Essay on Pollution

Essay on Pollution

Introduction

Pollution can be defined as the contamination of the environment by harmful substances which are called pollutants.   Pollution affects land, air and water. And these three are the main classes of pollution. The problem of pollution renders water bodies unsafe for drinking, air poisonous for inhaling and land inconveniently for habitation. Pollutants can greatly affect human health, the quality of life and cause an imbalance in the surrounding. Pollution is caused mainly by human activities. So for this problem to be handled, it is also the duty of humans to correct what we caused and still cause daily.

Pollutants can be divided into two biodegradable and non-biodegradable pollutants. Biodegradable pollutants can decompose by natural processes and they include sewage. The problem with biodegradable pollutants is that although they decompose when added to the environment faster than they can decompose, they pose a challenge. Non-degradable decompose slowly or do not decompose at all. These kinds of pollutant pose a big challenge due to their difficulty in removal.

Effects of pollution and how we can fix the problem of pollution

A population has a great effect on natural resources. It could greatly affect forest, mangroves, wetlands, and rivers which are very important to the environment. Pollution can destabilize the ecosystem making food unfit for consumption, and reducing the quality of the air we inhale. Another important function of the ecosystem that of providing habitat for plant and animals can be greatly affected by the menace of pollution.

Pollution of the environment results in consequences which have become evident now and would no doubt increase in the future. Currently, the problem of global warming is blamed on the use of aerosols by man which contains chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).   This can deplete the ozone layer and as a result, ultraviolet rays from the sun hits the earth which worsens the temperature of the earth. The pollution of the earth with aerosols which affects the ozone layer is now one of the causes of skin cancer and cataracts in the eye. It is also the cause of damage to certain crops as well.

Among the three main classes of pollution earlier mentioned, air and water pollution are the most dangerous. Our careless activities as humans make us wonder if anything can be done to fix the problem of pollution. Some of the major consequences of air pollution are that it renders oxygen unsafe for inhalation. The fuels humans burn daily and other activities release a seemingly harmful substance into the air, which can affect humans, animals and plants greatly. It could affect the lungs, cause irritation of the eyes and throat, coughing, respiratory tract problems, headaches, cardiovascular issues and even death.

Water pollution is also another big problem. Water is very important for human existence. A major portion of the world is covered with water which is from sources such as lakes, rivers, seas and so on. Water can become polluted when it comes in contact with industrial waste, oil, radioactive substances and even faeces. When water is polluted, humans are open to a lot of infections and water is unsafe for drinking. The massive dumping of human waste and refuse in water bodies continue to pollute water. Sometimes this wastes could be done away with in smaller water bodies but over time they find their way to huge water bodies.

Conclusion

Pollution of land, water and air can also affect the genes of humans who live in areas where those problems persist. Due to this problem, many people are encouraged to avoid inhabiting areas close to industries.

We respect our body and life when we avoid polluting the ecosystem. Instead, we need to tackle this problem of pollution by dumping wastes properly and cultivating good discipline.

By Caleb