How to control pollution: Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances to the environment. These substances are dangerous to lives. It affects human, animals and even plants. Pollution is capable of causing deaths of living things. Substances that causes pollution in our environment are known as pollutants. As such it is our duties to ensure we live in an environment free from pollution.
Types of pollution
There are several types of pollution, but the most common three are the land, water and air. We also have noise and soil contamination as types of pollution. But we shall be discussing about the three major types mentioned earlier.
Land pollution.
This type of pollution can be caused by activities of man such as refuse dumping, improper sewage disposal, bush burning, oil spill among others.
Water pollution
Water pollution can be caused through dumping of refuse in the water, oil spill in riverine areas, sewage disposal among others.
Air pollution.
Emissions of harmful substances such as carbon monoxide in the air can contaminate the air.
Other types of pollution as mentioned earlier include noise, noise pollution is mostly gotten from the sound of machines or engines. It is advisable to situate such far away from residential areas where such noise is unavoidable.
Soil can be contaminated through bush burning and oil spill. It destroys the micro organisms in the soil and make it bad for agriculture and related practices.
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| Smoke |
Causes of Pollution
Pollution is mostly caused by human actions in the environment. Some of the causes of Pollution include:
1. Actions from Chemical industrial
Example of how human can cause pollution is through industrial actions. A lot of industrials that emits carbon monoxide and other harmful gases directly to the environment contributes to this environmental pollution. Some of them don’t put in consideration how and what to do with the pollutants the emits. These harmful gases are supposed to be channel in a proper way that it will not be harmful to man and his immediate environment.
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| Power station |
Again some industries make use of machines that are worn out, the implications are, it will not only pollute the air but will also produce nosy sounds which is not good to the environment.
2. Improper Refuse Disposal.
Improper dumping or disposal of refuse is also not good to the environment. Some people trash their bins in the streets, gutters and even rivers. All these activities by man contributes to environmental hazards. The do us no good.
Refuse thrown into gutters will definitely block the drainage system, this inturn during the rainy season will cause flooding. At times it gets so bad that people are been forced out of their homes. Animals are been killed and Plants washed away. Soil looses it’s nutrients also through this act. As we can see, this singular act is capable of crippling the economy.
Some humans throws theirs waste inside water, this act affects aquatic animals greatly. The air the breathe will be contaminated and as such the will start dying in their numbers.
3. Oil spill .
Apart from industries that engages with heavy machines that pollutes the environment, miners can also contribute to this. Although in the oil sector majority of oil spill are been carried out by pipelines vandaliser. This activities is capable of causing so many loss to a nation apart from polluting the environment.
Oil spillage is the major cause of pollution to people living in mining areas. This act affects man and his immediate surroundings too.
4. Bush burning.
This causes great pollution in our environment. It contaminates the air we breathe in and eliminates animals and plants in their numbers.
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| Horse galloping |
Effects of pollution
There are several effects associated to pollution. These effects depends on the type of pollution that caused it. We shall be discussing some of these effects below.
Loss of life.
Pollution can lead to one’s death. Inhaling emissions from machines, example carbon monoxide can cause one’s death.
Climate change
Pollution, especially air pollution has been attributed to a major factor of climatic change.
Elimination of plants and animals
Plants and animals just like humans are equally affected by this.
Also sounds from heavy can cause one to have hearing problem at the long run.
How to control pollution
Since pollution is majorly caused by activities of man, it can be controlled. Different ways to control pollution will be discussed below, how to control or tackle a problem depends largely on the cause of the problem.
Proper disposal of refuse
It is pertinent to mention that every household ought to have waste bin. Littering of the streets with waste should be discouraged.
Also waste bins should be situated on the streets, inside public buses and trains, and at the end of the day, should be gathered from different waste bins by the waste management authority or board. As a body trained to handle waste, the know the best way to dispose dirty, it can be sorted based on the content.
Also note that some waste can be recycled, example cans, nylon, metals etc.
Creating awareness on dangers of pipeline vandalisation.
Those who engages in mining ought to know the best way to mine and prevent oil spill and follow suit.
Pipeline vandaliser should be sensitized. Awareness should be made at all levels through appropriate channels. They should be educated on the dangers of pipeline vandalism, apart from losing their lives and properties, acquatic animals are affected, plants are not left out. Our soil will be contaminated and these will affect agriculture produce thereby causing good scarcity at the long run.
Though in a country like Nigeria, an agency known as National Oil Spill Detection and Reduction Agency (NOSDRA ) has been set up to this effects.
Cut down emissions of harmful substances
Industries should be able to manage emissions coming from their machines. Much of this shouldn’t go to the atmosphere neither should it go to the environment. The should be able to strike a balance.
Avoid bush burning.
Bush burning will affect both animals and plants lives as well as contaminate the air and soil. We should do away with this act.
Keeping our environment clean is keeping it safe. All hands must be on deck to achieve this. An environment free from pollution is the best for our safety.
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