Pollution as One of the Major Environmental Problems - Essay Example

There are three major types of environmental pollution, which include air pollution, water pollution, and soil pollution.

Air Pollution
Air pollution is one of the major types of environmental pollution, which causes adverse effects on the health of living creatures living in any part of the world. Some of the major causes of air pollution include fossil fuels from power-generating stations, factories, the release of hydrocarbons from petroleum refineries, radioactive fallout, pesticides and insecticides, and mining operations.

Pimentel states, “Air pollution from smoke and various chemicals kills 3 million people a year”. Some of the effects of air pollution on health include eyes and throat infections, pneumonia, heart diseases, lung cancer, and skin problems. Air pollution can be reduced using some effective ways. Some of those ways include using electric heaters instead of coal heaters, using solar cars instead of fuel-powered cars, and closing the doors for almost half an hour after using pesticides and insecticides.

Water Pollution
Water pollution is another type of environmental pollution that causes adverse effects on the health of humans, plants, and animals if not treated properly. Some of the major sources of water pollution include industrial waste, inorganic substances like chemical waste, water storage tanks, and hazardous waste sites.

If the concerned authorities take no proper sanitation measures, water contamination can put adverse effects on the health of marine and human life. Some of the effects on humans include different kinds of bacterial, viral, and protozoal infections. Some diseases like typhoid, paratyphoid fever, Cholera, dental carries, and hepatitis are closely associated with water pollution. Water pollution can be treated using many ways. Some of those ways include creating awareness among people regarding harms associated with water pollution and developing proper sanitary systems.

Soil Pollution
Soil pollution is the third type of environmental pollution, which causes adverse effects on the health of living creatures. One of the major sources of soil pollution is the chemical processes, which are used to take out the minerals from rocks. Some other sources of soil pollution include food processing waste, use of pesticides and insecticides, use of plastic bags, unrefined substances, and bacteria that originate from farm animals.

Soil contamination is a very critical health-related issue. “Soil contamination can also affect those who touch it” (Barton). Some of the effects of soil pollution include decreased soil fertility, disturbed flora, and fauna, alteration in soil structure, loss of natural minerals and nutrients present in the soil, and affect growth of crops. Effective measures need to be taken in order to reduce soil pollution. It is strictly advised to keep the surfaces clean on which the raw material is to be placed. Some of the ways to reduce soil pollution include reusing and recycling wastes, using fabric bags instead of plastic bags, and using microorganisms that regain lost soil fertility. Read More