Pollution is the impurity of the biophysical environment, soil, and atmosphere in a way that its outcome is harmful to the living creatures on the planet. A large number of people die globally simply due to air pollution. According to WHO, around 6.5 million people have died due to it (WHO, 2016). A detailed analysis of the causes and the corresponding effects is presented here.
The main cause of pollution is the chemical industries whose number has grown exponentially in recent decades. The emission of chemicals, especially Carbon, at huge volumes pollutes soil as well as the atmosphere. The soil pollutes, which thus affects the otherwise favourable conditions for plants to grow. The emission in the air causes smog and acid rain, which are extremely damaging to health. In 1952, smog immersed London, and in only four days, over 4,000 people lost their lives (Currie et al., 2014).
The surge in industries and failure to implement standards for factories and plants to contain emissions near lakes and other water reservoirs has resulted in contaminated water. This contamination affects fish and other aquatic life. Consumption of such fish as food affects humans, too. The argument can be established by the fact that the number of people dying from air pollution caused by industries has increased by an order of magnitude. In the recent past, an oil spill near Mexico caused scores of deaths to human and aquatic life. The water in the region remained unusable for years.
The most neglected consequence of chemical industries is the damage caused to the atmosphere. Carbon is extremely damaging to the ozone layer, which acts as a shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. As a result, ozone is damaged to the extent that there is a hole in it now, and scientists are warning of a drastic increase in the global climate. Humans are the chief contributors to the spread of global warming because they are the ones who run industries and define protocols and policies (Seinfeld & Pandis, 2016). A few nations have implemented strict policies to keep climate change under control. Since the implementation of these policies, the ozone layer has shown some signs of repair. Therefore, further discussions can significantly revamp the situation.
Although modern means of transportation have revolutionized the world with both time and cost saving, they have a terribly bad effect on the environment. Aeroplanes in the air, vehicles on roads, and ships and boats in seas and rivers have driven a wide range of pollution (Seinfeld & Pandis, 2016). The top automobile companies have started selling vehicles which do not consume fuel and run on batteries. However, the proportion of people using these vehicles is very small. Moreover, nothing has been done to prevent ships and planes from destroying the environment.
Soil pollution is also caused by spraying pesticides and insecticides to keep crops safe from insects. The chemical absorbed by the crop is transported down to the soil and has deep effects on land fertility (Simoni et al., 2015). An immensely detrimental effect on health is caused by the emission of chemicals from radioactivity. Radioactive elements destroy natural habitats and make the area uninhabitable. In 2011, the air at Fukushima was exposed to radioactive gases as a result of an explosion in the nearby power plant. The disaster caused much damage to the residents, and that area is still exposed to harmful radioactive gases.
The plastics industry is one of the greatest causes of pollution. So far, scientists and researchers have failed to determine a way to decompose polythene bags. Recently, some progress has been reported, but it is not widely implemented as of now because the side effects are not measured. Governments, especially in developing nations, have failed to effectively convey the bad impact of polythene plastics. The non decomposed plastic is seen everywhere at the garbage dumping sites.
Besides the growth of elements that cause pollution, forests, which are essential to keep the environment pollution-free, are shrinking at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, humans are the reason behind this withering. Some governments and independent organizations are working towards preserving forests, but the population around the world is burgeoning very fast, which generates the need for more residential and industrial places (Currie et al., 2014).
The effects of water pollution on human health are evident as a considerable proportion of people die each year of water-borne diseases including, but not limited to, cholera, dysentery, diarrhoea and typhoid (Simoni et al., 2015). Exposure to polluted air causes lung cancer and tuberculosis, and consuming food from contaminated crops and vegetables can prove fatal. Research suggests that elderly people with a weak immune system are affected the most. Furthermore, scientists are convinced that early-life health has a huge impact on later stages of life. If a child is fortunate enough to get a relatively pollution-free environment, the prospects of his/her rapid progress grow significantly, and consequently, one becomes economically stable.
In China, the residues and heavy metals used in agriculture are causing food pollution to such a huge extent that the residential areas surrounding the agricultural land are referred to as cancer villages because of their susceptibility (Lu et al., 2015).
Humans have occupied the earth for millions of years, but pollution has evolved in the past few decades. Global warming is actually the outcome of the constant increase in pollutants in the environment. Although inventions in recent centuries have revolutionized the world and allowed people to live comfortably, great inventions and innovations bring great responsibilities. While governments are working on mitigating the causes and, hence, the effects of pollution, it is the responsibility of common citizens too to assist and cooperate with officials to make the earth a pollution-free planet.
References
World Health Organization. (2016). World health statistics 2016: Monitoring health for the SDGs sustainable development goals. World Health Organization.
Simoni, M., Baldacci, S., Maio, S., Cerrai, S., Sarno, G., & Viegi, G. (2015). Adverse effects of outdoor pollution in the elderly. Journal of Thoracic Disease, 7(1), 34.
Seinfeld, J. H., & Pandis, S. N. (2016). Atmospheric chemistry and physics: from air pollution to climate change. John Wiley & Sons.
Currie, J., Zivin, J. G., Mullins, J., & Neidell, M. (2014). What do we know about short-and long-term effects of early-life exposure to pollution?. Annu. Rev. Resour. Econ., 6(1), 217-247.
Lu, Y., Song, S., Wang, R., Liu, Z., Meng, J., Sweetman, A. J., … & Wang, T. (2015). Impacts of soil and water pollution on food safety and health risks in China. Environment International, 77, 5-15.
