EDU 11 Pollution

EDU11: DEVELOPMENTAL PERSPECTIVES IN EDUCATION

Pollution

• ·       Pollution is the introduction of harmful materials into the environment
• ·       Pollution is the process of making land, water, air or other parts of the environment dirty and not safe or suitable to use
• ·       Pollution is a global problem. Pollution can be natural or man-made.
• ·       The agents that pollute are termed Pollutant.
• ·       Major forms of pollution include:

Air Pollution ·       Air pollution refers to the release of pollutants into the air that are detrimental to human health and planet as a whole. ·       A physical, biological or chemical alteration to the air in the atmosphere can be termed as pollution.  It occurs when any harmful gases, dust, smoke enters into the atmosphere and makes it difficult for plants, animals and human to survive as the air becomes dirty. Causes of air pollution o   The burning of fossil fuels o   Agricultural activities o   Waste in landfills o   Exhaust from factories and industries o   Mining operations o   Natural events Disastrous Effects o   Respiratory and Heart Problems o   Child health problems o   Global warming o   Acid rain o   Depletion of the ozone layer Solutions to Air pollution: o   Use of public mode of transportation o   Use environment friendly products o   Avoid setting fire to garbage o   Understand the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle o   Use of clean energy technologies like solar, wind and geothermal o   Use of high quality fuels o   Afforestation programmes o   Enforcement of law Major Pollutants of air: o   Sulphur compounds o   Nitrogen compounds o   Carbon compounds o   Halogen compounds

Water Pollution ·       Water pollution happens when toxic substances enter water bodies such as lakes, rivers, oceans and so on getting dissolved in them, lying suspended in the water or depositing on the bed. This degrades the quality of water. Causes of water pollution: o   Industrial waste o   Sewage and waste water o   Mining activities o   Marine dumping o   Accidental oil leakage o   Chemical fertilizers and pesticides o   Leakage from sewer lines o   Global warming o   Radioactive waste o   Acid rain o   Urban development o   Deforestation o   Animal waste o   Underground storage leakage Solutions to water pollution: o   Adoption of 5R – refuse, reduce, reuse repair and recycle o   Reduce excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides o   Encourage organic farming, biological pest control etc. o   Industrial treatment o   Reduce plastic consumption o   Properly dispose of chemical cleaners, oils etc o   Replace fossil fuels by renewable energies o   Stopping deforestation o   Proper treatment of sewage o   Implementation of legislative measures

Soil Pollution ·       Soil pollution refers to the contamination of soil with anomalous concentrations of toxic substances. Causes of soil pollution: o   Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides o   Industrial processes and industrial waste o   Deforestation o   Waste disposal o   Spills and leaks o   Mining o   Construction o   Illegal dumping o   Oil and fuel dumping o   Buried wastes o   Electronic waste o   Soil erosion o   Micro plastics o   Corrosion of underground storage tanks o   Discharge of sewage Effects of soil pollution: o   Destroy natural beauty o   Spread diseases o   Reduce the fertility of soil o   Damage food chain o   Water sources contamination o   Destruction of whole ecosystems o   Climate change o   Harmful effect on human health and animal health Remedies for soil pollution: o    Air traffic noise o   Catering and night life o   Animals sound Reduction in consumption o   Recycling o   Reduce in the use of fertilizers and pesticides o   Switch from conventional to organic products o   Avoid the use of fossil fuels o   Organic gardening o   Proper waste disposal o   Convince others o   Community education and awareness o   Proper maintenance of sewage system o   Enforcement of legislative measures

Noise Pollution ·       Regular exposure to elevated sound levels that may leads to adverse effects in human or other living organisms. ·       The disturbance produced in our environment by the undesirable loud sounds of various kinds is called noise/ sound pollution Causes of Noise pollution: o   Urbanization o   Industrialization o   Transportation o   Construction o   Storms o   Thunder o   Rainfalls o   Traffic noise o   Loud speaker o   Big events Effects of noise pollution: o   Psychological disorders o   Stress o   Annoyance o   Brain damages o   Hearing problems o   Cardiovascular diseases o   Communication issues o   Sleeping issues o   Effect on animals and plants o   Physical problem o   Cognitive issues and behavioural changes Remedies for Noise pollution: o   Reduce sound in your space o   Turn off electronics o   Close windows build a fence o   Plant trees o   Electric cars o   Ear plugs o   Government regulations o   Be social o   Education o   Convince others o   Controlling the sound levels in clubs o   Use of silencers to vehicles o   Proper lubrication, repair and maintenance of machinery.