Environmental pollution
The various wastes released into the environment by an ever-growing population upset its balance. This section discusses the effects of those wastes on the environment.
Environmental pollution
Adding pollutants to the natural environment that cause harmful changes in it is called environmental pollution. It has three main forms: soil pollution, water pollution and air pollution.
Activity 15.1
You will need: the various kinds of waste found in the environment
- Make a field trip round the school grounds and list the pollutants you find.
- Classify them in two ways. Method I: things that decay, and things that do not. Method II: food waste; polythene and plastic; metal items; paper and cardboard; glass and porcelain; electronic items.
- If the school were to put out waste bins, suggest which bins would suit best, considering the amount of each kind of waste.
Figure to be added
Because many kinds of waste contribute to pollution, it is very important to learn about them so that their use can be kept to a minimum. The kinds of waste are: agrochemicals, industrial waste, greenhouse gases, heavy metals, particulate matter, domestic waste, electronic waste and nuclear waste.
Why sorting waste matters
A single mixed bin turns everything into rubbish. Food scraps rot and make the paper and plastic dirty and smelly, glass breaks among them, and a battery thrown in leaks heavy metals into the rest. Sorted at the start, each kind has a future: food waste becomes compost, paper and metal can be recycled, clean plastic can be collected, and electronic items can go to the special collection points that recover their metals safely. Method I sorts by what nature can deal with; method II sorts by what people can recover. A school that sees mostly food and paper in its survey needs different bins from one that sees mostly plastic.
Soil, water and air pollution
Pollution is adding substances that cause harmful change in the environment; sorting waste at source is the first step to reducing it.