Environment – All the physical surroundings on Earth are called the environment.
The environment includes everything living and everything nonliving.
There are a number of things around us like plants, animals, soil, water and human beings.
Over the years, man has contaminated the environment.
Pollution – The harmful changes brought in the environment by human activities are called pollution.
Pollution basically is the discharge of environmental contaminants.
It is the contamination of air, water and land.
Smoke from vehicles and factories pollutes the air, dumping of chemicals and factory wastes contaminate the water and garbage and other wastes spoil the land or soil.
The main types of pollution are air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination or land pollution and noise pollution.
Among other ill-effects pollution also disrupts ecosystem and can cause health problems.
Air pollution – The mixing of harmful gases with other particles in air is called air pollution.
Human activities, industries and vehicles are the main sources of air pollution.
Effect
It causes breathing problem to mankind. It also causes harm to the plants.
The growth of plants slows down and over a time they become weak and eventually die.
Water pollution – When the water sources get contaminated, it is called water pollution.
Water is polluted due to human activities.
Industrial and household wastes are released into the water which causes its pollution.
Other activities like washing clothes or bathing animals in rivers in rural areas also cause water pollution.
Sea water is mainly polluted by oil spill.
It makes water unfit for marine plants and animals
Effect
It is harmful for both plants and animals.
It also makes people sick.
Land pollution –
The land or soil pollution is caused by dumping of wastes such as plastic bags, glass bottles and metal containers.
The main sources of land / soil pollution are; solid wastes, refuse from mines, forests and agriculture.
Effect
Land pollution makes the soil infertile.
It harms the organisms living in the soil and adversely affects the growth of the plants.
Global warming –
The earth is enveloped by a blanket of gases called atmosphere.
Some of these gases like carbon dioxide, methane and water vapour have the property to trap the sun’s heat.
These gases do not allow the heat to escape into the space.
This heat keeps the earth warm.
This effect is called greenhouse effect and these gases are called greenhouse gases.
But when the concentration of these gases increases in the atmosphere, it leads to the rise in the earth’s average temperature.
This is called global warming.
Global warming causes climate change on the earth.
These results into melting of polar ice rise in sea level and submerging of low lying areas near the sea.
To reduce the effects of global warming we should reduce the release of green-house gases into the environment.
One important step in this direction is to plant more and more trees because trees are good absorbers of carbon dioxide the main greenhouse gas.
Noise pollution – The pressure of noise in atmosphere is called sound or noise pollution.
Sound is essential for us but noise is not.
Noise is the unwanted sound that causes discomfort to the ears.
The noise pollution is mainly caused by industrial machinery, vehicles, aeroplanes, loudspeakers and loud music.
Effect
It affects human health and is harmful for the ears.
