said in an interview. “It’s taking away our ability to fully participate and come up with meaningful solutions.”

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org .

• MIND, BODY, WONDER

What we're learning from lung cancer patients who never smoked

Worsening air pollution globally is causing lung cancer rates to rise everywhere. A look at Taiwan, where a majority of new cases affects non-smokers, offers powerful lessons for the rest of the world.

YUNLIN, TAIWAN — Two-thirds   of people who get lung cancer in Taiwan have never smoked.

Xian Mei Yang knows this well. She was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer after her arm snapped like a twig and the doctors discovered the metastases in her bones.   Yang is 58 years old and hasn’t smoked a day in her life,   but her doctor told her there was no hope and gave her six months to live.

“How is that possible?” says Yang, tearfully. “How did this happen to me?”

Lung cancer among never-smokers is rising worldwide. In one U.S.   study   of 12,000 lung cancer patients, the share of people who didn’t smoke rose from 8 to 15 percent over twenty years. A British study found similar results, with its   never-smoking cohort   jumping from 13 percent in 2008 to 28 percent in 2014. While these trends are multifactorial, one key reason is   air   pollution , according to the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.  

Already, 83 million people in the United States are   exposed to unhealthy, polluted air   and that number is expected to   increase by 50 percent   by 2054. Meanwhile, lung cancer is killing   125,000 Americans   each year—more than breast, colorectal, and cervical cancers combined. That's largely because it is caught too late; 74 percent of lung cancer cases   in the U.S. are diagnosed at stage III or IV.

As smoking rates fall in the U.S. and air pollution rises, Taiwan may offer a model for building a robust lung cancer   screening program   for never-smokers.

How air pollution causes lung cancer

Air pollution is the   “new tobacco,”   said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO).

One of the biggest culprits is PM 2.5 —particulate matter that is 2.5 microns in size, or about thirty times smaller than a human hair. Much like cigarette smoke, these tiny pollution particles get sucked deep inside the lungs, damaging DNA inside cells, and increasing the risk of cancer.  

Every year,   more than 300,000 people   die of lung cancer due to PM 2.5 , and research suggests these pollution particles not only initiate cancer-causing genetic defects but drive tumor formation. According to a study last year in the journal   Nature , PM 2.5   incites a flush of immune cells into the lungs, and the resulting inflammation   “wakes up”   the EGFR mutation, triggering uncontrollable cell growth.  

The air in Taiwan contains   four times   the number of PM 2.5   considered safe according to the WHO, with sources of air pollution ranging from vehicle emissions to coal-fired power plants to petrochemical factories. That doesn’t account for the toxic haze floating in from China or Taiwan’s mountainous geography trapping in pollutants, says   Kuan-Hsun Lian, a thoracic surgeon at National Taiwan University (NTU) Yunlin Branch Hospital.

When Xian Mei Yang first moved to Yunlin, a county west of the Alishan Mountain Range, she immediately felt overwhelmed by the   poor air quality . “It was very, very terrible,” she says. “It felt like asthma—I couldn’t breathe.”  

Is lung cancer different in never-smokers?

Yang has adenocarcinoma, the   most common type   of lung cancer diagnosed in never-smokers.  

“If you are a smoker, you can think of your lung as a bag of white marbles, and cancer is like putting a black marble in there,”   says   Daniel Boffa, chief of thoracic surgery at Yale. “The type of cancer a nonsmoker gets is more like putting in black sand.” Instead of a well-defined spot, it tends to be a little hazy.  

These differences are not always so stark, but never-smokers have an advantage because in   half the cases , their lung cancer   can be treated with precision drugs, compared to 10 percent of smokers.  

Doctors can thus better target specific mutations and block tumor growth in never-smokers, instead of having to rely on less effective carpet-bombing techniques like chemotherapy, according to Mong-Wei Lin, vice-chief of NTU’s medical school.  

With such distinct characteristics and treatment, “lung cancer in never-smokers should be regarded as a different kind of disease,” he says.

How Taiwan adapted to never-smokers

With the common perception that lung cancer is only caused by cigarette smoking, never-smokers are often unaware of their disease until the   latest   stages .  

Since the lungs have   almost no nerve endings , “the most common symptom in lung cancer is no symptom at all,” says Pan-Chyr Yang, a pulmonologist and former NTU president, who is unrelated to   Xian Mei Yang, the patient.

Lung cancer screening is one way to catch this disease early, but back in 2011, the only evidence for it was the   National Lung Screening Trial , which focused on a heavy smoking, predominantly white cohort.  

“We cannot just follow the screening program based on the Caucasian population in the United States,” says PC Yang. “Definitely, we will miss two-third of our lung cancer patients who never smoked.”

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So, in 2015, Yang launched the Taiwan Lung Cancer Screening in Never-Smoker Trial (TALENT) to screen people with risk factors like family history or cooking without ventilation—but little-to-no smoking history. (Air pollution was not studied here—both because its relationship to lung cancer is well-known and because it’s difficult to quantify exposure, says Lin.)

More than 12,000 participants later, Yang presented the TALENT   results   at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in 2021, demonstrating how they found   2.1 lung cancers for every 100 never-smoking patients screened . To put that into perspective, the National Lung Screening Trial found lung cancer in   1.1 percent   of cases, despite only screening   people with heavy smoking histories. “Our criteria may be more effective,” Yang says.

And there’s already   real-world evidence   that lung cancer screening helped catch tumors earlier in Taiwan. Nationally, the number of stage III and IV lung cancer diagnoses dropped from 71 percent to 34 percent between 2006-2011 and 2015-2020, with early diagnoses filling the gap.  

This means lives saved, Yang emphasizes, with the general five-year survival rate for lung cancer more than doubling, from 22 percent to 55 percent.  

For reference, the lung cancer survival rate today in the U.S. is   25 percent .

Taiwan’s lung cancer screening program

With these results in hand, Taiwan launched its national screening program in July 2022, establishing one pathway for those with heavy smoking histories and another for never-smokers with a family history of lung cancer.

Mong-Wei Lin, who is also a thoracic surgeon, compares the situation to Taiwanese rice dumplings—each individually wrapped but tied together in a cluster. “You pick up one; you can pick up the whole group,” Lin says. “Every family will have one patient with advanced stage that is symptomatic, and the others can be saved by the first.”

Shun-Ching Lai has lung cancer, for example, as does her husband, son, and daughter. Only her husband smoked, and after some chest tightness and coughing, he was diagnosed first—with inoperable stage IV disease. But that prompted the rest of the family to get screened and discover they all had stage I or II disease. “All three of us received surgery, performed by Professor Lin,” Lai says.

“We tried to spread the message that we should be screened as much as possible,” adds Lai’s son. “We want our relatives and friends to discover lung cancer early.”  

Alongside this word-of-mouth campaign, the Taiwanese government has prioritized screening, recognizing that it’s not only a life-saving opportunity but a money-saving one.  

“Our national health insurance was spending most of their resources taking care of lung cancer patients, but the outcomes were still very bad. Most patients still died early,” says PC Yang. These trends are similar to the U.S., where   stage I lung cancer costs a   median $25,000   to treat, but stage IV disease costs as much as $210,000—for a   8 percent chance   of survival.  

As such, lung cancer screening advertisements flood Taiwanese TV shows, radio broadcasts, and newspapers—championed by patients like former Vice President Chien-jen Chen. Hospitals will call people to inform them about lung cancer screening and hand out pamphlets to those walking in, says Ching Ming Chiu, director of screening at NTU Cancer Center. The Taiwanese government, in turn, has tied reimbursements for cancer treatment to how well hospitals’ screening programs work.

For contrast, the majority of Americans— 62 percent —don’t know that lung cancer screening exists. While there is a swell of pink ribbons and awareness for breast cancer screening, there’s been no similar campaign for lung cancer, says Ashley Prosper, a radiologist at University of California Los Angeles. So, people don’t normally bring up lung cancer screening with their primary care providers,   and with 15-20 minutes   per patient , their doctors usually don’t either.

But in Taiwan, patients independently seek out lung cancer screening, if they think they’re eligible.

All these reasons contribute to why America’s lung cancer screening rate is “unacceptably low,” according to University of California San Francisco epidemiologist Scarlett Gomez. Only   4.5 percent   of eligible individuals are screened. The U.S. program has been running for a decade, but PC Yang describes how Taiwan’s two-year-old effort is already well ahead, with 15 percent uptake.

How America can adapt to never-smokers

Even if the U.S. prioritized lung cancer screening and rolled out an awareness campaign, it would be useless for never-smokers since they’re not   eligible for screening .  

“If you want to have better lung cancer control worldwide, then you need to increase the eligibility to cover the nonsmoking population—that are at high-risk,” says PC Yang.

Inspired by the research in Taiwan, scientists at UCSF and New York University are working to determine which never-smokers are in this high-risk cohort, focusing first on Asian American women. While as many as   20 percent of U.S. lung cancer cases occur in never-smokers,   more than half   of Asian American women who get lung cancer have never smoked, per Gomez’s research.

In 2021, she thus launched the   Female Asian Never Smokers study   to investigate the genetic, cultural, and environmental risk factors—such as   secondhand smoke   and family history. The same year, Elaine Shum, an oncologist at NYU, launched a   clinical trial , giving lung cancer screening to 1,000 never-smoking Asian women.  

“The biggest goals are to change guidelines and have insurance companies cover some of these scans,” says Shum, as   lung cancer becomes increasingly dominant in never-smokers.   “We need to start planning now for that future. If we react when a crisis happens, then it’s too late to make a difference.”

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Zero Pollution: Modernised rules on industrial and livestock rearing emissions come into effect

The latest rules will help promote innovation in new and emerging technologies and foster material efficiency and decarbonisation by encouraging greener practices.

The updated Directive on industrial and livestock rearing emissions enter into force on Sunday (4 August), revising the former Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

In line with the Zero Pollution ambition of the European Green Deal , the revised Directive will result in less emissions from large industrial installations and pig and poultry farms. This will ensure a healthier environment for people and the planet, whilst spurring innovation, rewarding frontrunners, and providing industry with a level playing field on the EU market and improved investment certainty.

This modernised law will help guide industrial investments necessary for Europe’s transition towards a cleaner, carbon-neutral, more circular and competitive economy. 

By 2050, the implementation of the revised Directive is expected to reduce emissions of key air pollutants (PM 2.5 , SO 2 , NO X and NMVOC (non-methane volatile organic compounds)) by up to 40% compared to 2020 levels.

It is the first EU environmental law to enshrine the right of people to seek compensation for damage to their health caused by illegal pollution. 

Stronger rules for tackling emissions 

The revised law will cover additional sources of emissions and streamline the granting of operating permits for the concerned industrial installations and farms.

The updated rules will make emission limit values stricter, mandate electronic permitting, reduce administrative costs, and tighten conditions on granting derogations.

They will also introduce more dissuasive penalties (worst infringements can be sanctioned by fines of at least 3% of the annual EU turnover of the legal person) and more powers for competent authorities to suspend the operation of non-compliant installations.  

The inclusion of metal mining and the large-scale manufacturing of batteries will reduce pollution from these sectors, thereby helping to improve public acceptance and lower investment risks.  

The coverage of intensive pig and poultry farms will be increased (excluding organic pig farming). This will be key to reducing nitrogen pollution. These farms will be subject to a lighter permitting regime allowing for a simple registration. The operating rules applying to the sector will be defined transparently and inclusively, reflecting the size of farms, as well as the density of livestock.  

The new rules include the adoption of best available techniques for waste landfills.  

The updated law will provide new and stronger tools for circular economy and resource efficiency. It will also tackle chemical pollution so that less toxic alternatives to hazardous substances are used in industrial processes.  

Promoting innovation for benefit of more industrial installations 

EU frontrunners in industrial innovation will benefit from flexible permitting rules to test more environmentally performing techniques.

A new Innovation Centre for Industrial Transformation and Emissions (INCITE) operated by the Commission’s Joint Research Centre will gather information on innovative pollution prevention and control solutions and transformative technologies. INCITE will look at both environmental and economic aspects and make the information available using a dedicated public online platform, providing insights that would otherwise not be available on an EU-wide basis.  

Industries will have to develop transformation plans, describing how their installations will progress towards decarbonisation, zero pollution, and a circular economy.  

Protecting citizens: Breakthrough for right to compensation 

The revised Directive recognises for the first time in EU environmental law the right to seek compensation for damage to their health caused by illegal pollution. Accountability is also significantly increased through greater public participation in the permitting process, improved access to justice, and better access to information. 

The new Industrial Emissions Portal Regulation (IEPR) entered into force on 22 May 2024. It will enhance access to environmental data, allowing citizens to gain insight into permits issued in the EU and on polluting activities in their immediate surroundings.

The Portal website will provide more comprehensive information on industrial installations, streamline electronic reporting by IED operators and improve the geolocated monitoring of emissions and resource use.  

Next steps  

Member States now have 22 months to transpose the revised IED. The Commission will adopt secondary legislation (implementing and delegated acts) to complement the law and assist with its application. Data will be first reported to the new Industrial Emissions Portal in 2028.

The directive on industrial and livestock rearing emissions provides national permitting authorities with environmental norms for around 75,000 large industrial installations and livestock farms in the EU.

These installations must comply with emissions conditions by applying activity-specific ‘best available techniques’.

In April 2022, the Commission proposed to revise the former Industrial Emissions Directive to modernise it and make it more efficient in line with the European Green Deal objectives of zero pollution, climate neutrality and resource efficiency.  

More information  

IED 2.0 EUR-Lex

IEPR EUR-Lex

IED 2.0/IEPR web story

Updated IED 2.0 FAQ

INCITE website 

EU Environment newsletter

EU Environment newsletters deliver the latest updates about the European Commission’s environmental priorities straight to your inbox.

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