What is pollution? How many types of pollution? Define it.

Question

Vedantu Content Team · Accepted Answer

The word pollution comes from the Latin ‘polluere’ that simply means contamination. Hence, in layman terms, pollution is something that contaminates the environment. The presence of harmful substances in the air, land, and water, which can have an adverse effect on living beings and on the environment is pollution. Referring to harmful gases, fluid or other pernicious matter that are released or introduced in the natural environment. It is also toxic material that makes the soil and air impure, pollutants, contaminants, or hazardous substances that makes the environment unsuitable or unsafe. Pollution is also consequential after effect of activities which upsets the biodiversity of the ecosystem. It also poses a threat to the sustainability of the environment.

The different types of pollution are as follows:-

• Air Pollution: - It is the contamination of the natural air by mixing it with different pollutants such as harmful fumes and chemicals. This type of contamination can be caused by burning material or by gases emitted by vehicles or harmful fumes emitted as a by-product of industries. Global warming is one of the biggest side effects of air pollution as per the experts.

• Water Pollution:- It is the contamination of the water on the planet Earth. It includes water contamination by pollutants such as bacterial, chemical, and particulate that reduces the purity of the water. Oil seepage, as well as littering is one of the most common forms of pollution. It mainly occurs in lakes, oceans, rivers and even underground reservoirs.

• Soil Pollution:- It is also known as land pollution. It is the contamination of the soil or the land that prevents the growth of natural life. It includes land usage for irrigation, wildlife as well as habitation. The very common causes of soil pollution include hazardous wastage, mining as well as littering, non-sustainable farming practice, seepage into the soil, etc.

• Noise Pollution:- It is the loud noises which are fashioned by human activities that disturb the standard of living in the affected area. It can shoot from things such as railroads, traffic, loud music, concerts, aeroplanes, fireworks etc. This can even result in permanent or temporary loss of hearing as well as disturbances to wildlife.

• Radioactive Pollution:- This is one of the most dangerous forms of pollution. It is enormously harmful and can even result in death. We are witting this type of pollution from the 20th century. It evolved with the rise of atomic physics and nuclear weapons. Radioactive pollution results in the pollution of the air and land with radioactive poisoning. Leakages or accidents at nuclear power plants, as well as from improper disposal of nuclear waste are also reasons for this pollution. This pollution results in birth defects, cancer, deteriorating of health and even death.

Thus, somewhere we can understand that all types of pollutions are interrelated and indirectly can be a cause for each other. As air pollution has a direct relation to thermal pollution. Light pollution is caused by energy companies that require burning fossil fuels. In return, they increase air pollution and it increases water pollution. As one can see, there is a connexion between all the types of pollution. To fight the pollution, it might seem like a frightening task for one person, but even doing a little bit sometimes helps. In fact, reduction in water wastage, consuming less light or even not littering can result in reducing pollution massively.

Related Links: