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Introduction

According to an empirical study conducted by IPCC, 2,500 scientists, policymakers and economists identified human activities to be the main cause of environment pollution (UN 234). Through this understanding, human beings have been able to identify ways of reducing environmental pollution by 2030 to 2050. It is the aim of this paper to understanding environmental pollution through the types, causes and its effects.

Types

Environmental pollution can mainly be categorized in three types which are air, soil and water pollution.

· Air Pollution

Air pollution can mainly be described to be the atmospheric contamination through the release of toxic gaseous chemicals and fumes as well as particulate matter such as dust. The most common air pollutants include nitrogen oxides, photochemical ozone, carbon monoxide, chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur dioxide, smog, hydrocarbons, radioactive matter and other airborne particulate pollutants such as dust. In 2014, EPA estimated that around 81% of greenhouse emissions were made up by carbon dioxide and methane contributed about 11% to the overall greenhouse gas emission (Macknzie np).

· Soil Pollution

Soil pollution is a type of environmental pollution that involves release of harmful materials to the soil. For instance, spill releases and leakages lead to contamination of soil. Most common soil contaminants include harmful solvents, hydrocarbons and heavy metals such as mercury and lead.

· Water Pollution

Water pollution can be understood as the release of harmful materials into the ground water. The most common water contaminants include untreated sewage, chemical contaminants, agricultural chemicals, industrial waste and heavy metals such as mercury and lead. Surface agricultural and urban runoffs contributed to a greater extent of water pollution.

Apart from the above described main types of environmental pollution, there are others which may include light pollution, noise pollution, radioactive pollution, thermal pollution, visual pollution and plastic pollution.

Causes

About 410 million tons of toxic waste is produced globally on an annual basis. Industrialization has been a leading cause featuring almost half of this waste amount in highly industrialized nations such as America and China. Establishment of industries has been on the rise more so in the increased use of machines that are more effective and efficient that manpower. This change was accompanied by the increased fossil fuel utilization which was used in running the machines. When fossil fuels are burnt for energy production, air pollution is caused. Additionally, industries produce waste materials after utilizing the raw materials in production. The waste material is as a result disposed into the environment in soil, air or water. For instance smog from industries lead to air pollution and acid rain as well as the waste disposed into rivers (Cardei et al 7). Regarding soil pollution, accumulating of waste in a field leads to contamination of soil with harmful products that negatively alter the soil composition.

Another cause is the increased function of transportation which primarily utilizes fossil fuels for operation. Evolution of transportation to mechanical means has over time been driven by the need of faster and more convenient movement by human beings. As a result, this evolution has led to increased used of fossil fuels that continues to increase carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Leakages experienced in motor vehicles also lead to pollution of soil and water during run-offs.

Other human activities that lead to environment pollution are agricultural activities. Based on the principle of convenience and increased output, agricultural activities can be seen to embrace more chemicals in food production and animal husbandry. Consequently, the residues from pesticides and herbicides have continued to accumulate in the environment. Considering they are made of chemicals, they end up negatively affecting the environment and its composition. An additional attribution to this negative trend in agriculture is the rapid growth of human populations. An estimated 200 million deaths globally are related to hunger in the past 20 years (Tal np).Therefore more food is on demand leading to need of enhanced agricultural practices for purposes of adequate food for the large populations.

Exploring the factor of overpopulation and rapid population growths, it is a major cause of environmental pollution. Due to increase populations, more land has to be cleared for settlement leading to more bare land. Due to increased populations, more pressures are subjected to the environment due to the uncontrolled practices that lead to more environment pollution (Wolf 7). For instance America produces approximately 25% of total global carbon dioxide with China producing more (UN 153). Increased populations also lead to urban population congestions that lead to increased social evils that eventually end up being adversities to the environment. Therefore social evils contributed a great deal towards environmental pollution due to uncontrolled human behavior. Also due to the high population pollution has led to a decline of visibility clarity and distance of people by around 70 percent (Mackenzie np).

Trading has also led to the evolution of exchanges of goods and services particularly driven by the aspect of profitability. As a result, economic gains have prioritized more to environmental conservation and this leads to continued environment pollution.

Effects

Environmental pollution leads to lack of clean water for consumption like in the case whereby about 14,000 people die daily due to contaminated water (Tal np). Human beings are exposed to more physical harm due to the alteration of the environment. Diseases have become more eminent among human beings ranging from respiratory diseases that are caused by air pollution to other intense diseases such as cancer. WHO estimates urban air pollution caused about 800,000 human deaths which is about 1.2 percent of total deaths as well as 6.4 million lost years of healthy living around the world as at 2000 (UN 226)

Apart from humans, animals are also adversely affected. Animal species have overtime become extinct due to the changing environmental conditions that do not favor their existence. Additionally, release of harmful components to water, air and soil leads to death and short lifespans of animals. Food chains are altered and more animals are at risk with the environmental pollution.

Plants are also affected considering that they are present in water and soil. Change in climatic conditions leads to death and extinction of plant species due to the unbearable earth conditions. In the course of water and nutrient uptake, plants also take up toxic chemicals and heavy metals leading to toxic food which ends up in the bodies of animals and human beings.

Conclusion

In general, environmental pollution is an evil that must be dealt with before it explodes to an uncontrollable situation. Human activities are the main causes of environmental pollution and it is important new strategies are formed towards approaching human activities and conservation of the environment. Due to this understanding, the world is reforming with reduced emissions such as in Europe and North America where levels of carbon emissions are projected to reduce between 15-45 percent and 30-70 percent as at 2050 (UN 125).

Work Cited

Cardei, P., et al. "Elementary and complex simulation of a river pollution in order to raise environmental training and awareness." INMATEH-Agricultural Engineering 49.2 (2016): 99-106.

Convention on Long-range Transboundary Air Pollution, et al. Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollution 2010: Part A-Ozone and Particulate Matter. UN, 2010.