Land Pollution

We pollute land every day: product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint and batteries. According to Environmental Production Agency, one person throws 4.3 pounds daily and around 55% is gathered with landfills. What seems more serious is that only 30% of garbage is recycled.

Food takes the biggest part of land pollution. Around 40% of all food produced in the USA is trashed each year.

Industrial pollution is considered the most dangerous type of land pollution. Every year around 4 million pounds (1.8 million kg) of raw materials is used with industries to produce all the goods that we need for living. They include hazardous stuff that contains dangerous for health and environment properties like paints and solvents, motor oil, fluorescent lights, aerosol cans, and ammunition.

Air Pollution

Air pollution occurs when humans release particles from burning fuel into the air. This is soot floating in the air. Gases like sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and chemical vapors are considered to be of higher danger for the environment since they can take part in further chemical reactions creating smog and acid rain. Other sources of air pollution can come from within buildings, such as secondhand smoke. And finally, greenhouse effect whose main pollutants are sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide. As we have already explained, the greenhouse effect is when gases absorb the infrared radiation that is released from the Earth, preventing the heat from escaping. When there are too many gases in the atmosphere more heat is trapped and this can make the planet artificially warm. Air pollution may influence humans as well as our planet in different measure depending on the source of pollution. For example, the release of methyl isocyanate gas at Union Carbide plant in Bhopal in 1984 killed over 2,000 people, and over 200,000 suffered respiratory problems. In the same time, an irritant (particulates less than 10 micrometers) may cause respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease and increases in asthma.

Water Pollution

Every day oceans, seas and rivers are polluted with dangerous chemicals like sewage, pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural runoff, or metals like lead or mercury. Environmental scientists have estimated that 30% of bay and estuarine areas are not clean enough for swimming and fishing. They claim that agricultural runoff, air deposition, water diversions and channelization of streams are considered the most common sources of water pollution which release bacteria, mercury, phosphorus and nitrogen.

What is more, millions of people do not have access to clean water and adequate sanitation. Adequate sanitation helps to keep sewage and other contaminants from entering the water supply.

Eutrophication or nutrient pollution is when nutrients, such as nitrogen, are added into bodies of water. Nutrients make algae to grow. However, the exceeded level of algae growth light from other plants. The plants die and their decomposition leads to less oxygen in the water what kills aquatic animals.

Noise Pollution

You may be surprised but planes, industry or other sources may be dangerous for humans as well as natural world when reaching harmful levels. Noise Environmental Burden claims that noise pollution may cause hundreds of deaths per year as they increase the rates of coronary heart disease. The consequences of this type of pollution also include stress-related illnesses, high blood pressure, speech interference and hearing loss.

Aticle: Apixu