Content

s.no Topics Page

1 Introduction
2 Types of pollution
3 Causes of pollution
4 Effect of pollution
5 Prevention of pollution
6 Most polluting
industries
7 conclusion

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Introduction
Environmental pollution is one of the most serious global challenges. Wild-type organisms
have a slower degradation rate of hazardous materials. Currently, advanced molecular
biology tools along with conventional approaches allow us to rapidly degrade or accumulate
hazardous materials from environments. This can help modify microorganisms to gain the
ability to sense and degrade hazardous chemicals from contaminated sites, in turn, allowing
us to grow vegetation and improve crop productivity. In this chapter, conventional and
advanced molecular biology tools for the removal and detoxification of contaminants from
soil and water to improve environmental conditions are highlighted.

Environmental pollution is the unfavorable alteration of our surroundings, wholly or largely

as a byproduct of man’s actions, through direct or indirect effects of the changes in the
energy pattern, radiation levels, and chemical and physical constitution and abundance of
organisms. Environmental pollution is a global problem and is common to both developed as
well as developing countries, which attracts the attention of human beings for its severe long-
term consequences. The decline in environmental quality as a consequence of pollution is
evidenced by loss of vegetation, biological diversity, excessive amounts of harmful chemicals
in the ambient atmosphere and in food grains, and growing risks of environmental accidents
and threats to life support systems.

Pollution is viewed from different angles by different people but is commonly agreed to be
the outcome of urban-industrial and technological revolution and rapacious and speedy
exploitation of natural resources, increased rate of exchange of matter and energy, and ever-
increasing industrial wastes, urban effluents, and consumer goods. Holdgate (1979) defined
environmental pollution as the introduction by man, into the environment, of substances or
energy liable to cause interference with legitimate uses of environment. Singh (1991) has
defined pollution in a very simple manner, i.e., “Disequilibrium condition from equilibrium
condition in any system.” This definition may be applied to all types of pollution ranging
from physical to economic, political, social, and religious. Over the past couple of decades,
various sources of pollution were identified that altered the composition of water, air, and soil
of the environment. The substances that cause pollution are known as pollutants. A pollutant
can be any chemical (toxic metal, radionuclides, organophosphorus compounds, gases) or

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geochemical substance (dust, sediment), biological organism or product, or physical
substance (heat, radiation, sound wave) that is released intentionally or inadvertently by man
into the environment with actual or potential adverse, harmful, unpleasant, or inconvenient
effects. Such undesirable effects may be direct (affecting man) or indirect, being mediated via
resource organisms or climate change. Depending on the nature of pollutants and also
subsequent pollution of environmental components, the pollution may be categorized as
follows:

1. Air Pollution
2.Water Pollution
3Soil/Land Pollution
4.Noise Pollution
5.Radioactive Pollution
6.Thermal Pollution

Among these types of pollution, air pollution is the main type threatening the environment,
humans, plants, animals, and all living organisms.
The burning of coal and wood, and the presence of many horses in concentrated areas made
the cities the primary sources of pollution. The Industrial Revolution brought an infusion of
untreated chemicals and wastes into local streams that served as the water supply. King
Edward I of England banned the burning of sea-coal by proclamation in London in 1272,
after its smoke became a problem; the fuel was so common in England that this earliest of
names for it was acquired because it could be carted away from some shores by the
wheelbarrow.

It was the Industrial Revolution that gave birth to environmental pollution as we know it
today. London also recorded one of the earlier extreme cases of water quality problems with
the Great Stink on the Thames of 1858, which led to construction of the London sewerage
system soon afterward.

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Types of pollution
Water Pollution
This type of pollution refers to the contamination of bodies of water including groundwater.
As all living organisms depend on water to live, the pollution of a body of water tends to
affect every level of the ecosystem, including human health. Common causes of water
pollution include industrial waste, insecticides, pesticides, and fertilisers, detergents and oil
spills. These pollutants either work by killing off organisms through their toxicity (industrial
waste, insecticides), or reducing oxygen values in the water (known as Eutrophication) by
blocking out sunlight (detergents, oil).

Air Pollution
Air is usually comprised of 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.9% oxide gases and 0.1% inert
gases. When the air becomes contaminated with other elements such as poisonous gases or
particles, it can cause serious problems to human health. The most common causes of air
pollution include partially combusted exhaust gases, poisonous gases which are a by-product
of industry including sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide, and carcinogenic gases released
through the burning of plastic, rubber and wood. Particle contamination can also occur when
a substance such as friable asbestos fibres are disturbed and released into the air. Air
pollution works either by poisoning living organisms which breathe it in, or by disturbing the
atmosphere and mixing with their air and clouds to cause acid rain. In the case of particle
contamination, particles such as asbestos fibres become airborne and are inhaled, irritating
the respiratory system and causing health conditions.
Soil Pollution
Soil can be stripped of it’s nutrients (and therefore fertility) by a number of chemical agents
and when this occurs, it is known as soil pollution. Common causes of soil pollution include
pesticides, insecticides, agricultural chemicals, industrial waste, and radioactive waste. Plants
depend on the nutrients in the soil in order to grow, but many of these chemical compounds
absorb the nitrogenous compounds present in the soil which the plants depend on. Aside from
making an area barren, soil pollution is a common cause of erosion, as plants and other living
organisms play an important role in keeping the soil held together. When they die off, the soil
splits and begins to erode. The heavy metals which get into the soil via chemical pollution

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also have a devastating effect on the ecosystem as they alter the metabolism of
microorganisms and arthropods living in the soil. These heavy metals become more
concentrated as they move up the food chain, often wiping out predator or consumer species
at the apex.
Thermal Pollution
Many industries release heat energy as a by-product and once released into the environment,
this thermal energy is partially responsible for global warming. Manufacturing industries
release thermal energy into the air as well as into bodies of water. This in itself is not
necessarily a bad thing although it can dramatically alter local ecosystems. The problem
arises from the excess of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Carbon dioxide prevents heat
from exiting the atmosphere, so the heat from the sun, combined with the excess thermal
energy which is a by-product of many industries as well as vehicles cannot escape and raises
the temperature of the atmosphere. Global warming is responsible for the melting of the polar
ice caps which in turn have led to a rise in sea levels.

Radioactive Pollution
When radioactive metals disintegrate, they release beta rays which can cause a whole host of
mutative diseases in living organisms, this is known as radioactive pollution. As the name
suggests, radioactive pollution mostly comes from the nuclear power industry, either in the
form of radioactive waste being dumped or improperly disposed of and then making its way
into bodies of water, or from the accidental release of radioactive substances when a nuclear
reactor is damaged. Once radioactive pollution is present in the environment, it can linger for
decades, making enormous areas of land unfit for human occupation of any sort.
Noise Pollution
Noise pollution refers to an excess of unpleasant sounds emanating from industry,
infrastructure, heavy machinery, transportation, and even human occupation being released
into the environment. In humans, noise pollution can have a detrimental effect on both mental
and physical health and has been linked to high stress levels, hearing loss, hypertension,
depression, sleep disturbances and an increase in incidences of coronary artery disease. Noise
pollution also reduces the amount of viable habitat for wildlife as it interferes with sounds
and communication, making it difficult for animals to navigate, mate and detect predators or
prey

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Causes of pollution
1. Industries: Industries have been polluting our environment especially since the beginning
of the industrial revolution, as mentioned above, notably due to the increasing use of fossil
fuels. In the 19th century and for a significant part of the 20th century, coal has been use to
make machines work faster, replacing human force. Though pollution by industries mainly
causes air pollution, soil and water contamination can also occur. This is particularly the case
for power-generating industries, such as plants producing electricity (May they be a dam, a
nuclear reactor or some other type of plant).

2. Transportation: Ever since men abandoned animal power to travel, pollution of the
environment has become higher and higher. Its levels have only been increasing until now.
Similarly to industries, pollution caused by transport can mainly be attributed to fossil fuels.
Indeed, humans went from horse carriages to cars, trains (which, before electricity, used to be
propelled by coal), and airplanes. As the traffic is increasing every day, pollution follows that
evolution.

3. Agricultural Activities: Agriculture is mainly responsible for the contamination of water

and soil. This is caused by the increased use of pesticides, as well as by the intensive
character of its production. Almost all pesticides are made from chemical substances and are
meant to keep diseases and threatening animals away from the crops. However, by keeping

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these forms of life away, harm is almost always made to the surrounding environment as
well.

Furthermore, as agriculture gets more and more intensive to feed the increasing world
population, more environments and ecosystems are destroyed to make space for the crops.
Some of them, like rapeseed –used to make oil – demand a lot of space for a relatively small
output.

4. Trading Activities: Trading activities including the production and exchange of goods and
services. Concerning goods, pollution can be caused by packaging (which often involves the
use of plastic, which is made from fossil fuels) or transport, mainly.

5. Residences: Finally, residential areas provide their fair share of pollution as well. First, to
be able to build homes, natural environment has to be destroyed in one way or another.
Wildlife and plants are driven away and replaced by human constructions. As it requires the
work of industries, construction itself is also a source of contamination of the environment.
Then, when people settle in, they will produce waste every day, including a part that cannot
be processed by the environment without harm yet.

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Effects of environmental pollution
1. Effects on Humans: The effects of environmental pollution on humans are mainly physical,
but can also turn into neuro-affections in the long term. The best-known troubles to us are
respiratory, in the form of allergies, asthma, irritation of the eyes and nasal passages, or other
forms of respiratory infections. Notably, these well spread affections can be observed when
air pollution is high in cities, when the weather gets hot, for instance. On top of that,
environmental pollution has been proven to be a major factor in the development of cancer.
This can happen for example when we eat reminiscences of pollutants used in the production
of processed foods, or pesticides from the crops. Other, rarer, diseases include hepatitis,
typhoid affections, diarrhoea and hormonal disruptions.

2. Effects on Animals: Environmental pollution mainly affects animal by causing harm to

their living environment, making it toxic for them to live in. Acid rains can change the
composition of rivers and seas, making them toxic for fishes, an important quantity of ozone
in the lower parts of the atmosphere can cause lung problems to all animals. Nitrogen and
phosphates in water will cause overgrowth of toxic algae, preventing other forms of life to
follow their normal course. Eventually, soil pollution will cause harm and sometimes even
the destruction of microorganisms, which can have the dramatic effect of killing the first
layers of the primary food chain.

3. Effects on Plants: As for animals, plants, and especially trees, can be destroyed by acid
rains (and this will also have a negative effect on animals as well, as their natural
environment will be modified), ozone in the lower atmosphere block the plant respiration,
and harmful pollutants can be absorbed from the water or soil.

4. Effects on the Ecosystem: In short, environmental pollution, almost exclusively created by

human activities, has a negative effect on the ecosystem, destroying crucial layers of it and
causing an even more negative effect on the upper layers.

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Prevention of pollution
Each person has the ability to reduce the amount of pollution that humans create. There is no
debate that most of the pollution in the Great Lakes, and around the world for that matter, is
the result of human activity. There is also no debate that pollution has caused drastic changes
to the environment and it continues to harm our water. Some pollution can be traced to a
specific location, but some of it is called nonpoint source pollution and this type of pollution
is where you, as an individual, can make an immediate difference. Nonpoint source doesn’t
mean it appeared from nowhere. Contrary, it means the pollution originated from a large
number of small sources or a large land area, that then concentrated in rivers and streams.
This is often the case with runoff from streets or agricultural fields. Every individual, of any
age, can positively reduce pollution.
We drink water from wells and aquifers, all of it is pumped from the ground to the places we
need it. The water that we all pollute, drains into the groundwater. Maintaining a healthy
environment for all creatures is also a great reason for following these simple steps. The
many species of plants and animals also will be healthier with fewer pollutants in their
habitat.
1. Use reusable water bottles, not disposable.
refill rather than using disposable bottles that end up in the trash, on the street, and in a
landfill, or possibly floating down a river, in a lake, or in the ocean.
2. Don’t wash your car in the driveway, wash it on the lawn.
A variety of pollutants and detergients are rinsed from your vehicle during washing. By
parking your car on the lawn the plants in your lawn can limit the amount of these pollutants
that enter into the street drain and then to streams and lakes. Plants will uptake the chemicals
and reduce the pollutants that make it to the streams.

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3. Dispose of hazardous chemicals properly. Don’t dump down the drain, indoors or
out.
Hazardous chemicals include cleaners, paints, and many other often used chemicals. The idea
that the chemical will be deluted and won’t be a problem is false. Drains are not for disposing
of liquid garbage. These items are probably the most important to store, use, and dispose of
properly. Visit the Allegan County Website for more information on disposing of household
chemicals in Allegan County.
4. Recycle used motor oil. Deliver used motor oil to a recycling location.
This one seems like a no brainer. If you have used motor oil it can be recycled and needs to
be taken to a proper location. Dumping oil down a drain is never a solution. Some auto shops
and filling stations will recycle used motor oil for you.
5. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
This three teered system is the best way to reduce waste. First Reduce. Reduce the amount of
items you consume especially things that can be replaced with something reuseable, such as a
washcloth instead of paper towel. Second, always reuse items rather than use disposable.
Anything you do can help, you don’t have to make every change at once. Lastly, recycle. If it
is something you have to dispose of, recycle what you can. All of this will reduce the amount
you pollute and should also leave a few more dollars in your pocket as well.

6. Reduce auto emissions.

The best way to reduce emissions of your vehicle is to make sure it is working properly and
not leaking any chemicals like oil or anti-freeze. The test is to see if there are spots left on the
pavement after your car has been setting there overnight.
7. Use insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers, as well as other lawn and garden
chemicals, sparingly.
These chemicals should only be used when needed. There is no reason to spray a lawn or
garden if there is no known issue that you are taking care of specifically. Use a soil test and

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use fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides only if there is a presence of the issue. In a small
garden, hoeing can often be done more quickly than herbicide application.
8. Start a compost pile.
A compost pile can decompose leaves, grass clippings, and food waste into a great fertilizer
for your home garden. It is also just a way to reduce the amount of waste material from the
lawn, leaves, and garden. A compost pile doesn’t have to be a big hassle and doesn’t have to
smell badly. The truth is a compost pile, that is turned regularly, is a necesary part of a home
yard or garden.

9. Soil test before you fertilize.

If you are spending money on fertilizer without testing your soil, you may just be dumping
fertilizer in the river and polluting. You may be suprized that you don’t have to fertilize your
garden every year. Soil tests are easy to do, collect the samlpe and send it in to MSUE. Here
is a link so you can get your soil test this spring.

10. Don’t sweep dirt and fertilizer from sidewalks into drains.
Dirt and fertilizer left on sidewalks should be swept into the lawn rather than washed down
the storm drain. Always remember the storm drain leads to streams. Not only chemicals but
excess sediment (dirt or soil) is also a pollutant in streams. Save the effort and sweep it back
into the lawn.

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Most polluting industries
The Pure Earth, an international non-for-profit organization dedicated to eliminating life-
threatening pollution in the developing world, issues an annual list of some of the world's
most polluting industries.
 Lead-Acid Battery Recycling
 Industrial Mining and Ore Processing
 Lead Smelting
 Tannery Operations
 Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining
 Industrial/Municipal Dumpsites
 Industrial Estates
 Chemical Manufacturing
 Product Manufacturing
 Dye Industry

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Conclusion
Whatever may be the type of pollution, it always has a degrading effect on the environment
and human health or else affects one or the other living species on earth. Light pollution
confuses roosting birds, often causing fatal accidents.
The effect of pollution on the environment is far and wide. Not only the pollution effects
present but also threaten the future of several species if no concrete action to prevent
pollution is taken. The rate at which the pollution is being damaged is way too more than it
could be repaired. It might take centuries to reverse the damages that we have done to the
environment, that too it won’t be an easy task and will require strict discipline and will to
tackle pollution.

Pollution is ruining our environment day by day. We must take it as our responsibility to
reduce pollution by following the aforementioned methods in order to make our world a
better place to live. If we continue to ignore this problem and keep adding to the pollution
rather than looking for ways to reduce it, we shall soon have to face fatal consequences.

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