What is Pollution?
Pollution is the addition of harmful or undesirable substances into the air, water or land.
Which are the different types of pollution?
- Air Pollution
- Water Pollution
- Soil Pollution
- Sound Pollution
Of these, we will learn about air pollution and water pollution in detail. Let us begin with air pollution.
What is Air pollution?
Air pollution is the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings or cause damage to the climate or to materials. These undesirable substances which are added into the air are known as Air Pollutants.
These pollutants are added by both natural and man-made activities. Volcanoes and forest fires for example add harmful components into the air. Other man-made activities like the burning of fossil fuels and the smoke rising out of our industries cause air pollution as well.
What are the examples of Air pollutants?
The most common air pollutants are:
- Carbon dioxide: One of the major reasons for the release of carbon dioxide gas is the emission of carbon dioxide from vehicles. Excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leads to global
- Carbon monoxide: When fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are burnt, carbon monoxide is given out as a by-product. This gas is extremely poisonous and when inhaled can reduce the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen. It is also responsible for various respiratory problems.
- Chlorofluorocarbons: It is commonly abbreviated as CFCs. These are compounds having chlorine and fluorine molecules. These are extremely harmful to the environment as they damage the ozone layer and let in the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun. The refrigerators or the air conditioners are the root cause of the release of
- Sulphur dioxide: The huge petroleum refineries built by humans to obtain useful products from petroleum release this harmful
What is Smog?
Smog is a type of severe air pollution which is the combination of smoke with the particles of fog. The harmful particles or residues of burnt fossil fuels linger in the air. They then get mixed with fog and form smog.
Summary
| Pollution | Addition of harmful or undesirable substances into the air, water or land |
| Types of Pollution |
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| Air Pollution | The presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to humans and other living beings or cause damage to climate or to materials |
| Air Pollutants |
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| Smog |
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Did you know?
According to the WHO (World Health Organisation), ambient air pollution contributes to 6.7% of all deaths worldwide.