Pollution in the environment - Essay Example

English 26 November Pollution in the Environment Introduction A major problem that is being globally faced by the people of the twenty first century is the fight against pollution. Pollution can be defined as, “the introduction of man into the environment of substances or energy liable to cause hazards to human health, harm to living resources and ecological systems, damage to structures or amenity, or interference with legitimate uses of the environment” (Holdgate 17). So technically human beings are reaping the fruit of their prior mistakes i.e. the gradual spread of pollution after the industrialization period the spread has now become out of hands and is steadily resulting in the destroying of the whole ecosystem. This destruction is not only confined to the damage that is caused to human health but also involves sub-ecosystems like plants, sea life as well as all types of animal species. Holdgate also asserts that, “the significance of pollution is related to its effects on a range of targets or receptors including man and the resources and the ecological systems on which he depends” (17). As human beings have flourished in all the fields of science such as medicine, technology, nuclear bombs etc. the types of pollutants have also become very diverse beginning from vehicle smoke to radioactive chemicals and extremely dangerous ultra-violet rays. Hence it can be inferred that the damage is now out of control because every aspect of human life that is associated with comfort and health directly or indirectly discharges some form of pollutant and helps in further destroying the environment. 1.1. Types of pollution Any type of component, rays or object that effects the environment is some way can be perceived as a pollutant as it is, “any substance introduced into the environment that adversely affects the usefulness of a resource” (Hill 8). Consequently pollution can be divided into many sub-divisions such as air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, light pollution etc. Although the causes for all these types of pollutions are self-explanatory yet it is interesting to observe the manner in which one component helps in spreading so many types of pollutions all at once. For example radioactive rays and chemicals simultaneously hold the power of polluting the natural resources like soil, water, plants and air. Then again noise, smoke and light can be dangerous for the atmosphere as well as the ozone layer which is protecting us from highly radioactive ultraviolet rays of the sun. Even the cutting down of trees and forests can also be perceived as a form of pollution spread because less tress mean less greenery and excessive spread of pollution as plants and trees fight against pollution by absorbing many harmful gases that are present or discharged in the atmosphere. Hence it can be understood that although urbanization and modern advancements in the fields of science and technology have its perks yet it has also resulted in stealing the peace, quiet and beauty of nature leaving man in a figurative desert of unhealthy surroundings where everything is either stale or dull devoid of freshness and life. Although all ecosystems of planet earth are very important yet it should be realized that it is impossible for human beings to survive without water and some of recent incidents of spilling of highly dangerous substances in different seas and oceans show that human beings are not understanding the extent of damage that is going to be caused and is being caused because of their carelessness. Moreover this issue requires some careful planning and plotting to remedy the situation otherwise there is a possibility that human beings will be facing water shortage which will ultimately lead to vanishing of water from planet earth which in other words means death. 2. Water Pollution Water pollution can be defined as, "any impairment of the composition or state of water resulting directly or indirectly from human agency, in particular to the detriment of: its use for human and animal consumption, its use in industry and agriculture, the conservation of natural environment particularly of aquatic flora and fauna" (Lammers 8). Hence it can be inferred that water pollution is a form of pollution that occurs very easily due to mixing of a number of pollutants although these pollutants vary from being very dangerous to less dangerous ones as human beings consume water in almost all of their various aspects of life may it be for personal, domestic or industrial use. Water pollution can further be divided into two sub-categories; point source pollution and non-point source pollution. Point source pollution involves the mixing of pollutants from a single known source while the latter involves the submerging of pollutants from more than one unknown sources or points (Lammerss 19). The various major incidents that cause water pollution can be divided into three groups which include the oil spills, radioactive discharge and microbiological pollution. 2.1. Oil Spills It is a common occurrence that globally oil is shipped from one country or continent to another via oceans in large tanks. Consequently there is always a chance of some accident in which oil might spill in the water considering that life itself is very unpredictable. It is understandable that the risk is too great yet without doing so many large nations of the world will not be able to access the luxury of using petroleum in its various refined and crude forms so it is necessary to take this risk. Although it cannot be ignored that the world has suffered because of massive oil spills in the past years and this is one of the major reasons that most people have started fearing that there will come a time when all usable water will diminish. One major incident of this sort is of Bp Oil Spill that occurred in 2010. In this incident over 17 million gallons of oil (Goldenberg 2) was spilt in the water and even after two years it is observed that the situation has not been rectified as it is evident from a recent article in the Guardian according to which, “The National Wildlife Federation reports that already more than 150 threatened or endangered sea turtles are dead. And 316 sea birds, mostly brown pelicans and northern gannets, have been found dead along the Gulf Coast as a result of the spreading oil” (Goldenberg 2). Hence the massive after effects of this particular accident might take a lot longer than expected because this extent of pollution cannot be removed and even when it ends it takes its toll on the sea life. As mentioned earlier that spread of any form of pollution and its after effects is a gradual process which speeds up towards the end is an apt explanation for the Bp oil spill though it is the human beings that are the root cause for such dire circumstances. As it is also stated by Robert Bea as well that, “It's clear that the problem is not technology, but people. It was a chain of important errors made by people in critical situations involving complex technological and organization systems” (Hoffman 4). Although for future help a major lesson that can be learnt from this disastrous incident is that while either shipping oil or running an oil rig in the sea even the slightest malfunctioning of any machine, tank or the well itself should be looked upon as a major crisis in order to avoid situations that have the tendency of getting out of hand. Moreover since human beings cannot fully avoid polluting the water still they should go to great lengths to lessen the amount of pollutants that are spilt in the water. 2.2. Radioactive Discharge Although this form of water pollution does not normally occur at such a vast level as the Bp oil spill yet it is one of the major forms of water pollution that is being faced by most of the people now a days because this problem is mostly found in the water that is used for domestic purposes. One such major incident occurred in 1988 in Camelford when 20 tons of aluminum sulphate got mixed in the water which raised its concentration to 3000 times… resulting in the production of several tons of sulphuric acid which “stripped a cocktail of chemicals from the pipe networks as well as lead and copper piping in people’s homes” (Cross 7). Although the people who drank or used this water mostly suffered short-termed health problems while a few faced long term illnesses yet the enormity of the carelessness of the people involved cannot be ignored. Moreover according the Guardian one of the workers at the water firm declared that, I tried to convey this to other people at SWWA but I felt I was banging my head against a brick wall. Nobody seemed to be listening. I asked how I should answer people who wanted to know if it was safe and I was told it was safe to drink. I was told there was no health risk (Morris 3). Hence it can be interpreted from this situation that again it is the fault of the concerned people that led to such an extent of damage since in most cases a personal incentive is involved as was the case with Camelford Water pollution incident as the reporter of the Guardian states that, “Some campaigners insist that people have suffered long-term health effects because of the poisoning – and they say there was a cover-up because the water authority was about to be privatized” (Morris 3). This clearly shows that personal incentive acted as a major catalyst in causing this particular incident. So it can only be hoped that people will sooner or later realize their follies and will begin to give more importance to the lives of their fellow human beings over personal gain. Moreover the responsibility also falls on the government officials to take strict action against people who cause this type of pollution and make it dangerous for the fellow citizens to survive in a society. 2.3. Microbiological Pollution This form of pollutions mostly occurs in poor or under developed countries where sanitation systems are not excellent and people have the habit of frequenting lakes, ponds and canals for bathing. Microbial pollution can be defined as, The presence of pathogenic microorganisms in the marine environment is the source of microbial pollution. This type of pollution is a real threat to public health due to the fact that it may cause the spread of waterborne diseases and the marine environment is considered a hazard to public health until these microorganisms disappear” (Alexander and Fairbridge 398). Hence microbiological pollution can be perceived as a natural water pollution which is generally caused because of bacteria, viruses and protozoa that are present in the water. Some of the major diseases that are caused by this particular form of water pollution include diarrhea, various stomach flus, nose throat ears or eye infections etc. although all these problems can be avoided by simply taking a few precautionary measures such as by avoiding taking a bath in open or stagnant waters, preventing water from collecting in open spaces as it also leads to the birth of mosquitoes and other microorganisms, by developing and regularly improving the sanitation system and by using bacteria free water for drinking as well as other domestic purposes. However it is observed that the sub-categories of water pollution i.e. point source pollution and non-point source pollution are easily identifiable in the case of microbiological water pollution because though a number of microorganisms reside in water yet at times certain outside causes also result in triggering of their excessive growth in water. Some of these known sources include the domestic area and industries. In the under developed countries it is a common practice for the people to discharge domestic wastewater directly into the sea, streams, rivers and canals. Then again many factories are constructed in a manner according to which the waste products are also discharged in the flowing water resulting in increased germ production and spreading of diseases. While two major non-point sources include the water pollution that is spread due to mines and forests. Wastewater that is generated from mining activities is rich in toxic materials and when these toxins mix with water they not only endanger the lives of marine organisms but also at times cause the birth of various bacteria and protozoa. Similarly in the case of the forests when the leaves, twigs and branches fall into the fresh flowing water it also has the power of causing an increased bacteria production and killing of the water life because wherever the waste of the forest collects there is a great chance that immense bacteria activity might occur due to the decay and will ultimately result in the production of viruses that will lead to diseases in both human beings and animals. 3. Conclusion It is necessary for human beings to realize that their actions are having disastrous effects on their surroundings and in their quest for attaining every imaginable material comfort they are destroying Mother Nature. If this realization will not occur planet earth will eventually become a planet devoid of beauty with the ugliness of decay and degeneration raising its head from every corner as this is exactly the fate that extensive pollution and destruction of the ozone layer are going to create. Moreover they should realize that 70% of planet earth is composed of water and if all this water will be destroyed with pollutants and toxic substances then that will be one of the biggest mistakes because excessive water pollution will immediately lead to death; the death of all forms of living organisms on this planet. Annotated Bibliography Alexander, David E, and Rhodes W Fairbridge. Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2001. Print. The book enlightens the readers about the causes and effects of various forms of pollution. Consequently the section of microbial pollution is of immense knowledge because it enlightens the readers about the various natural as well as other outside factor that cause microbiological pollution in all forms of water sources. Cross, Doug. “Boiling water: Will a New Inquiry on the Camelford Poisoning Get any Nearer to the Truth?” The Guardian 22 August 2001: 7. Print. This article covers the incident of Camelford water contamination and provides the readers with a detailed account of the incidents that followed the contamination ranging from short term diseases of the victims to the reason for such carelessness of the water supply company. It also includes brief interviews of the survivors as well as the company employs who unveil some harsh facts about the whole incident. Goldenberg, Suzanne. “US downplayed effect of Deep-water oil spill on whales, emails reveal”. The Guardian 24 October 2012: 2. Print. This recent article deals with the extent of damage that was actually caused during the oil spill and the extent of information that was hidden from the public eye when the spill actually occurred in 2010. Moreover it also explicate the after effects of such massive oil spill on the marine life in particular and tells the readers about the hardship faced by the scientists in saving them. Harrison, Roy M. Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control. Cambridge: Paston PrePress Ltd., 2001. Print. This book gives a detailed account of the definition of pollution its causes and also suggests advice to avoid massive spread of pollution. After reading this book the readers realize that although spread of pollution cannot be completely finished yet certain remedies can be taken to lessen the after effects. Hoffman, Carl. “Investigative Report: How the BP Oil Rig Blowout Happened”. Popular Mechanics 2 September 2010: 4. Print. This article talks about the incident of Bp Oil Spill and tells the readers about the very first statistics of the damage and the amount of oil that was spilt in the water. Although the information that is provided in this article was later contradicted as further investigations showed the increase in the earlier statistics. Holdgate, M W. A Perspective of Environmental Pollution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1980. Print. This book also explains the causes and effects of pollution though a major section of this book essentially focusses on water pollution. This book is rich in knowledge about a variety of reasons for water pollution starting from domestic use to oil spills. Lammers, Johan Gerrit. Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control. Netherlands: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 1984. Print. This book is about the different types of pollution and also provides the reasons for the sub-categories of various forms of pollution. Moreover it also helps the readers to learn the reasons for such divisions and the method through which they can identify and distinguish various forms of pollutions. Morris, Stevens. “Camelford Poisoning: 'Water Authority Insisted Supplies Were Safe'”. The Guardian 1 November 2010: 3. Print This is another article that was published in the guardian explaining and unveiling the extent of damage that was caused because of the personal incentive of the water supply company and the ignorance of the citizens of Camelford who did not realize what the water supply company was doing before it got too late and a few victims lost their lives while others were faced with short term diseases. Read More