Introduction
In the last hundred years, the human population has grown. As a result, food, water, housing, power, roads, automobiles and a variety of other resources will all be in higher demand. Pollution is defined as any unfavourable change in the physical, chemical, or biological characteristics of air, land, water or soil. Pollutants are agents that cause such an unfavourable transformation to occur. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 was passed by the Indian government to regulate pollution and safeguard and improve the quality of our environment (air, water, and soil) to reduce Environmental Issues.
Pollution in the Air and How to Prevent it
We rely on air to meet our respiratory needs. All living organisms are harmed by air pollution. They inhibit crop development and yield, as well as cause plant death. Pollutants in the air have a negative impact on both the human and animal respiratory systems. The harmful effects of pollutants are determined by the concentration of pollutants, the length of exposure, and the organism.
Automobiles, at least in big cities, are a major source of air pollution. As the number of automobiles on the road increases, the problem is spreading to other cities. Automobile maintenance, as well as the usage of lead-free gasoline or diesel, can help to lessen the toxins they release. Catalytic converters are used in automobiles to reduce hazardous gas emissions. They use expensive metals like platinum, palladium, and rhodium as catalysts. Unburned hydrocarbons are transformed to carbon dioxide and water as the exhaust travels through the catalytic converter. In contrast, carbon monoxide and nitric oxide are converted to carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas, respectively. Because lead in gasoline inactivates the catalyst in automobiles with catalytic converters, unleaded gasoline should be used.
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was passed in India in 1981. However, it was revised in 1987 to include noise as a pollutant in the air. Noise is a loud sound that is unwelcome. We have grown accustomed to equating loud sounds with pleasure and enjoyment, oblivious to the fact that noise can cause psychological and physiological problems in humans. By the end of 2002, all of Delhi’s buses had been converted to run on CNG.
Pollution of Water and its Management
Humans have been abusing water bodies all over the world by throwing all types of trash into them. We have a tendency to imagine that water may wash away everything, oblivious to the fact that water bodies are both our and all other living organisms’ lifelines. Ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, estuaries and oceans are becoming contaminated in many regions of the world as a result of human activity. The Government of India passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, recognising the necessity of maintaining the cleanliness of water bodies.
When it comes to sewage from home and industrial effluents, solids are generally easy to remove. But dissolved salts such as nitrates, phosphates, and other nutrients, as well as harmful metal ions and organic compounds, are the most difficult to remove and may cause Environmental Issues. Domestic sewage is mostly composed of biodegradable organic matter that decomposes quickly, thanks to bacteria. Biochemical Oxygen Demand can be used to assess the amount of biodegradable organic matter in sewage water (BOD).
Sewage from our homes and hospitals is likely to include numerous dangerous germs, and its dumping into the water without sufficient treatment can lead to outbreaks of major diseases such as dysentery, typhoid, jaundice, cholera and other illnesses.
Solid Wastes
Everything that goes out in the trash is referred to as solid waste. Municipal solid wastes are wastes collected and disposed of by the municipality from residences, offices, stores, schools and hospitals among other places. Although waste is often not burned to completion, burning minimises the volume of waste, and open dumps are commonly used as a breeding ground for rats and flies.
Open-burning dumps were phased out in favour of sanitary landfills. After compaction, wastes are thrown in a depression or trench and covered with earth in a sanitary landfill every day. Landfills are therefore not a viable option, as the garbage generation, particularly in urban areas, has expanded to the point that these sites are becoming overburdened.
The only way to solve all of this is for humans to become more environmentally conscious and avoid Environmental Issues. All of the garbage we produce may be divided into three categories: biodegradable, recyclable, and non-biodegradable. Hospitals produce hazardous waste containing disinfectants and other dangerous chemicals, as well as pathogenic microorganisms. Such wastes must also be treated and disposed of with care. The usage of incinerators is critical for hospital waste disposal.
Global Warming and Green House Effect
A phenomenon that occurs in a greenhouse inspired the phrase “greenhouse effect.” Do you know what a greenhouse is? It resembles a little glasshouse and is used to nurture plants, particularly in the winter.
The glass panel in a greenhouse lets light in but prevents heat from escaping. As a result, the greenhouse warms up, similar to when a car is left in the sun for a few hours. The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon that causes the surface and atmosphere of the Earth to heat up.
How can we keep global warming under control? The measures include reducing fossil fuel consumption, improving energy efficiency, reducing deforestation, planting trees, and limiting the increase of the human population. International efforts are also underway to limit greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Conclusion
Environmental pollution and the depletion of important natural resources are major Environmental Issuesthat affect people on a local, regional, and global scale. Air pollution is mostly caused by the combustion of fossil fuels in factories and automobiles, such as coal and petroleum. Because they are detrimental to humans, animals, and plants, they must be eliminated in order to keep our air pure.
The increasing greenhouse effect, which is warming the Earth, and ozone depletion in the stratosphere are two major global environmental issues. Enhanced emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and CFCs, as well as deforestation, all contribute to the increased greenhouse effect. It has the potential to radically alter rainfall patterns and global temperatures, as well as negatively impact living species.