Topic 13

Pollution

“The presence of one or more pollutants in the environment or any combination of them that causes an ecologic unbalance.

Pollutants are classified as

Natural - They are not produced by humans ; they come from gases or ashes from volcanic eruptions or wildfires.

Artificial- All those pollutants originated by human activities such as the combustion of fossil fuels , industries , agriculture , household activities , oil spills, nuclear energy and wildfires, among others

Artificial pollutants are divided into three types

Physical pollutants

Biological pollutants

Chemical pollutants

Are those generated by the industry such as detergent, oil, solvent and petroleum.

Could be of a visual, hearing or radiative character, as well as garbage.

Are those generated by hospitals, such as blood, organs, viruses or bacteria; as well as protozoan or fungus generated by garbage.

Water pollution

Water is a very important resource for life and the balance of our planet, and is concentrated into three parts, 97% in oceans and seas, 2% in glaciers and 1% as freshwater.

Air pollution

Air pollution is one of the most dangerous since it generates great environmental problems at a global level such as greenhouse effect, climate change and the deterioration of ozone layer

There are two types of air pollutants

Primary-Chemical substances that add on directly to the air natural, permanent of movable sources and it is present in a dangerous condition


Secondary- Dangerous substances formed in the atmosphere when a primary pollutant reacts with a natural component or with other pollutants, mostly induced by solar radiation.


Soil pollution

There are three types of waste that contaminate it:

Solid waste

Hazardous waste

Biological-infectious waste

Biological-infectious waste

Treated differently from hazardous waste since it contains pathogenic microorganisms, bacteria and viruses.

Visual and Noise Pollution

World Health Organization consider 70 decibels as a maximum permitted level without occasioning damages to human health.

Considered as all the elements that modifies the visibility in a certain zone or landscape, such as panoramic ads, or excessive illumination, like in huge publicity monitors.

ENSO Phenomenon

Presented by the invasion of warm waters (30 to 32 Celsius) from Ecuador to Peruvian and Chilean shores, where the normal water temperatures are low (13 to 15 Celsius).

Each time an El Niño phenomenon is finished, another period starts, called La Niña.

La Niña

Opposite of El Niño because the temperatures of the ocean waters goes from 1o – 2o C lower than the normal temperatures.

click to edit