Unit 5: Environmental Pollution

1. Definition and Classification

Environmental Pollution is the unfavorable alteration of our surroundings, wholly or largely as a by-product of human actions. A Pollutant is any substance or energy (heat, noise) that, when introduced into the environment, has undesirable effects.

2. Air and Water Pollution

Air Pollution

Presence of contaminants in the atmosphere like CO, SO₂, NO_x, and Particulate Matter (PM).

• Sources: Vehicle emissions, industrial smoke, and burning of fossil fuels.
• Effects: Respiratory diseases, Acid rain, and Global Warming.

Water Pollution

Contamination of water bodies like lakes, rivers, and oceans.

• Sources: Industrial effluents, domestic sewage, and agricultural runoff (fertilizers).
• Effects: Water-borne diseases (Cholera, Typhoid), Bio-magnification, and Eutrophication.

3. Soil, Marine, and Noise Pollution

Type	Major Causes	Major Effects
Soil	Pesticides, Plastics, Mining.	Loss of fertility, food chain toxicity.
Marine	Oil spills, Plastic dumping.	Death of coral reefs and marine life.
Noise	Traffic, Construction, Honking.	Hearing loss, hypertension, stress.