Our natural resources are known to have some specific qualities of their own. These qualities are known as natural qualities. It is due to specific natural qualities that different natural resources have been useful to us and to the whole biosphere. But now, the condition has changed considerably.
Most of our natural resources like air, water and soil have gone bad due to pollution of different types. What is pollution?
Well, the condition of mixing unwanted and harmful substances in our natural resources so as to alter their natural qualities and to make them unfit for use, is called as pollution.
The Environmental Pollution has been the matter of Global Concern since last three decades. It was in 1972 that delegates of world Nations assembled on 5th and 6th June in 1972 in the United Nations Conference in Stockholm to discuss the issue of global pollution.
Again in 1992 delegates of more than 170 nations got together to discuss the issue of Environment and Development from 3rd June to 14th June in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in the Earth Summit. Different nations of the world are now trying to control pollutions through their own ways on regional and national levels.
Different types of pollutions are – Air Pollution or atmospheric Pollution, Water Pollution, Soil Pollution, Radiation Pollution and Noise Pollution.
• Air Pollution or Atmospheric Pollution
The condition of mixing of undesirable substances in the air so as to alter its natural quality is called as air pollution. According to the World Health Organization, the air pollution can be defined as – the condition produced due to ‘substances put into air by the activity of mankind into concentration sufficient to cause harmful effects to his health, vegetables, property or to interfere with the enjoyment of his property’ is called as air pollution.
• Water Pollution
Mixing of different solid, liquid or gaseous substances and microorganisms into water, so as to alter its natural qualities is called as water pollution. According to the National Water Commission (1973), water gets polluted if it has not been of sufficiently high quality to be suitable for the highest uses people wish to make of it at present or in future.
• Soil Pollution
Mixing of different types of substances in soil which affects its natural qualities and causes reduction in its fertility, is called as soil pollution. Some environmentalists define soil pollution as – build up of toxic chemical compounds, salts, pathogens or radioactive materials in soil that can affect plant and animal life adversely, which is called as soil pollution.
A polluted soil often contains varieties of germs of diseases. Some of those diseases are – anthrax, typhoid, leptospirosis, bacillary dysentery, cholera etc. A big amount of soil is lost due to soil erosion, storms, overgrazing and deforestation activities. This loss of soil is often called as negative soil pollution.
• Radiation Pollution
Nuclear Power Plants, transport and disposal of nuclear wastes, mining of radioactive substances, fall out of bomb explosions, nuclear weapons, testing of nuclear devices and nuclear accidents etc. are major sources of radiation pollution. These sources cause permanent damages to life and property. A nuclear reactor accident took place in 1986 in Chernobyl, Ukraine which killed at least 31 people and forced more than 200,000 people to vacate and relocate. Radiation pollution may be both – Natural and Man- made. Cosmic radiations, ultra violet radiations etc. are examples of Natural Radiations. The application of explosive devices, testing of bombs, leakage from nuclear reactors etc. are man made sources of radiation pollution.
Radio active substances emit rays like alpha (α) rays, gamma (¥) rays and beta (β) rays. These rays are emitted from unstable radioactive substances so as to become stable. In this way these are gradually reduced in their value. The time taken by a radioactive substance to get reduced up to the half of its initial value is called as half life period. The unit applied to express the decay of a radio active substance is called as Becquerel.
• Noise Pollution
Pollution caused due to unwanted sound is called as noise pollution. Unwanted sound which produces unpleasant effects and discomfort over the years is called as noise. The undesired impacts due to noise are called as noise pollution. Sound becomes unwanted when it interferes with normal activities such as sleeping, conversation, mental concentration etc. thereby diminishing one’s quality of life. Both animals including humans, and plants and even non-living things like buildings are affected by this type of pollution.
