Question

 

Give a briefly explanation of the each of the Five main consequences of pollution :

- Respiratory disease and other health problems in humans.

- Death of aquatic Organisms due to chemicals.

- Soil erosion and worsening states of water bodies.

- Plant growth adversely affected.

- Depletion of ozone layer and global warming.

Answer 1

1)Main pollution that contribute to respiratory disease and other health problem is Air pollution.

Air pollution can be defined as when one or more contaminants or combinations in such quantities and in such durations which tend to be injurious to human,animal or plant life,or any other property.Substances that dwells temporarily or permanently in the air which causes air pollution is called air pollutants.Pollutants may be primary and seondary.Particulate matter are the primary concern of respiratory disease.Alveolar macrophage is the first line of defence in the lung and interact directly with toxic particles and other gases.This AM response vary with the level of pollutants.Air pollution adversely affect lungs and it reduces the lung function.Chronic air pollution exposure causes lung injury which causes inflammation that leads to oxidative stress and lung disease.Asthma,COPD(cgronic obstructive pulmonary disease)are some of the main respiratory diseases included.High health problems levels can cause immediate health problems including aggravated cardiovascular and respiratory illness,damaged cells in the respiratory system,added stress to heart and lungs etc..Long term exposure to polluted air leads to some permnent health effects like acclerated aging of the lungs,loss of lung capacity and decreased lung function,shortened life span etc..

2)Death of aquatic organisms due to chemicals

Almost two-thirds of our aquatic life is considered to be an endangered species due to the improperly disposed chemicals and other hazardous wastes.When it rains,those chemicals are washed into rivers,which feeds the waterfalls and then goes into the ocean.This toxic waste which harms the organism have the capability of completly destroying the entire food chain of aquatic life.This chemicals pollute marine life and kills sea mammals,corals and fish.Also at the same time sea birds are affected because they eat the fish.Biomagnification is a process in which animals which is higher in the food chain,ie humans accumulate these toxins in high concentrations.Predators higher on the food chain are much more likely to have genetic mutations,birth defects etc..Let us have an example of aquatic pollution.Over the years,the disposal of chemical waste in agriculture has led to a significant increase in phosphorous and nitrogen.When it comes to water,these nutrients causes eutrophication again leads to the execssive growth of algae and phytoplankton.This execessive algal growth produces algal blooms,which spreads toxins known as brown tides or red tides.Both of these are responsible for killing seabirds,fish,marine mammals and humans too.When these harmful blooms die,the bacteria consumes all of the oxygen and creates a dead zone and fish cannot live in this area.

3)Soil erosion and worsening states of waterbodies

Soil erosion can be defined as the displacement of the upper layer of soil.This is a natural process and it is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents.eg;-ice,water,snow,air,animals,plants etc..Loss of soil from farmland reflects reduced crop production potential,lower surface water quality,damaged drainage networks etc..Effects of soil erosion goes beyond the loss of fertile land.Degraded lands are often less able to hold onto water,which can worsen flooding.The impact of soil erosion can be very significant not only in reducing soil productivity but also in deteriorating water quality,thus by worsening the water bodies.Sediment resulting from soil erosion is a major water quality pollutant in lower surface water bodies.Increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in surface waters are also leading contributors to reduced water quality.One of the main problem that is commonly associated with soil erosion and sediment is the impact of P and N rich sediment in causing eutrophication that causes growth of algae and other aquatic plants in nutrient enriched waters that lowers dissolved oxygen levels.These algae and other plants die and decompose which kills fish and increases turbidity and shifts in aquatic flora and fauna populations.

4)Plant growth adversely affected

Mainly it includes four primary factors that affect plant growth.They are water,light,temperature,and nutrients.These four elements affects plant growth hormones thus by making the plant grow more quickly or more slowly.Changing any of these factors can cause the plant stress wich stunts growth or it improves growth ,ie either it increases or decreases growth.The sun has an extremely very big effect on plants.Because they uses the energy from sunlight for photosynthesis.Photosynthesis alows the plant to absorb energy through the chlorophyll in the leaves which then converts into food.Plants uses more nitrogen than other nutrient for growing.Nitrogen regulates the growth of stems and leafy green foilage.Feeding plants with a fertilizer which is rich in nitrogen promotes rapid growth in leaves and stems.Plant hormones like auxin,gibberellin,cytokinin,ethylene and abscisic acid can work together or independently to influence plant growth.

5)Depletion of ozone layer and global warming

Main cause for ozone layer depletion is found to be manufactured chemicals,especially manufactured halocarbon,refrigerants,solvents,propellants and foam blowing agents such as fluorocarbons and is refered to as ozone-depleting substances.These compounds are transported into the stratosphere by turbulent mixing.In the stratosphere they release halogen atoms through photodissociation which breakdown ozone into oxygen.This ozone depletion and ozone hole over worldwide created the risk of cancer and other harmful effects.Global warming is caused by putting large amount of co2 into the atmosphere when coal,oil and natural gas are burned to generate electricity or to run our cars.Co2 spreads throughout earth and it is responsiblE for the absorption of infrared radiation which comprises the bulk of solar energy.The same co2 that produces global warming is cooling the stratosphere.This cooling in turn produce an increase in ozone depletion in polar area and the frequency of ozone holes.