Environmental Pollution: An Initiative for Healthy Living
Environment pollution is the process of irreversible contamination of the environment resulting damage to the earth and its living beings. Pollutants are the main reason for environmental contamination. Pollutants have detrimental effects on the earth as well as on the human health. There are various forms of environmental pollution, namely, air, water, noise, thermal, soil and light pollution.
Deforestation and dangerous gas emissions are also leading to environmental pollution. During the last 10 years, the world has witnessed intense upward push in environmental pollution. We all live on the planet earth, which is the only planet, regarded to have an environment, where the air and water are simple things that preserve life. Without air and water, the earth could be like the other planets – no guy, no animals, no vegetation. The major components of the ecosphere are oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon and water vapor. Balance between these components ensures the growth of life on earth. This balance does not only assist the survival of humanity, but it also creates the perennial resources of minerals and energies without which the human civilization of today couldn't be constructed.
Due to this balance the human as well as other living forms have flourished on the planet earth. But human, as the smartest living being on the planet, never stopped being curious, nor was satisfied with the blessings of the nature. With the progression of science and technology, life has changed but the human civilization is continuously polluting the environment and making the earth unfriendly for them. Root causes of Environment Pollution Environment pollution occurs due to pollutants from various sources. Most common pollution sources are as follows: Industrialization: Industrialization comes as a blessing for human civilization. All the human needs are full-filled by the manufacturing yield of different industries. But the dangerous gas emission and chemical waste released by these industries bring disaster to human civilization and the earth. These gas and chemical waste released from the industries are the main reason for altering the ecosystem.
Consequently, these pollutants are continuously contaminating the air and the water, two major elements for the survival of human. Furthermore, when human inhale and drink these contaminated air and water suffers from various life threatening diseases. The inappropriate dumping of industrial wastes is also responsible for water and soil pollution. Chemical toxins released from industries contaminate rivers & lakes resulting in the damage of marine resource as well as the human. Disposal of solid waste from household activities: Solid waste disposal from household activities contaminates the environment. Due to improper management of solid waste disposal from household activities reduces the quality of life. Furthermore, use of CFC based home appliances release hazardous gases which deploy the ozone layer resulting in thermal pollution. Smokes and noise from vehicles: One of the main sources of air pollution is the gas emission due to petroleum burning from the vehicles. By the increase of civilization, the use of private car, bus and train have also increased. Consequently, the emission from petroleum consumption has increased, resulting in air pollution. Furthermore, sound produced from vehicles results in the noise pollution from which metro areas are suffering most. Increased rate of urbanization: Increased urbanization damaging the earth as well as the mankind. This also results in deforestation and destruction of forest reserve. As a consequence, air, water and soil pollution have increased alarmingly.
Population outburst: In the past decades the population of the world has flared-up. To meet the demand of these increased pollution, deforestation rate increased. Therefore, use of natural resources has been increasing rapidly. This results in dumping of more pollutants to the environment and unbalancing the ecosystem. Waste from agricultural source: Use of fertilizer and harmful pesticides has been increased terrifyingly. For over production, farmers are using these chemicals and unknowingly causing a great damage to the environment. Consequence of Environment Pollution 1. Ecosystem will be hampered resulting in devastating effects on the living beings on the earth. 2. Air pollution will continue to kill millions of lives on the earth in every year. 3. Water pollution will damage the marine life as well as the human being who cannot survive without drinking water. 4. Soil pollution will contribute to the production of contaminated food for human beings by again creating great harm to the health. 5. Noise pollution will cause the rise in hearing problem of the people. 6. Thermal pollution will cause global warming and the sea level will be increased.
Facts That Cannot be Denied 1. According to the Lancet Commission on Pollution and Health, around 6.5 millions fatalities occurred in every year due to air pollution. 2. From a published study from Lancet, 1 in 6 people around the world is dyeing due to different forms of environmental pollution. 3. According to a study conducted by 40 international scientists, environment pollution causes around 16% of worldwide death, which is 15 folds higher than the death caused by war and violence. 4. In China, around 1 million people die in every year due to environment pollution. 5. From Lancet study it has found that around 2.5 million people die in every year in India due to water pollution and water borne disease.
Ways to Minimize Environment Pollution 1. Mass people awareness is must to reduce the environment pollution. This is the human who is enjoying every resource from the nature. So we should not stand against our own. We have to be cautious about our activities, whether it is hampering our environment or not. Our concern in this regard can reduce the intensity of environment pollution. 2. Industries should be constructed in the distinct place away from the town where the majority of the people lives. 3. Emphasize should be given on the research of alternate energy. So that consumption of petroleum and other mineral oils can be reduced. 4. New Plantation program should be carried out and forest reserve has to be preserved. 5. Dumping of chemical waste into the river should be stopped and have to develop efficient chemical waste management system for the industries. 6. Use of organic fertilizer should be increased. 7. Plastic items should be banned.
ABOUT AUTHOR: Redwan Shakir is a registered pharmacist with extensive experience market research, technology transfer, dossier preparation, development of generic molecules and scientific journal publications