Pollution is a term which even children nowadays recognise. It has been so widespread that almost everyone understands that pollution is constantly soaring. The word ‘pollution’ refers to the sign of everything that is an unwanted foreign matter. When we talk about pollution on our planet, we are worried about the contamination caused by many chemicals in environmental assets.

Chemical compounds, such as particulate matter, are not the only cause of pollution. Pollution may occur even in types of energy, such as sound, heat, or light. Pollutants are known as those compounds that produce contamination. The environmental equilibrium is affected by pollution, even in relatively short numbers. Pollutants could even get into the food chain and find their way into the human body.

The word ‘pollution’ refers to any substance impacting the atmosphere or living species in the environment in concern. The four main types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, and noise pollution.

1. Air Pollution
   The burning of fossil fuels is a significant cause of air pollution, while other air pollution causes are vehicles and factory emissions.
   Air pollution leads to asthma, lung cancer, and other pulmonary diseases such as chronic bronchitis. Acid rain, a precipitation category with a lower pH than average, amounts to nitrogen and sulfur oxides. Acid rain destroys forests and rivers and degrades sculptures, landmarks, and precious monuments.
2. Water Pollution
   Topsoil erosion from farmland, industrial sites, and urban areas is a significant cause of water pollution. Drainage interrupts the water body’s internal equilibrium, whereas agricultural drainage usually contains manure or hazardous compounds. Another kind of water contaminant is raw sewage. Several gastrointestinal and digestive problems, including the spread of diseases like typhoid or dysentery, can occur when pollution affects the drinking water system.
3. Soil Pollution
   Soil contamination refers to the destruction of soil caused by chemical compounds or by other human stimulants. The xenobiotic materials change and adversely influence the soil’s typical structure, directly or indirectly affecting life. Any harmful compounds in the soil, for example, are consumed by the plants and get directly transferred to the food chain, as plants are the primary producers in an ecosystem.
4. Noise Pollution
   Noise pollution generally involves sounds made by people that are either very disruptive or irritating. Noise pollution refers to the disproportionate levels of noise that interferes with the normal equilibrium of the environment. A noise that is more than 85 decibels is generally considered disruptive. The period of exposure also affects the health of a person.

1. Air pollution
   Air pollution results from fossil fuel combustion of electricity, transportation, manufacturing, and households. Also, improper waste disposal generated from agriculture and mining can contribute to air pollution. Some external causes, such as volcanic eruptions, dust from wind, sea salt, and organic compounds emissions from plants and natural sources, cause air pollution.
2. Water pollution
   Water pollution results from the deposition of trash waste into waterways, untreated industrial waste disposal into rivers and lakes, and agricultural drainage containing pesticides and fertilisers.
3. Soil Pollution
   Soil decontamination is intimately linked to the extent of soil pollution. Some prevalent soil pollution sources are extensive use of pesticides, improper waste disposal, and uncontrolled industrial activities.
4. Noise Pollution
   Some of the sources causing noise pollution are transportation honkings, industrial or construction noises, and other sources like festivals, functions, etc. Some natural causes can be thunders, volcano eruptions, etc.

Pollutants are contaminated elements, molecules, and particles that cause pollution – the existence of these substances can have a damaging effect on human beings and plants. Pollutants can be defined as follows: Primary pollutants are released into the atmosphere, while secondary pollutants and uncontrollable factors are considered secondary pollutants.

Primary pollutants include Nitrogen oxides (NOx), Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), Carbon monoxide (CO), Sulfur oxides (SOx), Particulate matter (PM), Mercury, and many more. Sulfuric acid and nitric acid, Ozone (O3), Peroxyacyl nitrates (PANs), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter are some of the secondary pollutants.

Two of the significant effects of pollution are the greenhouse effect and global warming. Global warming is the incremental heating of the soil, sea, and atmosphere of the Earth. It is a consequence of human activities, resulting from burning fossil fuels, pumping carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and other greenhouse gases. It is predicted that global warming will have long-term and, in many cases, catastrophic impacts on the Earth.

The greenhouse effect is a mechanism that warms the surface of the Earth. As radiation from the Sun enters the planet, some return to space, while the remaining is absorbed and re-radiated by greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases include water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ozone, and certain artificial compounds, including chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). The energy collected heats the Earth’s crust and the atmosphere. This mechanism keeps the planet’s temperature warmer than otherwise at about 33 degrees Celsius, allowing life on the ground to survive.

Any environmental aspect has been of equal importance, be it soil, air or water. The significance of the experiments is focused on the seriousness of the contaminated source. Therefore, the magnitude and influence of contamination, socio-economic, geographical and climatic conditions of a region depend on the scope and the need for evaluation.

1. What are the various health consequences related to air pollution?

Answer: Accelerated lung ageing. Loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function are some of the bad effects of air pollution.

2. List some of the hazardous contaminants in water resources.

Answer: Lead, chlorine, arsenic, radioactive materials, etc., are hazardous contaminants.

3. How can we stop the ill effects of soil pollution?

Answer: Soil pollution can be decreased by well-controlled disposal of garbage and through the avoidance of waste, reduced use and storage of hazardous products, recycling of waste generated, decreasing use of toxic fertilisers as well as pesticides and insecticides.