30/03/2023
Pollution is the release of harmful materials into the environment. These harmful materials are referred to as pollutants. Pollutants may be naturally occurring, or caused by human activity. The three major types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution.
Air pollution is defined as contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical, or biological agent that alters the natural properties of the atmosphere. Common sources of air pollution include household combustion devices, motor vehicles, industrial facilities, and forest fires. According to WHO data, almost all of the world's population (99%) breathes air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants, with low- and middle-income countries shouldering the majority of the burden. Even if the pollutants are invisible, polluted air can be dangerous. It can cause people's eyes to burn and make breathing difficult. It may also increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Air pollution can be lethal at times. An accident at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, released a lethal gas into the atmosphere in 1984. Within a few days, at least 8,000 people died. Hundreds of thousands more people have been permanently injured.
Water pollution occurs when harmful substances, most often chemicals or microorganisms, contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, lowering water quality and making it toxic to humans or the environment. Water pollution is a widespread problem that endangers our health. Every year, unsafe water kills more people than war and all other forms of violence combined. Water is particularly susceptible to pollution. Water, also known as a "universal solvent," can dissolve more substances than any other liquid on the planet. It's what gives us Kool-Aid and brilliant blue waterfalls. It is also the reason why water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories easily dissolve and mix with it, polluting the water.
Land pollution is defined as the destruction or deterioration of the earth's surface as a result of human activity. This could include anything from mining to agriculture to construction, with the consequences being either intentional or unintentional. The main contributors include litter, waste, urbanization, construction, mining, extraction, and agriculture. Land pollution can be harmful to the human body in a number of ways. People can consume toxic waste and contaminants. Hazardous radioactive waste disposal also contributes to land contamination. Long-term health consequences include chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer, heart disease, and even brain damage.
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/pollution/
https://www.nrdc.org/stories/water-pollution-everything-you-need-know
https://www.accgov.com/8208/Land