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Pollution: - 

Pollution is a term which even kids are aware of these days. It has become so common that almost everyone acknowledges the fact that pollution is rising continuously. The term “Pollution” means the manifestation of any unsolicited foreign substance in something. When we talk about pollution on earth, we refer to the contamination that is happening of natural resources by various pollutants. All this is mainly caused by human activities which harm the environment in ways more than one. Therefore, an urgent need has arisen to tackle this issue straightaway. Pollution is damaging our earth severely and we need to realize its effects and prevent this damage.

Pollutants: -

A pollutant is any substance already present in the environment or a new substance whose concentration increases to undesirable proportions causing danger to living organisms or other materials. Pollutants are the substances which cause pollution. Pollutants can be physical or chemical. They can be the waste matter that contaminates the water or air or soil. Pollutants cause pollution when they are in a greater amount than natural abundance. Pollutants alter the physical and chemical composition of air, water, and soil that are not feasible for organisms and plants. A pollutant may change the growth rate of plant or animal species, or interfere with human amenities, comfort, and health. Pollutants not only harm the living organisms but also to the property.

Types of Pollutants: - 

1. Primary Pollutants: 

Those pollutants which enter the environment after their formation and remain as such i.e. Do not undergo any chemical change are called primary pollutants.

For Example: NO, NO2, SO2 & CO2.

2. Secondary Pollutants: 

These are the harmful materials that are formed by chemical reactions between primary pollutants in the atmosphere. Some examples are Sulphur trioxide, Nitrogen dioxide, Ozone, Aldehyde, Ketones, various Sulphate & Nitrate salts.

3. Particulate Matters: 

These are the small-sized solid particles and liquid droplets. Their size ranges from 2/times 1010 m to 5/times 10-4 m. Examples are Ash, Smoke, Dust, Fumes, etc. We will discuss this in more detail under the topic of air pollution.

4. Bio-degradable Pollutants:  

The materials (such as cow dungs) which are easily decomposed by the microorganisms into inorganic material are called bio-degradable materials. Similarly, the pollutants, which are of organic nature (such as paper) can be decomposed by microorganisms are called bio-degradable pollutants. They are thus less harmful as they do not remain in the environment for a long time. But if they are present in excess in the environment and do not undergo decomposition or degradation completely may cause problems.

5. Non-Bio-degradable Pollutants: 

The pollutants such as (HG, Al & DDT) which do not undergo degradation or degrade very slowly are called non-bio degradable pollutants. These are harmful even when present in a very small amount. They react with the other compound present in the environment to produce even more toxic compounds.

Air Pollution: - 

Air pollution is the process of releasing any toxic particles into the air that lowers its quality. The presence of harmful chemicals and other substances in the air, which lead to various types of damage to living beings and other flora and fauna is called air pollution.

The World Health Organization defines air pollution as “The presence of materials in the air in such concentration which is harmful to Man and his Environment.”

 The survival of human beings and animals greatly depends on the combination of gasses in the atmosphere; slight disruption of this composition can cause devastating effects on their existence. An imbalance in these atmospheric gasses is known to result in global warming, a great threat to the contemporary world. We cannot underestimate the effects air pollution has on the ozone layer which largely contributes to the existence of organisms on the planet along with other problems.

Sources of Air Pollution: - 

For the causes of Air pollution to be well articulated, it is important to delve into the types of air pollutants. Air pollutants can be caused by secondary and primary sources. If a process directly results in pollution, then this forms the Primary source. For instance, Factories emit Sulphur dioxide which is a primary source of air pollution. Reactions and interactions between primary sources form the secondary pollutant. For instance, the intermingling of primary pollutants forms smog which is a secondary pollutant.

➢ Burning of fossil fuels: - 

The main cause of air pollution is the burning of coal, gasoline, petroleum, and other fossil fuels. These fuels are the main cause of acid rain, smog, greenhouse gas emissions, and the presence of heavy metals in the air.

Fossil fuels form an important part of society; they are used in transportation, heating, manufacturing, and even in electricity generation. This makes them an important part of society making it difficult (but not uncontrollable) to curtail. In modern society, the use of fossil fuels can be made so that its burning becomes efficient, but this comes with a monetary cost. It is important to note that unless an alternative cleaner option is found, we will have the future facing the same problems of pollution.

 ➢ Increased use of motor vehicles, and emission of Nitrogen: - 

Vehicles use fuel which sometimes is not completely burnt in the engine; therefore, they release VOCs (Volatile Organic Chemicals) into the air. VOCs and nitrogen are a common source of air pollution.

➢ Decomposition of garbage and solid wastes: - 

Disposal sites containing biodegradable substances are known to emit methane gas into the atmosphere. Methane gas is known to be harmful gas, it is highly flammable and a potential disaster to the ozone layer. Garbage and other household products release VOCs to the air.

➢ Natural causes: - 

Air pollution can come from natural sources such as dust, wildfires, and volcanic activity. Wildfire is known to emit VOCs and particulates into the atmosphere. Volcanic eruptions spew Sulphur dioxide and volcanic ash into the atmosphere. Volcanic ash is usually dumped in the upper atmosphere, and as a result, global temperatures are lowered. However, pollution resulting from natural causes remains in the atmosphere for a short period and does not result in a permanent change as it might be the case with human activity-based pollution.

Ø  Metallurgical processing: -

Mineral dust, fumes containing fluorides, sulfides, and metallic pollutants like lead, chromium, nickel, beryllium, arsenic, vanadium, cadmium, zinc, mercury.

➢ Cutting Trees or Deforestation: - 

Green leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during days to produce food using the process photosynthesis. This process helps the atmosphere to maintain its balance with gaseous compositions. But in this modern world, we humans have made too many buildings cutting down these precious lifesavers.

Deforestation and destruction of plants have affected the rate of carbon composed gases in the atmosphere that resulted in a comparatively lesser rate of oxygen. Oxygen is the only gas that keeps us alive. Saving trees and green plants will not only clean the atmosphere but also help us to live this life happily.

Deforestation is one of the main causes of Air Pollution because “Forests are the lungs of Earth”.

Air Pollution in India: - 

India is suffering from one of the worst air pollutions. According to the 2017 State of Global Air Report by Health Effects Institute, there was an almost 150% increase in the number of deaths due to air pollution in India between 1990 and 2015. The nation’s capital is choked with air filled with pollutants. It has been declared a public health emergency. The particulate matter from the capital is spreading to nearby rural areas and they are affected by the polluted air as well. Because of this problem, the government had to close schools, implement an odd-even vehicle number scheme, and increase parking charges in the capital. There were other measures like a five-day ban on construction and demolition in Delhi.

It is not only the metro cities that are the cause behind this problem. Rural areas contribute just as much to this issue. Rural households use biomass as cooking fuel which produces pollutants. Practices like the burning of crop stubble are also common. Polluted air can move from these areas to major cities and combine with pollutants in the air that are present because of traffic, factory emissions, and even construction dust. According to a report in WHO, there are higher chances of mothers delivering babies that are underweight in households that use biomass fuels. Poverty is one reason people still using this cooking fuel. The mountains and hills in India also act as a reservoir that traps all the toxic air in various parts of the country. This makes the air too dangerous to breathe in.

There are anti-pollution laws in India but they are not well enforced. There is an Air Act (Prevention and Control of Pollution) that was set up in the year 1981. It works towards prevention, control, and abatement of air pollution. There are some cities that have banned the pollution sources like brick kilns in the city boundary limits, the exhaust from these still blows over from where they are placed outside the city limits.

Air pollution has resulted in health problems, adverse effects on other plant and animal life. It was observed in a study that the crop yield was reduced drastically in areas affected by air pollution. Additionally, it is also becoming a problem for buildings and monuments like the Taj Mahal. It has affected the operation of flights because of poor visibility. There are reports of traffic accidents because of smog on the roads.

Conclusion: - 

The bottom line is that most people believe that they are not a contributing factor to this problem. The nation’s government is blamed for not taking measures to control air pollution and improve air quality. There will be no effect of any of the government’s action plans until there is an individual effort put in to control this issue. It includes something as small as taking public transport or using electricity and gas efficiently. This tiny bit of effort can help controlling air pollution in the long run. There needs to be a shift towards greener sources of energy to achieve sustainable development and have a good life quality.