presentation on pollution and its types

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Types of Pollution

Pollution  is defined as introducing harmful substances (solid, liquid, or gas) or any form of energy (light, heat, sound, or radioactivity) into the environment. The harmful elements that damage air, water, and land quality and cause pollution are called pollutants.

Pollution is primarily human-made, but nature can have an adverse effect also sometimes acts as a source of pollution.

What are the Different Types of Pollution: Causes and Effects

The three major types of environmental pollution are air, water, and soil. Besides these three main types, there are noise, light, thermal, and radioactive pollutions.

1. Air Pollution

The air in our atmosphere has a roughly stable chemical composition consisting of nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases. Any change in the air composition due to the addition of unwanted gases such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides, chemicals, particulate matter, and biological molecules is called air pollution.

Among all other types of pollution, air pollution is found to have the most diverse impact on Earth.

Sources/Causes

Air pollution can happen from both human-made (anthropogenic) and natural sources. Some of the significant sources of air pollution are given below:

• Burning of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas
• Exhaust from automobiles and industries
• Indiscriminate cutting of trees (deforestation)
• Wildfires resulting from burning stubble and farm residues
• Release of methane from microbial decay
• Excessive discharge of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide
• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) released from aerosols sprays, refrigerants, and air conditioners
• Release volcanic ash and gases
• Respiratory disorders in humans such as asthma, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and other lung problems
• Formation of smog that reduces visibility
• Formation of acid rain
• Depletion of the ozone layer
• Global warming
• Hazards to wildlife
• Planting of trees (afforestation) purifies the air
• Use of renewable energy such as sunlight and wind energy and reducing dependence on nonrenewable sources such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas
• Increasing efficiency in energy usage
• Use of eco-friendly vehicles
• Cleaning of industry emissions before their release into the atmosphere
• Reducing dependence on vehicles

2. Water Pollution

Water pollution occurs when toxic pollutants and particulate matter are introduced into water bodies such as oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and aquifers, making them impure and toxic. These contaminants are primarily generated by human activities and sometimes by natural disasters.

Among all other types of pollution, water pollution is found to have the maximum adverse consequences on the ecosystem.

• Industrial and domestic sewage discharge
• Oil spills and natural gas leakage into water bodies from underground sites called petroleum seeps
• Social practices such as washing, bathing, and littering in water bodies and religious practices
• Agricultural runoff containing pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, slurry, debris, and manures
• Mining and drilling sometimes make underground water contaminated
• Floods and storm carrying dust and debris to the water bodies
• Algal bloom (eutrophication) caused due to an increase in nutrients of the water bodies
• Reducing dissolved oxygen in the water bodies thus disrupting aquatic life
• Disturbing the pH and salinity of the water bodies leading to loss of aquatic life
• Increasing the risk of water-borne diseases such as hepatitis, cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid in humans
• Increasing the level of toxins and pollutants at each successive level of the food chain (biomagnification)
• Proper disposing of domestic, agricultural, and industrial wastes before releasing them into water bodies
• Using sewage treatment methods such as precipitation, ion exchange, reverse osmosis , and coagulation
• Reducing reusing, and recycling of water
• Using plants such as water hyacinth that absorbs heavy metals in areas contaminated with radioactive pollutants

3. Soil Pollution

Sometimes called land pollution, it refers to the degradation of land quality due to unwanted chemicals and other factors in the soil. Such chemicals change the soil’s chemical and biological properties, thus affecting plant growth. Green plants, being the primary producer, absorb those pollutants, which are then passed through the food chain, affecting the whole ecosystem.

Soil pollution can seep into groundwater or run off to the nearest streams and lakes, creating a vicious pollution cycle.

• Intensive farming leading to the overuse of agrochemicals such as pesticides, fertilizers, herbicides, slurry, debris, and manures
• Improper disposal of wastes from paper mills, sugar factories, petroleum, and chemical industries
• Dust particles such as silica dust
• Urban wastes consisting of garbage and rubbish materials, dried sludge, and sewage from households and commercial bodies
• Accidental oil spills from oil refineries
• Radioactive pollutants such as radium, thorium, and uranium from power plants
• Acid rain, increasing the acidity of the soil
• Deforestation that increases soil erosion causing low soil fertility
• Loss of soil fertility making it unfit for agriculture
• Adverse effect on the growth of flora and fauna in the soil
• Groundwater pollution
• Increasing the salinity of the soil, making it unfit for agriculture
• Causing respiratory problems, neuromuscular blockage, and various forms of cancer, especially lung cancer
• Causing nausea, headache, eye irritation, skin rash, and depression
• Use of organic matures instead of artificial fertilizers in agriculture
• Planting of trees (Afforestation)
• Treating solid wastes such as garbage, domestic refuse, and industrial materials before dumping them in landfills
• Recovering and recycling of materials such as plastics, cloth, and glass before dumping

4. Other Types of Pollution

1. Light Pollution

Light pollution refers to the excessive amount of light in the night sky. It occurs due to excessive, misdirected, and inefficient lighting systems by humans. It is also called photo pollution that disrupts the ecosystem by reducing the distinction between night and day.

Although light pollution seems to have a lesser impact than any other form, it is expected to have consequences similar to air or water pollution.

• Increased energy consumption through over-illumination from artificial light sources such as street lighting, domestic lighting, and garage
• Poor planning by engineers while placing street lights and signage
• Overpopulation increases electricity consumption, which increases glare
• Smog and fog due to air pollution reflect light emitted by cities, making the surrounding look much brighter
• Produce behavioral changes in animals. Nocturnal animals, who are active at night, venture out during the daytime. In contrast, diurnal animals, which are active during the day, remain active at night
• Affecting migration pattern in seasonal birds
• Difficulty for astronomers to see the stars properly
• Affecting newly hatched turtles that rely on starlight to guide them from the beach to the ocean. They often head in the wrong direction.
• Causing flowering and developmental patterns in plants
• Inducing smog by destroying nitrate radicals, helping in the dispersion of smog, and causing air pollution
• Inducing a delay in melatonin secretion in humans, which delays sleep at night
• Reducing the use of decorative lightings that produce more light and consumes more energy
• Use of covered bulbs or light that face downwards
• Switching to an LED light that reduces luminance without compromising visibility
• Proper planning during installation of street lights and signage
• Switching off street lights during daytime
• Using glare-free lighting in the outdoors
• Stopping light-trespass

2. Noise Pollution

It refers to the excessive amount of sound in the surroundings disrupting the natural balance. The acceptable amount of sound is about 60 to 65 decibels, which is the same as our everyday conversation.

Sound levels above 85 decibels are harmful depending on the duration of exposure. Noise above 140 decibels can cause permanent hearing loss. Also, the duration of exposure to the sound is found to have negative health impacts.

• Noise from heavy machines in factories, mills, and industries
• Traffic noise from vehicles (trains and buses) and airplanes
• Construction noises from boring and drilling machines
• Noise from firecrackers and loudspeakers in social events
• Household noises from television, mixer grinders, and music systems
• Loss of hearing and behavioral disorders
• Loss of focus on work leading to low work output
• Stress and Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Lack of sleep and fatigue
• Difficulty in speech and impairment
• Hearing disorders like tinnitus
• Songbirds, such as robins, fail to communicate and find food
• Disrupting sonar, used by marine animals to communicate and locate food
• Honking in public places like hospitals, academic institutions such as schools and colleges should be banned
• Installing adequate soundproof systems in commercial buildings and hospitals
• Afforestation as trees can absorb sound
• Restricting the use of firecrackers during festivities and doing open public rallies

Apart from the types of pollution discussed, there are other forms of pollution called  thermal or heat pollution  and  radioactive pollution .

Thermal pollution is caused due to excessive heat in the environment released from industrial power plants, deforestation, urban sprawl, and air pollution. It increases the Earth’s atmosphere causing drastic climate change and extinction of wildlife. In contrast, radioactive pollution   results from   accidental leakage from nuclear power plants and improper disposal of nuclear wastes. It can cause massive, long-lasting impacts such as cancer, infertility, blindness, and congenital disabilities.

Ans . Air pollution.

Ans . The seven types of pollution are air, water, soil, light, noise, thermal, and radioactive pollution.

Ans . Smog is a type of air pollution. It is a combination of fog and particulate matter that remain suspended in the air.

Ans . Carbon monoxide is a gaseous air pollutant.

Ans . Groundwater pollution can occur due to chemical spills from industries, household runoff during transportation, illegal dumping of wastes, mining operations, and atmospheric depositions.

• Pollution – Nationalgeographic.org
• Pollution: Types, Sources and Characteristics – Open.edu
• Pollution Facts & Types of Pollution – Livescience.com
• Pollution: Sources & Types – Geo.libretexts.org
• How Many Types Of Pollution Are There? – Worldatlas.com

Article was last reviewed on Friday, February 17, 2023

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Water Pollution: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions

Feb 03, 2024

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Explore the issue of water pollution, including its causes, impacts on ecosystems and human health, and potential solutions. Learn about the different types of pollutants and their sources, such as agriculture, industries, and oil pollution. Discover how eutrophication and heavy metals can threaten water quality, and find out about the global problem of marine pollution. Gain insights into reducing water pollution through wastewater treatment, fertilizer control, and other approaches.

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Presentation Transcript

Chapter 14 water pollution.

Water Pollution • Water pollution- the contamination of streams, rivers, lakes, oceans, or groundwater with substances produced through human activities and that negatively affect organisms. • Point sources- distinct locations that pump waste into a waterway. These are easily identified • Nonpoint sources- diffuse areas such as an entire farming region that pollutes a waterway. These are more expensive and difficult to clean up.

Can you identify which of these is point source Pollution?

Categories of Water Pollution • Sewage • disease-causing agents • sediment pollution • inorganic plant and algal nutrients • organic compounds • inorganic chemicals • radioactive substances • thermal pollution • Noise pollution

Water Pollution is a Problem Worldwide Half of the world’s major rivers are seriously depleted and polluted They poison surrounding ecosystems Threaten the health and livelihood of people The invisible pollution of groundwater has been called a “covert crisis”

Water Pollution Over two-thirds of U.S. estuaries and bays are severely degraded because of nitrogen and phosphorous pollution Every year almost 25% of U.S. beaches are closed at least once because of water pollution Over 73 different kinds of pesticides have been found in the groundwater that we eventually use to drink 1.2 trillion gallons of sewage, storm water and industrial waste are discharged into U.S. waters every year A large number of U.S. rivers are too polluted for aquatic life to survive Americans use over 2.2 billion pounds of pesticides every year, which eventually washes into our rivers and lakes

Leading causes of water pollution • Agriculture activities • Sediment eroded from the lands • Fertilizers and pesticides-almost all waters are polluted with pesticides • Bacteria from livestock and food processing wastes • Industrial facilities- heavy metals, corrosive materials organic and non-organic chemicals • Mining- acid drainage pollutes water by leeching out heavy metals

Agriculture major source of water pollution • Agriculture is leading source of water pollution in US • Animal wastes and plants residues have high BOD • Chemical pesticides can leach into groundwater • Almost all streams and rivers are polluted with agricultural pesticides

Agricultural Runoff is the main cause of the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico; The U.N. documented 250 dead zones worldwide in 2005

Sediment runoff from farmland is the highest Pollution from agriculture by weight.

Eutrophication • Eutrophication is an abundance of fertility to a body of water. • Eutrophication is caused by an increase in nutrients, such as fertilizers. • Eutrophication can cause a rapid growth of algae which eventually dies, causing the microbes to increase the BOD and oxygen levels to fall eventually may cause a die-off of all organisms.

Solutions to Reduce Eutrophication • Phosphate-free detergents • Planting vegetation to increase nutrient uptake • Treat wastewater • Reduce fertilizer application

Different industries add different pollutants • Food processing plants- high BOD • Paper mills- High BOD and toxic compounds • Textile industry-the World Bank estimates that 17-20 percent of industrial pollution comes from textile industry with 72 toxic chemicals being added to water

According to Greenpeace, the discharge from these factories includes heavy metals and “hazardous and persistent chemicals with hormone-disrupting properties” were found being discharged from China’ s factories

Heavy Metals and Other Substances that can threaten human Health and the Environment • Lead • Arsenic • Mercury • Acids • Synthetic compounds (pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and hormones)

More on heavy metals • Lead • Found in old paint, industrial pollutants, leaded gasoline • Mercury • Mercury bioaccumulates in the muscles of top predators of the open ocean

Arsenic found naturally in rocks and water • When arsenic is found in water, it may be from natural causes • Highest levels of arsenic in U.S. found in upper Midwest and West • Individual wells dug in Southeast Asia-many are contaminated by arsenic causing arsenic posioning

World Mercury Production from Human Activities

Pharmaceuticals and Hormones Found in Water

Industrial Compounds • Chemicals used in manufacturing • Local examples include PCBs in Hudson River from General Electric Co. and cadmium from foundry in Cold Spring • PCBs cause brain damage, are lethal and carcinogenic

Oil Pollution

Marine pollution threatens resources • Even into the mid-20th century, coastal U.S. cities dumped trash and untreated sewage along their shores • Oil, plastic, chemicals, excess nutrients make their way from land into oceans • Raw sewage and trash from cruise ships • Abandoned fishing gear from fishing boats In 2006, 359,000 Ocean Conservancy volunteers from 66 nations picked up 3.2 million kg (7 million lbs.) of trash

Ways to Remediate Oil Pollution • Containment using booms to keep the floating oil from spreading. • Chemicals that help break up the oil, making it disperse before it hits the shoreline. • Bacteria that are genetically engineered to consume oil

Water Pollution from Mining • Acid Mine Drainage-low pH of water causes iron to precipitate from pyrite and cause a rusty red color • Heavy metal contamination and leeching • Mine waste and tailings • Processing chemicals pollution • Sedimentation of waters and erosion

Mining often pollutes waters

Other Water Pollutants • Solid waste pollution (garbage) • Sediment pollution (sand, silt and clay) • Thermal pollution • Radioactive pollution • Noise pollution

Solid Waste Pollution • Much solid waste is garbage • North Pacific Gyre-Great Pacific Garbage Patch • Plastic waste is dangerous to marine animals and humans • Found in the stomachs of dead baby sea birds as parent birds think the small pieces of plastic is phytoplankton.

Plastic rubbish deposits

Plastic Pollution of Water • Plastics can release harmful chemicals into the water • Plastic is a synthesized organic compound (carbon-hydrogen bonds) that does not decompose • Plastic breaks up into extremely tiny pieces that is mistaken for food by many organisms.

Sediment Pollution • Excessive amounts of suspended soil particles • Originates from erosion of agricultural lands, forest soils exposed by logging, degraded stream banks, overgrazed rangelands, strip mines, and construction • Problems • Limits light penetration • Covers aquatic animals and plants • Brings insoluble toxins into waterways

Land disturbance results in poor water quality • Clear-cutting, mining, poor cultivation practices • Dramatically changes aquatic habitats, and fish may not survive • Solutions: better management of farms and forests; avoid large-scale disturbance of vegetation

Radioactive Substances Contain atoms of unstable isotopes that spontaneously emit radiation Sources Mining Processing radioactive materials Nuclear power plants Natural sources

Thermal Pollution Occurs when heated water produced during industrial processes is released into waterways Temperature affects digestive rates, heart rates, and respiration rates Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen Removing streamside cover also raises water temperature

Noise Pollution • Sounds from ships and submarines • Sonar equipment could negatively affect whales, causing them to be beached • U. S. Military exempt from environmental laws related to sonar use

Organic Compounds found in Polluted Water

Human Wastewater • Water produced by human activities such as human sewage from toilets and gray water from bathing and washing clothes or dishes.

Why human and animal waste water needs to be treated Pathogens and toxins enter water supply via inadequately treated human waste and animal waste via feedlots Causes more human health problems than any other type of water pollution

Three reasons scientists are concerned about human wastewater: • Oxygen-demanding wastes like bacteria that put a large demand for oxygen in the water • Nutrients that are released from wastewater decomposition can make the water more fertile causing eutrophication • Wastewater can carry a wide variety of disease-causing organisms.

Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) • BOD- the amount of oxygen a quantity of water uses over a period of time at a specific temperature. • As BOD increases Dissolved Oxygen (DO) decreases • Lower BOD values indicate the water is less polluted and higher BOD values indicate it is more polluted by wastewater.

Sewage and pollutants in drinking water • Currently, 1.1 billion people are without safe drinking water • 2.4 billion have no sewer or sanitary facilities • Mostly rural Asians and Africans • An estimated 1.6 to 5 million people die per year from unsafe drinking water

Common Diseases from Human Wastewater

Major Water Pollutants and Their Sources Table 20-1, p. 532

Solutions • Treat sewage • Disinfect drinking water • Public education to encourage personal hygiene • Government enforcement of regulations

Treatments for Human and Animal Wastewater • Septic systems- a large container that receives wastewater from the house.

Treatments for Human and Animal Wastewater • Sewage Treatment Plants- centralized plants in areas with large populations that receive wastewater via a network of underground pipes. • Test for human and animal waste using fecal coliform bacteria test

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Water Pollution: Everything You Need to Know

Our rivers, reservoirs, lakes, and seas are drowning in chemicals, waste, plastic, and other pollutants. Here’s why—and what you can do to help.

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What is water pollution?

What are the causes of water pollution, categories of water pollution, what are the effects of water pollution, what can you do to prevent water pollution.

Water pollution occurs when harmful substances—often chemicals or microorganisms—contaminate a stream, river, lake, ocean, aquifer, or other body of water, degrading water quality and rendering it toxic to humans or the environment.

This widespread problem of water pollution is jeopardizing our health. Unsafe water kills more people each year than war and all other forms of violence combined. Meanwhile, our drinkable water sources are finite: Less than 1 percent of the earth’s freshwater is actually accessible to us. Without action, the challenges will only increase by 2050, when global demand for freshwater is expected to be one-third greater than it is now.

Water is uniquely vulnerable to pollution. Known as a “universal solvent,” water is able to dissolve more substances than any other liquid on earth. It’s the reason we have Kool-Aid and brilliant blue waterfalls. It’s also why water is so easily polluted. Toxic substances from farms, towns, and factories readily dissolve into and mix with it, causing water pollution.

Here are some of the major sources of water pollution worldwide:

Agricultural

Toxic green algae in Copco Reservoir, northern California

Aurora Photos/Alamy

Not only is the agricultural sector the biggest consumer of global freshwater resources, with farming and livestock production using about 70 percent of the earth’s surface water supplies , but it’s also a serious water polluter. Around the world, agriculture is the leading cause of water degradation. In the United States, agricultural pollution is the top source of contamination in rivers and streams, the second-biggest source in wetlands, and the third main source in lakes. It’s also a major contributor of contamination to estuaries and groundwater. Every time it rains, fertilizers, pesticides, and animal waste from farms and livestock operations wash nutrients and pathogens—such bacteria and viruses—into our waterways. Nutrient pollution , caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water or air, is the number-one threat to water quality worldwide and can cause algal blooms , a toxic soup of blue-green algae that can be harmful to people and wildlife.

Sewage and wastewater

Used water is wastewater. It comes from our sinks, showers, and toilets (think sewage) and from commercial, industrial, and agricultural activities (think metals, solvents, and toxic sludge). The term also includes stormwater runoff , which occurs when rainfall carries road salts, oil, grease, chemicals, and debris from impermeable surfaces into our waterways

More than 80 percent of the world’s wastewater flows back into the environment without being treated or reused, according to the United Nations; in some least-developed countries, the figure tops 95 percent. In the United States, wastewater treatment facilities process about 34 billion gallons of wastewater per day . These facilities reduce the amount of pollutants such as pathogens, phosphorus, and nitrogen in sewage, as well as heavy metals and toxic chemicals in industrial waste, before discharging the treated waters back into waterways. That’s when all goes well. But according to EPA estimates, our nation’s aging and easily overwhelmed sewage treatment systems also release more than 850 billion gallons of untreated wastewater each year.

Oil pollution

Big spills may dominate headlines, but consumers account for the vast majority of oil pollution in our seas, including oil and gasoline that drips from millions of cars and trucks every day. Moreover, nearly half of the estimated 1 million tons of oil that makes its way into marine environments each year comes not from tanker spills but from land-based sources such as factories, farms, and cities. At sea, tanker spills account for about 10 percent of the oil in waters around the world, while regular operations of the shipping industry—through both legal and illegal discharges—contribute about one-third. Oil is also naturally released from under the ocean floor through fractures known as seeps.

Radioactive substances

Radioactive waste is any pollution that emits radiation beyond what is naturally released by the environment. It’s generated by uranium mining, nuclear power plants, and the production and testing of military weapons, as well as by universities and hospitals that use radioactive materials for research and medicine. Radioactive waste can persist in the environment for thousands of years, making disposal a major challenge. Consider the decommissioned Hanford nuclear weapons production site in Washington, where the cleanup of 56 million gallons of radioactive waste is expected to cost more than $100 billion and last through 2060. Accidentally released or improperly disposed of contaminants threaten groundwater, surface water, and marine resources.

To address pollution and protect water we need to understand where the pollution is coming from (point source or nonpoint source) and the type of water body its impacting (groundwater, surface water, or ocean water).

Where is the pollution coming from?

Point source pollution.

When contamination originates from a single source, it’s called point source pollution. Examples include wastewater (also called effluent) discharged legally or illegally by a manufacturer, oil refinery, or wastewater treatment facility, as well as contamination from leaking septic systems, chemical and oil spills, and illegal dumping. The EPA regulates point source pollution by establishing limits on what can be discharged by a facility directly into a body of water. While point source pollution originates from a specific place, it can affect miles of waterways and ocean.

Nonpoint source

Nonpoint source pollution is contamination derived from diffuse sources. These may include agricultural or stormwater runoff or debris blown into waterways from land. Nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water pollution in U.S. waters, but it’s difficult to regulate, since there’s no single, identifiable culprit.

Transboundary

It goes without saying that water pollution can’t be contained by a line on a map. Transboundary pollution is the result of contaminated water from one country spilling into the waters of another. Contamination can result from a disaster—like an oil spill—or the slow, downriver creep of industrial, agricultural, or municipal discharge.

What type of water is being impacted?

Groundwater pollution.

When rain falls and seeps deep into the earth, filling the cracks, crevices, and porous spaces of an aquifer (basically an underground storehouse of water), it becomes groundwater—one of our least visible but most important natural resources. Nearly 40 percent of Americans rely on groundwater, pumped to the earth’s surface, for drinking water. For some folks in rural areas, it’s their only freshwater source. Groundwater gets polluted when contaminants—from pesticides and fertilizers to waste leached from landfills and septic systems—make their way into an aquifer, rendering it unsafe for human use. Ridding groundwater of contaminants can be difficult to impossible, as well as costly. Once polluted, an aquifer may be unusable for decades, or even thousands of years. Groundwater can also spread contamination far from the original polluting source as it seeps into streams, lakes, and oceans.

Surface water pollution

Covering about 70 percent of the earth, surface water is what fills our oceans, lakes, rivers, and all those other blue bits on the world map. Surface water from freshwater sources (that is, from sources other than the ocean) accounts for more than 60 percent of the water delivered to American homes. But a significant pool of that water is in peril. According to the most recent surveys on national water quality from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nearly half of our rivers and streams and more than one-third of our lakes are polluted and unfit for swimming, fishing, and drinking. Nutrient pollution, which includes nitrates and phosphates, is the leading type of contamination in these freshwater sources. While plants and animals need these nutrients to grow, they have become a major pollutant due to farm waste and fertilizer runoff. Municipal and industrial waste discharges contribute their fair share of toxins as well. There’s also all the random junk that industry and individuals dump directly into waterways.

Ocean water pollution

Eighty percent of ocean pollution (also called marine pollution) originates on land—whether along the coast or far inland. Contaminants such as chemicals, nutrients, and heavy metals are carried from farms, factories, and cities by streams and rivers into our bays and estuaries; from there they travel out to sea. Meanwhile, marine debris— particularly plastic —is blown in by the wind or washed in via storm drains and sewers. Our seas are also sometimes spoiled by oil spills and leaks—big and small—and are consistently soaking up carbon pollution from the air. The ocean absorbs as much as a quarter of man-made carbon emissions .

On human health

To put it bluntly: Water pollution kills. In fact, it caused 1.8 million deaths in 2015, according to a study published in The Lancet . Contaminated water can also make you ill. Every year, unsafe water sickens about 1 billion people. And low-income communities are disproportionately at risk because their homes are often closest to the most polluting industries.

Waterborne pathogens, in the form of disease-causing bacteria and viruses from human and animal waste, are a major cause of illness from contaminated drinking water . Diseases spread by unsafe water include cholera, giardia, and typhoid. Even in wealthy nations, accidental or illegal releases from sewage treatment facilities, as well as runoff from farms and urban areas, contribute harmful pathogens to waterways. Thousands of people across the United States are sickened every year by Legionnaires’ disease (a severe form of pneumonia contracted from water sources like cooling towers and piped water), with cases cropping up from California’s Disneyland to Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

A woman using bottled water to wash her three-week-old son at their home in Flint, Michigan

Todd McInturf/The Detroit News/AP

Meanwhile, the plight of residents in Flint, Michigan —where cost-cutting measures and aging water infrastructure created a lead contamination crisis—offers a stark look at how dangerous chemical and other industrial pollutants in our water can be. The problem goes far beyond Flint and involves much more than lead, as a wide range of chemical pollutants—from heavy metals such as arsenic and mercury to pesticides and nitrate fertilizers —are getting into our water supplies. Once they’re ingested, these toxins can cause a host of health issues, from cancer to hormone disruption to altered brain function. Children and pregnant women are particularly at risk.

Even swimming can pose a risk. Every year, 3.5 million Americans contract health issues such as skin rashes, pinkeye, respiratory infections, and hepatitis from sewage-laden coastal waters, according to EPA estimates.

On the environment

In order to thrive, healthy ecosystems rely on a complex web of animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi—all of which interact, directly or indirectly, with each other. Harm to any of these organisms can create a chain effect, imperiling entire aquatic environments.

When water pollution causes an algal bloom in a lake or marine environment, the proliferation of newly introduced nutrients stimulates plant and algae growth, which in turn reduces oxygen levels in the water. This dearth of oxygen, known as eutrophication , suffocates plants and animals and can create “dead zones,” where waters are essentially devoid of life. In certain cases, these harmful algal blooms can also produce neurotoxins that affect wildlife, from whales to sea turtles.

Chemicals and heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater contaminate waterways as well. These contaminants are toxic to aquatic life—most often reducing an organism’s life span and ability to reproduce—and make their way up the food chain as predator eats prey. That’s how tuna and other big fish accumulate high quantities of toxins, such as mercury.

Marine ecosystems are also threatened by marine debris , which can strangle, suffocate, and starve animals. Much of this solid debris, such as plastic bags and soda cans, gets swept into sewers and storm drains and eventually out to sea, turning our oceans into trash soup and sometimes consolidating to form floating garbage patches. Discarded fishing gear and other types of debris are responsible for harming more than 200 different species of marine life.

Meanwhile, ocean acidification is making it tougher for shellfish and coral to survive. Though they absorb about a quarter of the carbon pollution created each year by burning fossil fuels, oceans are becoming more acidic. This process makes it harder for shellfish and other species to build shells and may impact the nervous systems of sharks, clownfish, and other marine life.

With your actions

We’re all accountable to some degree for today’s water pollution problem. Fortunately, there are some simple ways you can prevent water contamination or at least limit your contribution to it:

• Learn about the unique qualities of water where you live . Where does your water come from? Is the wastewater from your home treated? Where does stormwater flow to? Is your area in a drought? Start building a picture of the situation so you can discover where your actions will have the most impact—and see if your neighbors would be interested in joining in!
• Reduce your plastic consumption and reuse or recycle plastic when you can.
• Properly dispose of chemical cleaners, oils, and nonbiodegradable items to keep them from going down the drain.
• Maintain your car so it doesn’t leak oil, antifreeze, or coolant.
• If you have a yard, consider landscaping that reduces runoff and avoid applying pesticides and herbicides .
• Don’t flush your old medications! Dispose of them in the trash to prevent them from entering local waterways.
• Be mindful of anything you pour into storm sewers, since that waste often won’t be treated before being released into local waterways. If you notice a storm sewer blocked by litter, clean it up to keep that trash out of the water. (You’ll also help prevent troublesome street floods in a heavy storm.)
• If you have a pup, be sure to pick up its poop .

With your voice

One of the most effective ways to stand up for our waters is to speak out in support of the Clean Water Act, which has helped hold polluters accountable for five decades—despite attempts by destructive industries to gut its authority. But we also need regulations that keep pace with modern-day challenges, including microplastics, PFAS , pharmaceuticals, and other contaminants our wastewater treatment plants weren’t built to handle, not to mention polluted water that’s dumped untreated.

Tell the federal government, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and your local elected officials that you support water protections and investments in infrastructure, like wastewater treatment, lead-pipe removal programs, and stormwater-abating green infrastructure. Also, learn how you and those around you can get involved in the policymaking process . Our public waterways serve every one of us. We should all have a say in how they’re protected.

This story was originally published on May 14, 2018, and has been updated with new information and links.

This NRDC.org story is available for online republication by news media outlets or nonprofits under these conditions: The writer(s) must be credited with a byline; you must note prominently that the story was originally published by NRDC.org and link to the original; the story cannot be edited (beyond simple things such as grammar); you can’t resell the story in any form or grant republishing rights to other outlets; you can’t republish our material wholesale or automatically—you need to select stories individually; you can’t republish the photos or graphics on our site without specific permission; you should drop us a note to let us know when you’ve used one of our stories.

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What Is Air Pollution? Definition, Types, and Environmental Impact

• University of Georgia
• Planet Earth
• Climate Crisis
• Recycling & Waste
• Natural Disasters
• Transportation

Air Pollution Definition

How to reduce air pollution.

Air pollution occurs when certain gases, droplets, or particles mix with ambient air, rendering the air harmful to living things. There are many different kinds of air pollution, produced from many sources and resulting in many different problems for people, other animals, plants, and the environment.

Ambient air pollution accounts for an estimated 4.2 million annual deaths globally , according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Air pollutants also lead to environmental problems ranging from acid rain and poor visibility to ozone depletion and global climate change.

Pollutants that can become suspended in air include gases, particulates, and organic molecules. They end up in the air in a variety of ways, including human activities such as burning fossil fuels as well as natural sources like dust, wildfires, and volcanoes.

Both natural and human-induced air pollution can be dangerous, although the latter tends to be more widespread and continuous, like the ongoing combustion of fossil fuels for energy.

In some cases, the distinction is blurring between natural and human-induced air pollution. That’s partly due to carbon dioxide, a natural and vital gas in Earth’s atmosphere that’s also being emitted in unnaturally large amounts by human activities, namely the burning of fossil fuels, resulting in a global greenhouse effect.

That greenhouse effect is now amplifying some natural phenomena like wildfires, resulting in even more air pollution. In addition, people often start wildfires in more direct ways, such as intentionally burning forests for farmland or accidentally sparking dry brush, all of which also create air pollution.

Natural Air Pollution

Aside from wildfires, common natural causes of air pollution include volcanoes, dust storms, methane gas from cattle and other ruminants, and radon gas from underground radium deposits. These tend to be limited to certain locations and time periods, although some can be widespread or chronic.

Ash and sulfur from volcanoes can travel around the planet, for example, and the methane from cattle can be a significant contributor to Earth’s growing greenhouse effect. Radon gas can also become trapped and accumulate in basements and cellars as it seeps up from the ground, posing a long-term health risk to humans.

Human-Induced Air Pollution

Thorsten Nilson / Getty Images

Perhaps the most notorious human-induced source of air pollution is the combustion of fossil fuels (coal, petroleum, and natural gas), which can take many forms and can produce a variety of pollutants. This includes the visible plumes rising from smokestacks at factories and power plants, but also many invisible gases and particulates emanating from countless vehicles, facilities, and other sources all around us.

Types of Air Pollution

Some air pollutants are directly dangerous, while others cause trouble in less obvious ways. Noxious gases like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are among the former group, along with particulate matter (PM) like sulfates, nitrates, carbon, or mineral dust.

A specific type of very small particulate matter (PM 2.5), which is 30 times thinner than the width of a human hair, poses especially grave concerns. There are also polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), a group of organic compounds produced by combustion as well as by some industrial processes. And a broad group of air pollutants known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted by sources ranging from paints and permanent markers to petroleum fuels.

Other air pollutants are dangerous not necessarily because they harm us when we inhale them, but because of how they interact with other aspects of the environment. Perhaps the most salient example in modern times is carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas fueling global climate change.

Although carbon dioxide occurs naturally in the air and is vital for life, it’s also a greenhouse gas that traps solar heat in Earth’s atmosphere, and it’s released when people burn fossil fuels for energy. CO2 levels in Earth’s atmosphere are now higher than ever before in human history, and may be at their highest levels since the Pliocene Epoch .

Sources of Air Pollution

There are several ways to classify air pollution beyond natural vs. man-made. There is point-source air pollution, for example, which comes from a single identifiable source, like a factory, farm, or power plant. Nonpoint-source pollution, on the other hand, comes from a more dispersed array of sources that are more difficult to trace individually, like the tailpipes of cars on a highway or charcoal cookstoves spread throughout a community.

Coal Burning

Coal-fired power plants have long been a major source of many types of air pollution. Burning coal to generate electricity is notorious for releasing carbon dioxide, accounting for an estimated 30% of global CO2 emissions.

Coal combustion can also release SO2, NOx, particulates, and heavy metals like mercury, and while some power plants now use special equipment to control some of those emissions, coal remains a leading source of air pollution around the world.

Natural Gas

Natural gas has become a popular substitute for coal in the electricity-generation sector in recent years, largely due to its reputation as a cleaner-burning fossil fuel. It does release less CO2 than coal, although while coal releases about 200 pounds of CO2 per million British thermal units (MMBtu), an equivalent amount of natural gas still releases about 117 pounds of CO2.

Natural gas is mostly methane, itself a potent greenhouse gas, and it’s responsible for methane that escapes into the atmosphere not just when natural gas is burned for energy, but also the “fugitive” methane that escapes during extraction and transportation.

Petroleum Fuels

Petroleum fuels are another source of air pollution, whether they’re burned at industrial facilities or, more commonly, to propel cars, trucks, and other vehicles.

This nonpoint-source pollution from burning gasoline and other petroleum fuels is a major source of air pollution in many cities around the world, releasing a blend of airborne contaminants including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, VOCs, PAHs, and particulate matter. It plays a key role in the formation of smog, and also adds a substantial amount of CO2 into the atmosphere.

Overall, transportation accounts for 29% of U.S. CO2 emissions and 14% of global CO2 emissions . About 90% of all fuel used for transportation is petroleum-based, mainly gasoline and diesel.

Smog is created by chemical reactions in which nitrogen oxides mix with VOCs in the presence of sunlight to form ozone. Ozone is beneficial high in the atmosphere, where it forms the planet’s protective ozone layer , but it can be dangerous to human health at ground level.

Unlike some types of air pollution, smog is visible; while its exact composition and appearance vary, it often appears as a brownish or orange haze, which often forms in urban areas on sunny days.

While we often think of air pollution as an outdoor problem, many people unwittingly inhale harmful indoor air pollution , too. This often comes from VOCs, which waft up from products such as paint, lacquer, solvents, building materials, and various household cleaners and other chemicals.

Older buildings may contain other kinds of potentially air-polluting building materials, such as those made with asbestos. Some indoor air pollution even comes from naturally occurring sources—in the form of mildew and black mold, for example, or radon gas seeping up from the ground and accumulating in basements, cellars, and other lower levels of buildings.

Effects of Air Pollution

Air pollution can affect humans, other animals, plants, and the broader environment in many ways.

Carbon Dioxide

Carbon dioxide emissions may not be directly dangerous to humans, but they represent some of this century’s most important air pollution due to CO2’s influence on climate.

CO2 is known as a greenhouse gas because it traps solar heat within Earth’s atmosphere, fueling the global climate crisis we face today, which entails widespread threats to humans and wildlife.

Concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere are now well above 400 parts per million (ppm), a level unseen since long before our species existed, and international efforts to rein in growing CO2 emissions have made little progress for decades. Methane is a more potent greenhouse gas, but CO2 lingers longer in the atmosphere, potentially trapping heat for centuries.

Particulate Matter

Particulate matter is a broad category of air pollution, including all sorts of tiny solids and liquids suspended in the air, often as a result of combustion. It could come from wildfires, power plants, or vehicle traffic, and those tiny particulates can cause big problems when they’re inhaled, especially the very smallest ones.

Particles less than 10 micrometers wide pose the most risk, according to the EPA , because they’re small enough to become embedded deep in the lungs, and might even reach the bloodstream.

Aside from its potential effects on humans and other animals, particulate matter also leads to broader environmental effects depending on its location. It can affect cloud formation and provide reaction centers for other air pollutants in the upper atmosphere, while reducing visibility and influencing weather in the lower atmosphere.

Particulates often contribute to hazy, low-visibility conditions in urban areas, but because they can be carried long distances by wind, they also hinder views in some wilderness areas, including national parks.

Nitrogen Oxides

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and other nitrogen oxides (NOx) can irritate airways in the human respiratory system, according to the EPA, and aggravate respiratory diseases like asthma. NOx can also react with other compounds in the atmosphere to form nitrate particulates , which may pose additional dangers.

NOx has been known to help generate nitric acid in the atmosphere, too, which ultimately falls as acid rain . After reaching the surface, acidic runoff eventually washes into waterways or wetlands, reducing pH levels and leaching aluminum from soil along the way, potentially harming fish, insects, and other wildlife. Because it contains nitrogen, this runoff can also contribute to the nutrient pollution behind aquatic dead zones.

Acid rain and acid fog also harm some trees and other plants, both by damaging foliage and by removing nutrients from the soil.

Sulfur Dioxide

Sulfur dioxide can similarly irritate airways and make breathing difficult, according to the EPA. SO2 and SOx can react with other compounds in the air to form particulates, thus reducing visibility and potentially posing the various dangers associated with PM pollution.

SO2 and other sulfur oxides can also contribute to the formation of sulfuric acid in the air, and thus acid rain. 

Heavy Metals

Heavy metals like mercury and lead can be emitted by burning fossil fuels, often falling to the surface relatively close to their source, although they and other air pollutants may travel farther if they’re emitted from taller smokestacks.

Once airborne mercury descends, it commonly washes into waterways and bioaccumulates in animal tissue as it moves up the food web . That’s why large, predatory fish like tuna and swordfish tend to have higher levels of mercury than smaller fish like sardines and anchovies.

Mercury, lead, cadmium, and some other toxic metals can have serious health effects in humans and other animals.

Volatile Organic Compounds

VOCs include a variety of air pollutants both outdoors and indoors. One example is benzene , a sweet-smelling chemical that can be emitted from many different sources, including tobacco smoke, industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, fuel fumes, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions.

CFCs and HCFCs

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are not toxic to humans, but like CO2, they still pose significant environmental threats. That’s because they contribute to the depletion of Earth’s natural ozone layer —while ground-level ozone is itself an air pollutant, ozone in the upper atmosphere protects us from excess solar radiation.

Once widely used as refrigerants, aerosols, and solvents, CFCs have been largely phased out under the Montreal Protocol , often heralded as a rare success story in pollution control.

Use Less Electricity

Because so much air pollution comes from power plants, one of the simplest ways for anyone to help reduce air pollution is to use less electricity, thus reducing the demand for energy from those power plants.

Governments and large corporations have a far greater ability to make an impact with changes like that compared with most individual people, but every little bit helps.

Transportation is another major contributor to air pollution, including CO2 emissions as well as the particulates and ozone that plague many urban and rural areas.

Fewer vehicles on roads generally means less air pollution, so it’s often in the interest of human and ecological health to adopt public policies that incentivize and support working remotely as well as cleaner modes of travel, from walking and cycling to driving electric vehicles, carpooling, and using public transit.

When you do drive a gasoline-powered vehicle, avoid idling any more than necessary, since this creates additional air pollution without the benefit of propulsion. Keep gasoline engines well-tuned and car tires properly inflated. Consider buying an electric or low-emission vehicle.

Avoid Burning Material

Try to limit the amount of wood or other biomass you burn, whether in a burn pile, fire pit, or fireplace.

Mulch or compost yard waste instead of burning it. Never burn plastic.

Plant More Trees

Aside from taking steps to limit air pollution, you could also help mitigate its effects by planting trees, which sequester CO2 and also filter some other air pollutants with their leaves. Along with cleaner air, you’ll also get to enjoy the many other benefits trees can bring .

Larry West is an award-winning environmental journalist and writer. He won the Edward J. Meeman Award for Environmental Reporting.

• What Does 'Unhealthy Air Quality for Sensitive Groups' Mean?
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• What Is Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)?
• What Is Climate Sensitivity? Definition and Examples
• How Do Volcanoes Contribute to Climate Change?
• What Is Biogas? Is It Sustainable?
• Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Pros and Cons
• What Is Clean Coal Technology? Overview, History, Carbon Emissions
• The Causes and Effects of Smog
• The Harmful Effects of Acid Rain
• What Is Coal Ash and How Dangerous Is It?
• Carbon Dioxide: The No. 1 Greenhouse Gas
• Greenhouse Gas Effect on the Economy and You
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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Marine pollution.

Marine pollution is a combination of chemicals and trash, most of which comes from land sources and is washed or blown into the ocean. This pollution results in damage to the environment, to the health of all organisms, and to economic structures worldwide.

Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Oceanography

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• Marine Pollution (Google Doc)

Marine pollution is a growing problem in today’s world. Our ocean is being flooded with two main types of pollution: chemicals and trash.

Chemical contamination, or nutrient pollution, is concerning for health, environmental, and economic reasons. This type of pollution occurs when human activities, notably the use of fertilizer on farms, lead to the runoff of chemicals into waterways that ultimately flow into the ocean. The increased concentration of chemicals, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, in the coastal ocean promotes the growth of algal blooms , which can be toxic to wildlife and harmful to humans. The negative effects on health and the environment caused by algal blooms hurt local fishing and tourism industries.

Marine trash encompasses all manufactured products—most of them plastic —that end up in the ocean. Littering, storm winds, and poor waste management all contribute to the accumulation of this debris , 80 percent of which comes from sources on land. Common types of marine debris include various plastic items like shopping bags and beverage bottles, along with cigarette butts, bottle caps, food wrappers, and fishing gear. Plastic waste is particularly problematic as a pollutant because it is so long-lasting. Plastic items can take hundreds of years to decompose.

This trash poses dangers to both humans and animals. Fish become tangled and injured in the debris , and some animals mistake items like plastic bags for food and eat them. Small organisms feed on tiny bits of broken-down plastic , called micro plastic , and absorb the chemicals from the plastic into their tissues. Micro plastics are less than five millimeters (0.2 inches) in diameter and have been detected in a range of marine species, including plankton and whales. When small organisms that consume micro plastics are eaten by larger animals, the toxic chemicals then become part of their tissues. In this way, the micro plastic pollution migrates up the food chain , eventually becoming part of the food that humans eat.

Solutions for marine pollution include prevention and cleanup. Disposable and single-use plastic is abundantly used in today’s society, from shopping bags to shipping packaging to plastic bottles. Changing society’s approach to plastic use will be a long and economically challenging process. Cleanup, in contrast, may be impossible for some items. Many types of debris (including some plastics ) do not float, so they are lost deep in the ocean. Plastics that do float tend to collect in large “patches” in ocean gyres. The Pacific Garbage Patch is one example of such a collection, with plastics and micro plastics floating on and below the surface of swirling ocean currents between California and Hawaii in an area of about 1.6 million square kilometers (617,763 square miles), although its size is not fixed. These patches are less like islands of trash and, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says, more like flecks of micro plastic pepper swirling around an ocean soup. Even some promising solutions are inadequate for combating marine pollution. So-called “ biodegradable ” plastics often break down only at temperatures higher than will ever be reached in the ocean.

Nonetheless, many countries are taking action. According to a 2018 report from the United Nations, more than sixty countries have enacted regulations to limit or ban the use of disposable plastic items. The National Geographic Society is making this content available under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA license . The License excludes the National Geographic Logo (meaning the words National Geographic + the Yellow Border Logo) and any images that are included as part of each content piece. For clarity the Logo and images may not be removed, altered, or changed in any way.

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• The PPC Division
• Enforcement Mechanisms
• Causes of air pollution
• Effects of air pollution
• How to avoid air pollution
• Definition and causes and effects of water pollution
• Water pollution pictures
• How to avoid water pollution
• Noise pollution (causes, effects, and prevention)
• How to avoid noise pollution
• Definition, causes, and prevention of land pollution
• Land pollution pictures

Air pollution PPT

• What is air
• List of major air pollutants
• Sources and effects of air pollutants
• What is air pollutants?
• Six major air pollutants
• Major sources of pollutants
• Greenhouse gases
• What is air pollution
• Wildlife affected by air pollution
• Ozone layer
• Greenhouse effect
• Global warming
• Air problems caused by incineration of waste materials
• Controlling air pollution

Water pollution PPT

• Human and natural pollutants
• Sources of water pollution
• How do we measure water quality?
• Quantitative water quality tests
• Qualitative water tests
• What are some indicator species of water pollution 
• Is the water safe to drink?
• What have developed countries done to  reduce stream pollution
• What have developed countries done to reduce stream pollution
• Who reports on drinking water
• Clean water act 1972
• Safe water drinking act 1974
• Water purification
• What is water pollution?
• Types of water pollution
• Causes of water pollution
• Effects of water pollution
• What you can do
• Classification of water pollutant
• Common water-borne diseases

Water act 1974 PPT

• Introduction
• Salient provisions of water act (1974) 
• Objectives & scope
• Powers and functions of boards
• Prevention and control of water pollution
• Penalties and procedure
• Miscellaneous
• Application and commencement
• Functions of the central board (sec. 16)
• Functions of the state board
• Ganga action plan ( gap)
• Water quality board actions

Environmental pollution PPT

• Degradable pollution
• Non-degradable  pollution 
• Types of pollution ( noise,air,water,land ,soil,thermal,nuclear)
• Air pollution
• Composition of air
• Types of pollutants
• Sources of air pollution
• Ozone depletion
• Water pollution ( meaning, types, definition, sources, causes and control and measures)
• Soil pollution
• Causes of soil degradation
• Marine pollution
• Causes, effects, control, and measure of marine pollution
• Control measures for oil pollution
• Noise pollution
• Levels of noise and vibration
• Decibel levels of common sounds DB
• Ambient noise levels DB
• Safe time exposure in DB
• Effects of noise pollution
• Control techniques
• Thermal pollution
• Nuclear hazards
• Effects of nuclear pollution
• Control measures
• Role of an individual in prevention of pollution

Environmental pollution PPT 2

• Types of pollution
• Water pollution
• Municipal wastewater
• Industrial waste
• Inorganic pollutants
• Organic pollutants
• Agricultural wastes
• Consequences of air pollution
• Land pollution
• Causes of land pollution
• Sources of noise pollution
• Solutions for noise pollution
• Ways to stop pollution
• Global warming and the greenhouse effect
• Difference between global warming and the greenhouse effect
• Some proof of global warming

Light pollution PPT

• What is light pollution?
• Types of light pollution
• Consequences
• Causes effect solution

Photochemical smog PPT

• Photochemical smog
• Air pollutant
• How photochemical smog is formed
• The process involving the formation of photochemical smog
• Effect on human health and plants
• Sources and effect of photochemical smog
• Factors affecting the formation of photochemical smog
• Mitigation measures for photochemical smog
• How to save the environment by preventing smog

Plastic pollution ppt

• What is pollution?
• What is plastic?
• What is plastic pollution?
• History of plastic
• Plastic pollution
• Chemicals in plastic
• Types of plastic products
• Sources of plastic pollution
• Causes of plastic pollution
• Effects of plastic pollution
• Solutions to plastic pollution
• Steps taken by govt
• Initiatives on plastic pollution
• Case studies
• Ways to mitigate plastic pollution
• Scary facts about plastic

Marine pollution PPT

• Types of marine pollution
• Causes & effects of marine pollution
• Prevention and control
• What is a pollution?
• What is marine pollution??
• Causes of marine pollution
• Major impacts of marine pollution
• The health of marine life
• Some examples of marine pollution
• Ways of pollutant inputs 
• Human impacts on marine environments
• How to protect marine life?
• Oil pollution
• Garbage pollution
• Accidental loss or discharge of fishing gear
• Plan to reduce and store your garbage
• Garbage waste management onboard        shore facilities
• Marine pollution threats and biodiversity conservation
• Ocean world
• Marine life and resources
• Marine ecosystem
• Marine biodiversity
• Marine pollution threats
• Pollutants types & sources
• Impact of marine pollution
• Coastal ecology
• Coastal regulation zone (crz)
• Aquaculture: the blue revolution?
• How to solve environmental pollution
• Role of marine biotechnology on environmental pollution
• Suggestions to protect marine environments
• World environmental day- June 5
• Policies and acts for the protection

Thermal pollution PPT

• Diagramatic representation
• Causes of thermal pollution
• Effects of thermal pollution
• Control of thermal pollution
• The Bentley manufacturing company
• Freeze fish breeding in Macquarie river
• Thermal pollution and the Hudson river
• Impacts of thermal pollution
• Thermal pollution causes and consequences

Land pollution PPT

• What is land pollution? 
• Causes of land pollution
• Effects of land pollution
• Prevention of land pollution
• Solutions for land pollution
• WHAT IS NOISE POLLUTION
• Health Effects
• Sources of Noise Pollution
• Solutions for Noise Pollution

Agricultural pollution PPT

• What is agricultural pollution
• Types of agricultural pollution
• Main causes of agricultural pollution
• Effects of agricultural pollution
• Challenges of agricultural pollution
• Ways to reduce agricultural pollution
• Types of the mechanism of agricultural pollution
• Leaching and groundwater poisoning
• Water runoff
• Eutrophication
• Challenges or managements problems of  agricultural pollution
• Prevention and techniques of agriculture pollution
• A figure showing irrigation drainage

Agriculture water pollution PPT

• Agriculture as a cause
• Sources of awp
• Impacts 

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