Environmental pollution and climate change have become a global concern due to their negative effects on the environment's physical and biological components. While environmental pollution is the polluting of the ecosystems and surrounding atmosphere by various pollutants (chemicals and energies), climate change is the change in typical weather patterns caused by pollution. Environmental pollution concerns on a global scale are not just problems that affect a few people; they are massive issues that affect the entire planet Earth. Environmental pollution is one of the greatest problems human societies face today. Air, water, and soil are what form the three major components of environmental pollution. The air we breathe, and the soil and water are full of particles and gases. Although some occur naturally, many are the resultant effect of some negative human activities. No matter who we are or where we are on the planet, we are all affected by outdoor air pollution. However, air pollution levels vary widely around the globe, from countries, urban and rural settings, and even from our immediate surroundings.
All people are affected, and some may be more vulnerable to the risk of the damaging health effects of air pollution than others. These issues might or might not affect everyone at the same time or to the same degree, however, it is also possible that the problem began with a low level of complexity and has now developed into a more complicated problem requiring a complex solution. An excellent example of this type of global environmental pollution problem is complex global climate change, which requires the cooperation of all countries, and makes our human society and all living organisms vulnerable. Global climate change is the sum of all pollution combined with natural climate changes.
Environmental pollution occurs when there is an undesired alteration in the environment that has adverse consequences on plants and animals. A pollutant is a substance that causes pollution. We can have pollutants in liquid, solid, or gaseous forms. When the concentration of a substance exceeds the natural abundance, it is classified as a pollutant, which may be caused by human actions or natural processes. Various pollutants can be degraded and rapidly broken down by natural processes like the degradation of vegetables. Others may take decades to decompose, but once released cannot be easily removed.
EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION ON OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
Pollutions that are evident in our global environment are a side effect of the unprecedented industrial revolution that we have seen in the last few decades. Large-scale factories spewing smoke, gases, and chemically toxic waste have begun to have an impact on the environment. One of the causes that are making environmental pollution a major cause for concern is the phenomenal expansion of automobiles and the ever-increasing human population.
Pollutants are created at one location and then transported to other locations, primarily by wind or water, and are usually carried by humans. This leads to air, water, and soil pollution, respectively. Useful microorganisms are destroyed, and their fertilities lost when these components are contaminated. There will be reduction in crop yield. If the soil is not fertile; it will hurt human society. Also, if water is polluted then we must purify it before drinking. If the air is polluted, respiration will become a problem, putting life's survival in jeopardy. Air pollution causes a variety of respiratory illnesses and is harmful to the human body. The contaminants found in polluted environmental components; soil, air, and water can enter human bodies through several channels such as the nose, the mouth, or the skin making them vulnerable to the risk of various global health challenges. Short-term health effects caused by contaminated components include headaches, coughing, chest pain, nausea, and skin/eye irritation. Prolonged exposure to contaminated soil can lead to the depression of the central nervous system and damage to vital organs (such as the liver). Human cancer has been related to long-term exposure to contaminated soils. It is deducible from the ongoing that environmental pollution harms the major components on which livelihood on earth depends and should be reduced as far as possible. Nature is harmed and in turn, we are more harmed. Human survival depends on this environment and its surrounding so care should be taken, and its balance should be maintained.
CONCLUSION
Concludingly, the environment is defined by the surroundings of a physical system that directly or indirectly interact with other systems which may be through the exchange of mass and energy. All living beings and non-living things fall under the natural environment. The environment is the setting in which we exist, and we must safeguard it from harm. However, having an environment-friendly system is essential for both humans, plants, and animals to exist and survive globally.
Economic activities, consumption, and population growth are some significant indicators that influence the amount of waste produced. However, environmental pollution is caused by the release of diverse types of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes including agricultural and animal wastes, medical wastes, radioactive wastes, mining wastes, oil and gas production wastes, fossil fuel combustion wastes, and plastic materials, heavy metals, e-wastes, nuclear wastes. and sewage sludge, which impacts negatively on the natural environment, and in most cases are due to inefficient use of materials. Thus, to have a pollution-free environment, wastes once generated, must be managed through reuse, recycling, storage, treatment, and proper disposal accordingly. As a result, people all over the world must begin striving to reduce various sorts of pollution to improve the health of the planet and everyone who lives on it.
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