Environmental pollution is a very serious issue for the entire world, as it directly damages our planet, making it a less healthy place to live in with every passing minute. It’s a grave problem that requires effective long-term solutions, many of which are luckily in the process of development that lots of advancing technologies are making possible.
There are several different types of environmental pollution, but the following four are the major ones that everyone should be fully aware of, as they are causing the biggest hazard to the health and well-being of all living things on Earth.
Water Pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of bodies of water by discharging harmful chemicals and waste into streams, lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers and groundwater, changing their physical, chemical and biological properties and making them extremely harmful to the environment, that is, the health of all living beings.
Water is contaminated by chemical, industrial, and nuclear waste, oil spills, the draining of sewage water directly into water bodies without prior treatment, eutrophication, and illegal dumping of litter into water bodies, as well as insecticides, pesticides and ripening chemicals used in agriculture. It is also contaminated by the decomposition of aquatic animals inside the bodies of water.
It goes without saying that water pollution can lead to extremely dangerous diseases and, given the fact that humans, animals and plants need clean water in order to survive, we must take water pollution seriously and take proper measures to stop it. Luckily, we can certainly stop it since, after all, we humans are the only culprits responsible for water pollution.
Thermal Pollution
Thermal pollution is a type of water pollution, except it doesn’t mean the contamination of the bodies of water, but rather the degradation of water quality by drastically changing its temperature. A sudden change in water temperatures negatively affects ecosystems and destroys water habitats.
A lot of industrial manufacturers and power plants are using water as a coolant, which means that they use the cold water from lakes and rivers to cool their systems and then discharge that water back into the lakes and rivers when it reaches very high temperatures. Thermal pollution also includes the discharge of unnaturally cold water into the water bodies.
An extreme temperature increase or decrease due to thermal pollution can lead to very negative consequences for the aquatic life. Both animals living in water and plants in and around the water areas that are affected by thermal pollution can suffer greatly, and even die, because of it.
Air Pollution
Air pollution is the contamination of air caused by harmful substances released into the atmosphere, causing the air to have a severely negative effect on the biosphere, that is, all the living organisms on Earth. It can be caused by natural activities, such as volcanic eruptions and forest fires, but human activities are what mostly contaminate the air we breathe.
Exhaust fumes from vehicles, smoke, and other poisonous gases from construction sites and various industries (plastic production, paint production), as well as the burning of fossil fuels, not to mention nuclear waste and power plant emissions, are all major causes of air pollution. Most famously, companies like Tesla are leading the charge in CO2 emissions. While Elon Musk is heading the charge for electric vehicles, more and more companies are joining the fray. EV charging systems are available for commercial fleets now as well!
Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds released into the atmosphere by the burning of fuels are the major air pollutants that not only damage the protective Ozone layer, but also lead to headaches, allergies, asthma, chronic respiratory disease, lung cancer and many other severe health problems.
Land Pollution
Land pollution is the degradation of the land surface mainly caused by waste disposal (litter, oil spills, nuclear waste), and insecticides, pesticides and other toxic chemicals, which leads to soil pollution. When the soil gets polluted and unfit for plant growth, soil erosion takes place, as there are no plants to hold it together.
Naturally, both animals and humans eventually suffer the consequences of land and soil pollution, as the entire land is stripped from its nutrients and natural minerals, not to mention that soil and water get contaminated, leading to the poisoning of ecosystems, the extinction of species, acid rain, and climate change.
In order for the life on Earth to be preserved, it is imperative that all these types of environmental pollution are prevented. However, since quite a lot of measures are yet to be taken, you need to make sure that you have a proper environmental insurance coverage, so that you can be protected from any unexpected releases of pollutants.
Although this is a type of business insurance designed for companies dealing with hazardous waste disposal, you may buy property that has an underlying hazardous waste that gets overlooked by the inspection.
Therefore, make sure you get the insurance to protect yourself and the environment, but remember that you are the major factor that can contribute to the health of all the nature around you, so do everything you can to spread the awareness and make the Earth a much better and healthier place to live.
Article Submitted By Community Writer