phoenixguy

Land Pollution

Garbage from homes and factories can both pollute the land. According to the EPA, Americans generated approximately 258 million tonnes of solid waste in 2014. In total, 136 million tonnes of waste were deposited in landfills. Only 34% of the waste was repurposed in this way.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stated that organic material made up the majority of the waste generated. Most of the waste came from paper and paperboard, which accounted for further than a quarter of the total. In terms of solid waste, plastics accounted for 13 percent of the total, followed by rubber, leather but also textiles (9.5%), and metals (9%). Solid waste included wood (6.2%), glass (4.4%) and other non-recyclables (about 3%) as major components.

More than one third of solid waste is commercial or industrial. An American family’s annual supply of necessities is estimated by industry to be 4 £ of material, according to research from Utah’s university. Non-hazardous materials, such as wood, concrete, bricks, and glass, make up the bulk of the refuse (bandages, surgical gloves,  discarded needles, surgical instruments, etc.). Toxic waste is any liquid, solid, or sludge waste that contains hazardous or potentially hazardous properties. Mining, petroleum refineries, pesticide manufacturing, as well as other chemical production all produce hazardous waste for industry. Many hazardous materials are produced in the homes of people as well, including hazardous waste like paints and solvents, oil, fluorescent lights, and ammo cans and ammunition.

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phoenixguy

Light Pollution

Electric lights are a modern convenience that most people can’t really imagine life without. Lights, on the other hand, have had a profound effect on the natural world. The following are some of the effects of light pollution:

In the existence of man-made light, some birds are singing at times that aren’t in keeping with their normal circadian rhythms.

Migration schedules may be affected by the longer feeding times provided by long artificial days.

Inexperienced sea turtles can be stymied by street lights, which can interfere with their ability to find their way from a beach to open water. They tend to go in the reverse way on a regular basis.

Sky glow, a term for light pollution, obstructs the view of the night sky for amateur and professional astronomers alike.

Synthetic light can completely alter the flowering and development patterns of plants.

By destroying the nitrate radicals that help disperse smog, light pollution could be making the problem worse, according to a study by American Geophysical Union.

Is it really necessary to turn on so many lights? Over-illumination wastes 2 million barrels of oil every day, according to a study published in the International Journal of Science research, and lighting accounts for one-fourth of all global energy consumption.

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phoenixguy

 Air pollution

Ninety-nine percent of the air we breathe is nitrogen, oxygen, water vapour, and other inert gases. When substances that aren’t normally present in the air are released into it, pollution results. People burn fuels, releasing particles into the air, which is a common form of pollution. Pollution that resembles soot is dispersed in the air by millions of tiny particles.

Sulfur, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and chemical vapours are other common sources of air pollution. Chemical reactions can occur in the atmosphere, resulting in acid rain and smog, if these are present. Secondhand smoke, for example, is another indoor air pollution source.

Finally, greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide, which warm the planet through into the greenhouse effect, can cause air pollution. When gases absorb infrared radiation from the Earth, they prevent heat from escaping, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Our atmosphere is kept warm by this natural process. This can cause the planet to be artificially warmed by Columbia University if several gases are pumped into the atmosphere.

The journal Environmental Research Letters published a study in which it was found that air pollution kills more than two million people each year. According to Hugh Sealy, professor of the occupational and environmental health track at the Department of Health Services but also Preventative Care, St. George’s University, St. George’s, Grenada, the effects of climate change on human health can vary widely. Toxic health consequences can be widespread but also long-lasting if the toxic substance is highly hazardous. Methyl isocyanate gas, for example, was released in 1984 at the Union Abrasive plant in Bhopal, killing over 2,000 people and injuring over 200,000 more. Respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular disease, and asthma attacks can all be exacerbated by an irritant (such as particulates smaller than 10 micrometres in size). “Air pollution is most dangerous to its very young, the elderly, and those with weak immune systems. It is possible that the air pollutant is carcinogenic (e.g., some volatile organic compounds), biologically active (e.g., some viruses), or radioactive (e.g. (e.g. radon). Carbon dioxide and other air pollutants have a direct effect on human health because of climate change. ‘

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phoenixguy

Water Pollution

Toxic foreign substances such as pesticides or metals such as lead and mercury can cause water pollution, which is why it is so important to keep waterways clean. A total of 44 percent of flow problems miles, 64 percent of lakes and 30 percent of bay and estuary areas are not clean enough yet for fishing and swimming, per the Department Of Environment (EPA). Bacteria, mercury, phosphorus, and nitrogen are the most common contaminants in the United States, according to the EPA. Agricultural runoff, wind deposition, water diversions, and stream channelization are some of the most common contaminant sources.

Water pollution is a global issue, not just a domestic one. According to the United Nations, nearly 800 million people lack access to safe drinking water and 2,5 billion can not have adequate sanitary facilities. 783 million of those people are children. Sewage and other pollutants can enter the water supply if proper sanitation is not in place.

80 percent of marine pollution comes from land, according to the Bureau Of meteorology (NOAA). Marine life can also be severely impacted by water pollution. Carbonaceous compounds found in water can alter the composition, for example, the pathogens that grow in sewage as well as the water itself. Dissolved oxygen levels in the liquid are also taken into account a pollutant by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Natural substances, such as sewage, decompose in the water, causing the water to become dissolved.

In addition, warming water can be dangerous. The term “thermal pollution” refers to the practise of heating water through the use of artificial means. When an industry or power plant uses cooling water its operations, it is possible that hot water is discharged into the environment. A lack of oxygen in the water can lead to the death of fish and other wildlife. Changes in water temperature that occur suddenly can also be fatal to aquatic life. Water withdrawn from the United States’s water systems is estimated to account for approximately half of the total water withdrawals each year.

“Water discharged from a water source can raise a water temperature during an area directly surrounding that source by 90 percent in most cases. When the water flow is sufficient, the temperature quickly went back to normal, which is safe for fish.” An ex-president of a non-profit corporation focused on sustainability challenges, Donn Dears, tells Live Science.

Another method of water pollution is nutrient pollution, or eutrophication. When nutrients like nitrogen are introduced to water, this occurs. According to NOAA, the nutrient acts as fertiliser, causing algae to grow rapidly. Phytoplankton are deprived of light because of algae. As the plants wither and decompose, the water becomes less oxygenated. Aquatic animals die when there is not enough oxygen in the water.

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phoenixguy

What About Pollution?

An environmental pollutant is a substance that is added to the environment at a rate that exceeds the rate at which it can be dispersed (diluted, decomposed, recycled) as well as stored in some harmless form (such as heat). Air pollution, oil spills, as well as land pollution are the three most common types of pollution. Specific pollutions, including such noise, light, and plastic pollution, are also a source of concern in today’s society. In addition to damaging the environment and wildlife, pollution can have a negative impact on human health and well-being.

Controlling pollution

The issue of environmental protection is raised by the case of environmental pollution. Air pollution control, wastewater, solid waste management, hazardous waste management, and recycling all go a long way toward reducing the amount of harmful substances released into the environment. In developing countries, efforts to reduce pollution are often overwhelmed by the scope of the problem. The accumulation of particulates as well as gases from road transport, heat water, as well as manufacturing is common in very many major cities, where the noxious levels of pollutants are common. Since single-use plastics have become so widely available, there has been an exponential rise in land and ocean plastic pollution. The emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane are also a major cause of global warming and an important risk factor for public health.

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