Environment And Society

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Environment and Society

Executive Summary

Pollution entails the introduction of injurious substances into the environment through legal and

illegal human activities. This process is caused by harmful emissions from industries and

transportation among other human undertakings. For example, modes of transportation such as

motor vehicles release harmful gases that pose environmental threats to animals, plants, and

humans (Reinmuth-Selzle et al. 2017). Additionally, burning of coal and internal combustion

engines release gases such as sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. Moreover, industry and motor

vehicle exhausts account for the number one environment pollutants. For instance, water

pollution mainly results from oil spills, acidic rain, and urban runoff among others. On the other

hand, air pollution is caused by harmful gases and toxins released into the environment by

industries, factories, and burning of fossil fuels (Reinmuth-Selzle et al. 2017). Soil pollution

results from industrial waste which affects soil’s natural composition and essential nutrients that

nourish animals and plants which are found in the soil. Through literature review, this paper will

explore the issue of environmental pollution and the effects it has on the environment and

community.

Introduction

The environment has been largely contaminated with harmful substances, which has adversely

affected the climate and living things in the environment. Air pollution is among the biggest

problems. The atmosphere is overloaded with carbon monoxide that has caused environmental

damage by absorbing and re-emitting infrared wavelength radiation which results in over

warming of the air, soil, and ocean waters. The carbon monoxide in the air has increased due to

emission from burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial activities. The atmospheric

carbon monoxide in the environment today is 400 parts per million (ppm) as compared to 280

ppm 200 years ago. This rapid increase in amounts of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere has

resulted in climate disruption (Reinmuth-Selzle et al. 2017). Review of literature will be used as

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the study approach in this paper. The paper will focus on environmental pollution and its effects

on the environment and community as well as limitations of research in the area.

Findings and Discussion

Air Pollution. Fresh air is essential for every living organism to maintain respiratory functions.

Nevertheless, air pollution causes respiration dysfunction to all living organisms. This problem

reduces growth and yield of crops and leads to premature death of animals. Humans and animals

experience respiratory problems because of the polluted air. Automobiles constitute the largest

atmosphere pollutant, especially in metro cities. Vehicles have been increasing on the roads over

the years, which in turn has enhanced the amount of harmful gases released into the atmosphere.

Some of the countries with cities that have the biggest load of harmful gases in the world include

India, Japan, China, and Pakistan among others. These countries are rather crowded and produce

the largest amounts of harmful gases. When the atmosphere is polluted by harmful substances,

the lifespan of the residents becomes shorter.

Air pollution is getting worse by the day because of increased urbanization,

industrialization, and demands for energy and motor vehicle use. Environmental regulation is

also not being done as per the legal standards, which is playing a role in the increase of air

pollution. Also, air pollution is accelerated by production technology, congested roads in cities,

and poor motor vehicle maintenance which lead to release of more harmful gases into the

atmosphere (Khan and Arsalan 2011). The causes of air pollution are both man-made and

natural. Mostly, air pollution is caused by man-made activities that include tobacco smoke,

combustion of solid fuel, and poor motor vehicle maintenance among others. On the other hand,

natural causes of air pollution include incinerators and waste disposal, forest and agricultural

fires (Khan and Arsalan 2011). Thus, a lot of people and nature activities lead to air pollution.

Water Pollution. Water pollution occurs when there are undesirable and unsafe substances in the

water bodies. This environmental problem has today become one of the most serious ones. It

results from industrial, agricultural, and domestic human activities. Natural causes of water

pollution include soil erosion and leaching of minerals from rocks among others. It poses health

hazards to aquatic and marine flora and fauna as well as humans. Water is a resource for

everyday activities. Therefore, if water is contaminated, numerous water-borne diseases can be

transmitted to humans and animals. Solid waste in water bodies also puts the life of water

organisms at risk of extinction; for example, oil water pollutants can reduce penetration of light

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in water, hence reducing photosynthesis by aquatic plants (Khan and Arsalan 2011). The more

people maintain the cleanness of water, the healthier they are.

Causes of Water Pollution.

Pesticides and Inorganic Chemicals

Pesticides used for agricultural purposes, for example DDT, can contaminate water

bodies. Aquatic organisms consume the harmful pesticide chemicals which may be relayed from

one trophic level to the upper end of the food chain. Other inorganic substances that pollute

water bodies include metals such as lead, zinc, copper, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium.

Absorption of metals like arsenic results in its accumulation in the blood, nails, and hair,

resulting in skin lesions and rough or dry skin. Further accumulation of the harmful metals can

ultimately cause skin cancer. In humans, mercury-polluted water causes Minamata disease, lead

causes dysplasia, while cadmium causes Itai-Itai disease.

Thermal Pollution

A lot of water is required for cooling by power plants, which applies for both thermal and

nuclear plants. Additionally, industries also use lots of water for cooling. The end result is hot

water which is released into rivers, streams, and oceans. The bodies into which water is released

can increase their temperature by 10 to 15 degrees, which culminates in thermal pollution. It is

crucial to note that living organisms in these water bodies are adapted to a particular temperature.

Drastic changes in this temperature can adversely affect the aquatic plants and animals. Effects

of the release of hot water into the various water bodies include disrupted feeding in fish,

increased metabolism, and effects on growth. Swimming efficiency is also affected, which puts

them at risk of predators. Biodiversity in water bodies is also reduced by thermal pollution (Li et

al. 2014). The affected organisms die, which leads to more problems in the life of the planet.

Ground Water Pollution

Ground water is often taken to be clean and safe for domestic use. However, some

ground water has become contaminated through human activities such as improper sewage

disposal, disposal of farm yard manures and agricultural chemicals, and disposal of industrial

effluents. These activities result in the pollution of ground water, making it unsuitable for

domestic and agricultural use. As the activities increase, the level of pollution of ground water

increases. This fact means that the once considered safe and clean water is now adversely

contaminated (Li et al. 2014). As a result, people who use it poison themselves.

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Land Pollution. Land pollution mainly results from improper management of solid waste. For

instance, heavy vehicles produced as waste from industries were disposed in landfills without

any precautions in Bulgaria and Slovak Republic. Mining activities have also posed serious

pollution problems since some of the waste produced in the mining process contains heavy

metals. These metals are disposed without prior treatment, which is a great risk for land

organisms and even future populations (Li et al. 2014). For example, waste from coal and

uranium mines is a serious health hazard to the people who live close to the disposal sites. Land

pollution also affects plants growth and yields (Khan and Arsalan 2011). Thus, land pollution is

among the biggest problems of our planet.

Effects of Pollution on the Community. Pollution causes economical problems through damage of

crops, forests, and fisheries. The communities that live in areas where farming, forest activities,

and fishing are the main economic activities experience loss or reduction of their earnings.

Damage of crops caused a crisis in countries where a lot of land and water pollution has

occurred. Damage of crops results in fewer yields, which negatively affects the community as

well as economy. Very often, economies are forced to import food from other countries since the

climatic conditions in their farming regions do not facilitate agricultural activities (Reinmuth-

Selzle et al. 2017). Thus, the economical well being of any country depends on the level of

pollution in it.

Pollution also results in the destruction of recreational and aesthetic enjoyment of the

surroundings. Recreation grounds become destroyed or unsuitable for farm activities, fishing

opportunities decline because of water pollution, and visibility declines because of air pollution.

These problems affect how people interact with the environment around them. Living organisms

in various ecological systems are threatened because of environmental degradation. Species

distribution is affected by pollution stresses, and extinction of some organisms is also

experienced (Li et al. 2014). The more the place is polluted, the more the life is affected.

Pollution poses health hazards to human beings and animals. Major cities across the

globe are faced with the problem of smog, particle pollution, and toxic pollutants. These

poisonous substances cause irritation to body organs such as the eyes, nose, and throat, breathing

and respiratory problems such as wheezing chest congestion, and lung problems, and increase

the risk of heart attack. A long-term exposure to polluted air can cause cancer and immune,

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respiratory, neurological, and reproductive systems damage (Kampa and Elias 2008). The

cleaner the environment is, the healthier the people are.

One type of pollution can lead to another, further damaging the environment. For

example, air pollution causes acid rain which contains nitric and sulfuric acid at harmful levels.

This situation can further lead to eutrophication when high concentrations of nutrients are

washed into water bodies. High concentrations of nutrients in the water bodies lead to

accelerated growth of algae which can kill fish and negatively affect plant and animal diversity.

Pollution also affects wildlife, causing health problems and eventually death. Toxic particles in

soil and water can harm animals in a number of ways, resulting in birth defects, reproductive

failure, and diseases in animals. The aquatic ecosystem is also affected, and pollutants can

biomagnify in tissues of animals at the top of the food chain, resulting in higher concentrations

than in water or air (Li et al. 2014). Therefore, when the environment is polluted, the effects are

felt by all organisms inhabiting the ecosystem.

Ozone layer depletion has led to negative climate change. This problem occurs mainly as

a result of air pollution whereby the protective ozone layer at the ground level and upper

atmosphere is affected. Chemical and harmful gases result in the depletion of this protective

ozone layer, causing the atmosphere to overheat. When the ozone layer is depleted, there is an

increased amount of UV radiation reaching the earth, which causes health problems such as

cancer, cataracts, and impaired immune systems (Kampa and Elias 2008). The UV rays also

destroy crops and reduce crop yields.

Study Limitations

The literature and primary research on pollution focus on specific areas where there is pollution.

Doing so makes a generalization of the issue of pollution difficult. Also, the studies do not show

how far efforts to implement corrective measures to pollution have been put in place. It is also

important to note that studies have mostly focused on the most polluted countries in the world

leaving out other countries that could be facing the problem at great magnitudes. For example,

African countries are faced with the pollution problem, but they are not focused on during

research.

Conclusions

In conclusion, pollution is among the greatest environmental problems that have not been

eradicated over years. Sadly, efforts that have been implemented have just scratched the surface.

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The laws that have been developed to safeguard the environment have not been implemented,

which has given people a loophole to damage the environment and go unpunished. Therefore, it

is important to develop mitigation measures to curb various forms of pollution and protect the

ecosystem.

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Works Cited

Kampa, Marilena, and Elias Castanas. "Human Health Effects of Air Pollution." Environmental

Pollution, vol. 151, no. 2, 2008, pp. 362-367.

Khan, Mashhood Ahmad, and Arsalan Mujahid Ghouri. "Environmental Pollution: Its Effects on

Life and Its Remedies." Researcher World: Journal of Arts, Science and Commerce, vol.

2, no. 2, 2011, pp. 276-285.

Li, Zhiyuan, et al. "A Review of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution from Mines in China: Pollution and

Health Risk Assessment." Science of the Total Environment, vol. 468-469, 2014, pp.

843-853.

Reinmuth-Selzle, Kathrin, et al. "Air Pollution and Climate Change Effects on Allergies in the

Anthropocene: Abundance, Interaction, and Modification of Allergens and Adjuvants."

Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 51, no. 8, 2017, pp. 4119-4141.

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