Pollution
Managing Waste
Land Pollution
Water Pollution
Air Pollution
Intensive farming on land requires farmers to use fertilisers, particularly nitrates to ensure that land remains able to support crops each year
Untreated sewage is washed into waterways and pumped into the ocean, introducing toxic chemicals and further increasing nitrate levels
These chemicals are easily washed from the soil into rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams, where they fertilise water plants causing them to grow rapidly
Plants begin to die due to increased competition for other resources such as light, which quickly increases the number of microorganisms feeding on the dead plant material. These detritus feeders deplete oxygen levels in the water, eventually rendering the water unable to support other aquatic life in a process called eutriphication
Other toxic chemicals such as pesticides, herbicides, or poisonous substances from landfill sites can also enter waterways
These have a detrimental effect on animal life, with high levels of toxins building up in the food chain, causing fish and other aquatic animals to die or become infertile due to the accumulation of harmful chemicals in the body
There are many ways of measuring levels of water pollution, such as analysing oxygen and pH levels, measuring levels of pollutants in the water, and tracking the activity of bioindicators that can only be found in waterways with specific levels of pollution
Growing population leads to increased levels of household waste, food waste, sewage, industrial waste, and energy emissions
If not disposed of properly, waste can pollute all aspects of the environment, including habitats, ecosystems, food chains, even the land and the air
A lack of natural predators, the ability of disease prevention, and being able to modify large areas of land to suit our needs have all allowed the human population to explode exponentially
Demand for energy has lead to the burning of fossil fuels, causing the release of greenhouse gases and other pollutants that have damaged delicate ecosystems and led to global warming and climate change
Need for food supplies and living spaces has caused deforestation and permanent changes to the land that have forced animals out of their natural habitats
Acid Rain
Global Dimming
Formation
Effects
These gases are soluble in rainwater and react with oxygen in the air to form dilute sulphuric and nitric acid, producing acid rain with a pH of ~2.0
When fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide is released, often sulphur dioxide is also. At high temperatures, such as in car engines, nitrogen oxide is too.
Smoke, produced by any form of combustion but especially that of fossil fuels, leads to an increase in the number of tiny solid particulates in the air
These particulates reflect sunlight, reducing the amount of lights that reaches the ground, with a dimming effect
In Europe, levels of smoke and sulphur emissions are controlled, which is reversing these effects
Acid rain affects the environment directly. It can kill tree leaves, plants, and if soaked into the soil can destroy root systems, Entire ecosystems can be damaged or destroyed
Acid rain can cause waterways to become slightly acidic, eventually rendering them incapable of supporting life
By treating factory emissions before they are released into the atmosphere to reduce levels of harmful chemicals, and reduce the burning of fossil fuels and other sulphur rich materials, we can reduce the amount of acid rain
Sewage and food waste can pollute the soil with toxic chemicals and parasites
Household and industrial waste can be sent to landfill sites which take up large areas of land and destroy the natural habitats and ecosystems of animals. Chemicals from the waste can leech into the soil, making it infertile and spreading into nearby waterways
Toxic chemicals from industrial waste can poison vast areas of soil. Nuclear waste and explosions can pollute the land for miles around. So too can mines and oil fields
Intense farming can also pollute the land. Crops compete with natural vegetation for resources, causing surrounding plant life to die. Toxic pesticides and herbicides are used to protect crops, with the chemicals spreading into the soil, waterways, and food webs