Bulletin - June 21

SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

POLLUTION

Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are called
pollutants. Pollutants can be natural, such as volcano ash. They can also be created by human activities such
as trash or runoff produced by factories. Pollutants damage the quality of air, water and land.

AIR POLLUTION

Air pollutions can be defined as an alteration of air quality that can be characterized by
measurements of chemical, biological or physical pollutants in the air. Therefore, air
pollution means the undesirable presence of impurities or the abnormal rise in the
proportion of some constituents at the atmosphere.

Cause Of Air Pollution

Emissions from industries and Waste Production
factories
Mostly because of methane
Releasing large amount of carbon generation in landfills
monoxide, hydrocarbon, chemicals
and organic compounds into the
air

Combustion of fossil fuels Agriculture activities

Like coal and oil for electricity Due to the use of pesticide,
and road transport producing insecticides and fertilizers that
air pollutants like nitrogen and emit harmful chemicals
sulfur dioxide

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SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Effect of Air Pollution

On the Environment Global Warming On Human Health

Air pollution has a major Air pollution is a major contributor Our continual exposure to
impact on the process of to global warming and climate air pollutants is responsible
plant evolution by change. The abundance of carbon for the deterioration of
preventing photosynthesis. dioxide in the air is one of the human health. Air pollution
It also contributes to the causes of the greenhouse effect. is indeed a significant risk
formation of acid rain, The presence of greenhouse gases factor for human health
atmospheric precipitations should be beneficial for the planet conditions causing allergies,
on the form of rain, frost, because they absorb the infra-red respiratory and
snow or fog which released radiation produced by the surface cardiovascular diseases as
during the combustion of of the earth. But the excessive well as lung damage
fossil fuels and transformed concentration of the gases in the
by contact with water steam atmosphere is the cause of the
in the atmosphere. recent climate change

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SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

WATER POLLUTION

Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of a stream, river, lake, ocean or
any other stretch of water, depleting water quality and making it toxic for the
environment and human

Cause of Water Pollution

Sewage and wastewater Urbanization and deforestation Agriculture

Inadequate sewage Even though it does not have Agriculture has an impact in
collection and treatment direct impact on water quality, water pollution due to the
are sources of water urbanization and deforestation use of chemicals such as
pollution. According to have a lot of indirect effects. fertilizers, pesticides,
United Nations, more than For instance, cutting down tress fungicides, herbicides or
80% of the worldwide and concreting over large areas insecticides running off in the
wastewater goes back in generates an acceleration of water as well as livestock
the environment without flows which does not give excrement, manure and
being treated or reused. enough time for water to methane (greenhouse
infiltrate and be purified by the effect). Regarding
ground aquaculture, pollution is
directly in the water as
excess food and fertilizers are
causing dystrophication.

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SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Cause of Water Pollution

Industries Marine dumping Radioactive waste

Industries produce a lot of Everyday, garbage such as Generated among others by
waste containing toxic plastics, paper, aluminum, power plants and uranium
chemicals and pollutants. A food, glass or rubber are mining, radioactive waste can
huge amount of the industrial deposited into the sea. linger in the environment for
waste is drained in the fresh These items take weeks to thousands of years. When
water which then flows into hundred of years to these substances are released
canal, rivers and eventually decompose and thus are a accidently or disposed
into the sea. Another source major cause of water improperly, they threaten
of water pollution is the pollution. groundwater, surface water
burning of fossil fuels causing as well marine resources.
air pollution like acid rain
which then flows to streams,
lakes and other stretches of
water.

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SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Effect Of Water Pollution

On the Environment Water pollution truly harms biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems. The
On Human health toxic chemicals can change the colour of water and increase the amount
of minerals, also known as eutrophication, which has a bad impact in life
in water. Thermal pollution defined by a rise in the temperature of water
bodies, contributes to a global warming and cause serious hazard to
water organisms.

Water pollution has very negative effects on public health. A lot of
diseases result from drinking or being in contaminated water such as
diarrhea, cholera, typhoid, dysentery or skin infection.

LAND POLLUTION

Land pollution refers to all forms of pollution affecting any type of
soil : agriculture, forestry, urban. Soil pollution is a disruptive
element for many biological resources and ecosystems.

Agriculture Cause Of Land Pollution Urbanization

Deforestation

Agricultural activities are one Because of deforestation and Urbanization is another source
of the major sources of land forest fires, soils lose their of land degradation. The
pollution. The spreading of vegetation cover. The erosion artificialization of soils can cause
plant protection products such process thus accelerate, a rapid and consequent carbon
as pesticides and herbicides as creating soil degradation as depletion which contributes to
well as the emissions of well as water pollution. climate change. Besides it
livestock building and farms Deforestation leads to the loss fragments natural habitats,
are at the origin of soil of the land value as once ecosystems and landscapes
pollution, in particular by converted into a dry or barren affecting biodiversity.
nitrogen and phosphates. land it can never be made
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SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Mining Cause Of Land Pollution Waste Disposal

Industrial waste

Mining waste is usually left Heavy industry often produces We produce large quantities of
behind in the form of spoil tips. quantities of undesirable household waste every year, many
These pit heaps can contain a chemicals. If cleaning agents of which could and should be
wide variety of toxic substances such as detergent are released recycle or degrade naturally. Much
that then seep into the ground irresponsibly they can cause of our waste is either incinerated,
as a result of rain. This can have significant pollution on the causing potential air pollution
big impact on the regeneration ground. Storage tanks can also issues or buried in landfills causing
of the vegetation. be a major source of land soil pollution problem.
pollution in case of leakage.

Effect Of Land Pollution

On the environment On wildlife On Human health

Contamination of groundwater, As land pollution and soil The potential effects of soil
loss of topsoil, water nutrient erosion progress, animals are contamination on human health
enrichment and increased risk forced shift habitats and adapt include breathing disorders, birth
of wildfires (because of the dry to new conditions. As a result, defects, skin diseases and cancer
conditions created by the some species are at risk of
pollutants in the soil) are among extinction.
the consequences of land
pollution.

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SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Basic Ways to Reduce Pollution

• Switch off the lights when not in use • Reduce consumption of paper. Use recycle
especially when leaving from work or or used paper.
break time.

• Bring food container from home, avoid • Carpool for events or use public transport such as
LRT.
.packing foods from canteen

• Segregate waste according to type (paper, • Reduce the use of chemicals when cleaning
plastic, metal)

• Avoid the use of pesticides and herbicides

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SAFETY, HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT

Source :

1. https://examples.yourdictionary.com/what-are-the-7-different-types-of-pollution.html
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollution
3. https://www.britannica.com/science/pollution-environment
4. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/pollution/
5. https://examples.yourdictionary.com/what-are-the-7-different-types-of-pollution.html
6. https://www.livescience.com/22728-pollution-facts.html
7. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/pollution/
8. https://solarimpulse.com/air-pollution-solutions
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_pollution
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_contamination
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise_pollution
13. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/air-pollution/
14. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/pollution/
15. https://www.aqi.in/blog/10-best-ways-to-reduce-air-pollution/
16. https://raleighnc.gov/SupportPages/6-ways-prevent-water-pollution
17. https://alleghenysc.org/9-ways-to-reduce-water-pollution-in-the-21st-century/

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