The Hazardous Effects of Pollution to the Environment and Human Health Essay Example

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There is no doubt that excessive levels of pollution are causing a lot of damage to human & animal health, tropical rainforests, as well as the wider environment. All types of pollution – air, water and soil pollution – have an impact on the living environment. The effects in living organisms may range from mild discomfort to serious diseases such as cancer to physical deformities; ex. , extra or missing limbs in frogs.

Experts admit that pollution effects are quite often underestimated and that more research is needed to understand the connections between pollution and its effects on ll life forms. The Hazardous Effects of Pollution to the Environment and Human Health Until relatively recently in humanity's history, where pollution has existed, it has been primarily a local problem. The industrialization of society, the introduction of motorized vehicles, and the explosion of the human population, however, have caused an exponential growth in the production of goods and services. Coupled with this growth has been a tremendous increase in waste by-products.

The indiscriminate discharge of untreated industrial and domestic wastes into waterways, the spewing of thousands of tons of particulates and airborne gases into the atmosphere, the "throwaway" attitude toward solid wastes, and the use of newly developed chemicals without considering potential consequences have resulted in major environmental disasters. Air pollution is perhaps the most common and the most dangerous type of pollution. It involves the direct release of chemicals into the environment. The chemicals then become the part of the air around us that all the living things take in.

Basically the air pollution is caused by the burning of

fuel that directly releases hazardous chemicals into the air. For example the burning of coal releases sulphur dioxide, a poisonous gas which is responsible for acid rain. The sources of such chemicals are the large factories, smoke from the vehicles, chimneys and burning of wood. Air pollution is also a cause of global warming and acid rain. The effects of global warming are playing havoc everywhere - higher temperatures, hurricanes, heavy rains, flooding and droughts have now become more frequent and severe in intensity.

Air pollution consists of solid particles and gases. Many pollutants are carcinogens. People who breathe in these poisons are at a higher risk for asthma and reproductive-system damage. According the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, birth defects can also be caused by air pollution. A 1995 study found a link between air pollution and increased deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory problems. Humans are not the only living creatures affected by toxic air pollutants. Some toxins, like mercury, settle onto plants and into water sources that are then consumed by animals.

The health effects of these poisons are then magnified up the food chain. Animals that are at the top of the food chain end up with the largest concentrations of toxins in their bodies. Soil contamination consists of either liquid or solid particles mixed with soil. The contaminants may be physically attached to the soil particles or they may be in the spaces between the soil particles. Soil pollution is mainly caused by the release of industrial waste. This waste is directly incorporated into the soil by large industries and factories. Soil pollution is also caused by human acts

as mining and deforestation etc.

It can also occur when pollutants settle on the soil, such as chemicals or waste from an industrial smokestack. Plants grown in contaminated soil take up the hazardous substances through their roots. Humans or animals that ingest these plants may get sick. People and animals can also inhale soil contaminants through dust that is present in the air or absorb these hazardous chemicals through their skin. A 20-year study published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" found that people exposed to dioxin in soil experienced a higher rate of diabetes as well as cardiovascular and endocrine problems over the course of the study.

It can also cause cancers including leukemia, lead in soil is especially hazardous for young children causing developmental damage to the brain, mercury can increase the risk of kidney damage; cyclodienes can lead to liver toxicity, neuromuscular blockage as well as depression of the central nervous system, headaches, nausea, fatigue, eye irritation and skin rash. Water pollution is the introduction into fresh or ocean waters of chemical, physical, or biological material that degrades the quality of the water and affects the organisms living in it.

Water pollution not only affects the fish and animals living in the water but also affects the whole food chain by also transferring the contaminants to the consumers depending on these animals. Water used from a polluted lake directly contaminates its user. Many of the water creatures are on the verge of extinction due to the dramatic increase in the water pollution. This process ranges from simple addition of dissolved or suspended solids to discharge of the most insidious

and persistent toxic pollutants (such as pesticides, heavy metals, and non-biodegradable, bio-accumulative, chemical compounds).

This precious resource is also easily contaminated by agricultural runoff, mining activities, waste treatment plants and improperly disposed-of industrial waste. Microbial contaminants include bacteria and viruses. Most people can fight off the microbial contaminants; however, people with compromised immune systems can get dangerously ill. Waterborne diseases caused by polluted drinking water: typhoid, amoebiasis, giardiasis, ascariasis and hookworm. This type of pollution can also cause long-term health problems for people.

Unlike the above mentioned types of pollutions, noise pollution does not involve hazardous chemicals or their incorporation into the environment, rather noise pollution is the increase in the rate of noise in the environment. Noise is defined as an unpleasant sound that has an adverse affect on the human ear. It is caused by the moving vehicles, manmade machines and loud music. Other than that noise can be caused by anything, but these three sources are the main reasons for the noise pollution around us. Noise can be extremely dangerous. And it is all around us. It penetrates into human mind and controls it.

Too much noise leads to severe psychological illness and badly affects the behavior. It leads to hypertension, stress, aggression and annoyance. Moreover, it causes depression and forgetfulness. The most readily measurable physiological effect of noise pollution is damage to hearing, which may be either temporary or permanent and may cause disruption of normal activities or just general annoyance. The effect is variable, depending upon individual susceptibility, duration of exposure, nature of noise (loudness), and time distribution of exposure (such as steady or intermittent).