The Pollution

The Pollution - Essay Outline

1. Introduction
2. Forms of pollution
3. Sources and causes
4. Worst and least polluted countries
5. Effects
6. Pollution dilemma in Pakistan
7. Conclusion

What is Pollution?

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms.

Pollution can take the form of noise, heat, or light. Pollutants can be foreign substances or energies, or naturally occurring. When naturally occurring, they are considered contaminants when they exceed natural levels.

The major forms of pollution are air pollution, light pollution, littering, noise pollution, soil contamination, visual pollution and water pollution.

Air pollution comes from both natural and man-made sources. Among man-made pollutants motor vehicle emissions, combustion, and warfare are significant in the air pollution.

Chemical Pollution

Principal stationary pollution sources include chemical plants, coal- fired power plants, oil refineries, petrochemical plants, nuclear waste disposal activity, large livestock farms (dairy cows, poultry, etc.), factories, heavy industry, burning of natural vegetation as well as spraying of pesticides and herbicides.

Diseases Caused by Pollution

Adverse air quality can kill many organisms including humans. Ozone pollution can cause respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases, throat inflammation, chest pain and congestion. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day.

Oil spills can cause skin irritations and rashes. Noise pollution induces hearing loss, high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disturbance. Lead and other heavy metals have been shown to cause neurological problems. Chemical and radioactive substances can cause cancer and as well as birth defects.

Polluting Countries

World’s top 10 biggest polluting countries are China, America, Russia, India, Japan, Germany, Canada, UK. South Korea and Iran while New Zealand, Finland Greenland, Sweden, and Singapore are the least polluted countries.

Air pollution in Pakistan’s major cities is among the highest in the world, economic planners have warned. Dust and smoke particles are “generally twice the world average” and “five times” higher than the developed world, the Pakistan Economic Survey found. The pollution crisis is compounded by severe water scarcity, a report says.

Pakistan’s government should build water purification plants across the country to encounter water pollution and water shortage.

To protect the environment from the adverse effects of pollution, the government must enact legislation to regulate various types of pollution as well as to mitigate the adverse effects of pollution.

The solution to pollution is dilution. The government should act upon this traditional approach in pollution management because sufficiently diluted pollution is not harmful.