1. Pollution:
Comprising over 70% of the Earth’s surface, water is
undoubtedly the most precious natural resource that
exists on our planet. Without the seemingly
invaluable compound comprised of hydrogen and
oxygen, life on Earth would be non-existent: it is
essential for everything on our planet to grow and
prosper. Although we as humans recognize this fact,
we disregard it by polluting our rivers, lakes, and
oceans. Subsequently, we are slowly but surely
harming our planet to the point where organisms
are dying at a very alarming rate. In addition to
innocent organisms dying off, our drinking water has
become greatly affected as is our ability to use water
for recreational purposes. In order to combat water
pollution, we must understand the problems and
become part of the solution.
2. Causes of pollution:
•
Many causes of pollution including sewage and
fertilizers contain nutrients such as nitrates and
phosphates. In excess levels, nutrients over stimulate
the growth of aquatic plants and algae. Excessive
growth of these types of organisms consequently clogs
our waterways, use up dissolved oxygen as they
decompose, and block light to deeper waters.
This, in turn, proves very harmful to aquatic organisms
as it affects the respiration ability or fish and other
invertebrates that reside in water.
Pollution is also caused when silt and other
suspended solids, such as soil, wash off plowed fields,
construction and logging sites, urban areas, and
eroded river banks when it rains. Under natural
conditions, lakes, rivers, and other water bodies
undergo Eutrophication, an aging process that slowly
fills in the water body with sediment and organic
matter. When these sediments enter various bodies of
water, fish respiration becomes impaired, plant
productivity and water depth become reduced, and
aquatic organisms and their environments become
suffocated.
3. • THE POLLUTION OF THE SEA from hydrocarbons
(crude oil, fuel, petrol, oily waste, etc) is a global problem
that entails between two and ten million tonnes of these
products reaching the sea each year. Although the bulk of
public attention is focused on the oil slicks caused by
major oil tanker accidents, chronic dumping of these
substances – in other words, the residue from ordinary
maritime traffic – is three times higher.
• Washing out the tanks of oil tankers, dumping bilge
water and minor spillages on board or in port are the
main sources of hydrocarbon pollution of marine origin.
4. • Air Pollution, addition of harmful substances to the atmosphere
resulting in damage to the environment, human health, and quality of
life. One of many forms of pollution, air pollution occurs inside homes,
schools, and offices; in cities; across continents; and even globally. Air
pollution makes people sick—it causes breathing problems and
promotes cancer—and it harms plants, animals, and the ecosystems in
which they live. Some air pollutants return to Earth in the form of acid
rain and snow, which corrode statues and buildings, damage crops and
forests, and make lakes and streams unsuitable for fish and other plant
and animal life.
• Pollution is changing Earth’s atmosphere so that it lets in more harmful
radiation from the Sun. At the same time, our polluted atmosphere is
becoming a better insulator, preventing heat from escaping back into
space and leading to a rise in global average temperatures. Scientists
predict that the temperature increase, referred to as global warming, will
affect world food supply, alter sea level, make weather more extreme,
and increase the spread of tropical diseases.
6. Impacts of pollution:
• Because humans are at the top of the food chain, they are particularly
vulnerable to the effects of nondegradable pollutants. This was clearly
illustrated in the 1950s and 1960s when residents living near
Minamata Bay, Japan, developed nervous disorders, tremors, and
paralysis in a mysterious epidemic. More than 400 people died
before authorities discovered that a local industry had released
mercury into Minamata Bay. This highly toxic element accumulated
in the bodies of local fish and eventually in the bodies of people who
consumed the fish. More recently research has revealed that many
chemical pollutants, such as DDT and PCBs, mimic sex hormones and
interfere with the human body’s reproductive and developmental
functions. These substances are known as endocrine disrupters.
7. Benefits of Recycling:
• Recycling creates jobs
• Recycling reduces the need for landfills and incineration of
solid waste
• Recycling reduces the pollution caused by making products
from virgin materials
• Recycling saves energy
• Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that
contribute to climate change
• Recycling conserves the natural resources such as timber,
water and minerals
• By conserving resources today, recycling ensures there will
be plenty left for future. generations .
“Recycling feels good. It's the right thing to do”
8. • Saving Energy:
• It generally takes less energy to make products with
recycled materials than virgin materials. It takes 20
times more energy to make aluminum from bauxite
ore than using recycled aluminum. Benefits of
reduced energy consumption include reduced costs
and reduced dependence on foreign suppliers.
• Reducing Pollution:
• Using less energy also means generating less air and
water pollution and recycling reduced other forms of
pollution as well. Runoff from mining operations,
soil erosion and toxic chemicals released when raw
materials are processed.
9. Biffi –La Salle School
POLLUTION
Vivian Andrea López Pedraza
8B
Teacher: Angie Guardo
BARRANQUILLA
2009
