Polluted Waters example essay topic

Pollution The first thing people see, in the morning, when they walk outside is the sky and the colored sun. Is this world giving us the privilege of seeing the natural colors of the earth and sun through all the layers of pollution within the air? Not only are beautiful sights such as this hidden behind the pollution this world causes everyday, but an increase in diseases, infections and death occurs. What causes pollution?

What can we do to prevent it, and get rid of it? Air pollution is the presence in the atmosphere of harmful gases, liquids, or solids. Air pollution, known as smoke pollution for many years, resulted from coal combustion. Smog has been a problem in coal-burning areas for several centuries.

Smog finally decreased when coal combustion was replaced by oil and gas combustion. Air pollution is caused by a number of different types of pollutants. The first type, particulate matter, consists of solid and liquid aerosols suspended in the atmosphere. These arise from the burning of coal and from industrial processes. Atmospheric particles can scatter and absorb sunlight which reduces visibility. Particles also reduce visibility by attenuating the light from objects and illuminating the air causing the contrast between the objects and their backgrounds to reduce.

Not only does it effect visibility, but it hastens the erosion of building materials and the corrosion of metals, interferes with the human respiratory system, and brings toxic materials into the body. The small particles cause chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema and lung cancer. The second type is sulfur oxides which come from the burning of coal and industrial processes. Damage to materials, to vegetation, and to the human respiratory system are caused by the acid nature of oxides. Small quantities of sulfur oxides can increase illness and mortality. The third type of pollutant is carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas against which humans have no protection. Carbon monoxide comes from the exhaust of gasoline-powered vehicles and secondarily from industrial processes. Hemoglobin, which is in the blood, combines with carbon monoxide and carries less oxygen to body tissues causing health and heart effects. Some health problems come from the exhaust fumes leaking into the interior of the automobile. The fourth type is hydrocarbons which are chemical compounds containing only carbon and hydrogen.

Hydrocarbons also arise from gasoline-powered vehicles and from industrial processes. Hydrocarbons are an important part of the production of photochemical smog. The last type is nitrogen oxides that come from high-temperature combustion, such as that occurring in motor vehicle engines, electric power plants and other fuel usage. Nitrogen oxide contributes to acidity in precipitation and production of photochemical smog. Nitrogen oxide is also dangerous it causes serious illness and deaths even if the exposure to NO 2 is short. As one can surely see these types of air pollutants are harmful to our atmosphere, environment and personal health.

Factory owners can help prevent all of these effects. Researchers have found different ways to remove these pollutants from the air. One device designed to remove hydrocarbons from the atmosphere 'is an improved low pollution invisible flare burner which comprises a tall stack lined with ceramic. Primary air is introduced under pressure in a tube below and coaxial with the stack. The top of the tube contains a burner for the vented hydrocarbon gases'.

Within this device different air mixtures provide means for complete combustion of the vented gases with low emission of smoke and light. Another method wherein gases contaminate with vapors from volatile organic liquids are recovered by containing the vapor- containing gas in an absorbed tower with a sponge oil which absorbs the vapors. Both methods can successfully remove hydrocarbon. A method has been discovered for removing nitrogen oxides from gases. An ionizing radiation allows the noxious gas pollutants to enable a collection of the particles or mist electrostatic precipitators. Another air pollutant which is able to be reduced is carbon monoxide.

Factories simply have to change their coal or oil combustion's to natural gas combustion. Afterburners can cause the combustion of CO. This combustion is a source of heat as in blast furnaces. Water Pollution is the contamination of streams, lakes, under groundwater, bays, or oceans by substances harmful to living things. Water is necessary to life on earth. All organisms contain it; some live in it; some drink it.

Plants and animals require water that is moderately pure, and they cannot survive if their water is loaded with toxic chemicals or harmful microorganisms. If severe, water can kill large numbers of fish, birds, and other animals, in some cases killing all members of a species in an affected area. Pollution makes streams, lakes, and coastal waters unpleasant to look at, to smell, and to swim in. Fish and shellfish harvested from polluted waters may be unsafe to eat. People who ingest polluted water can become ill, and, with prolonged exposure, may develop cancers or bear children with birth defects. The major water pollutants are chemical, biological, or physical materials that degrade water quality.

Oil and chemicals derived from oil are used for fuel, lubrication, plastics manufacturing, and many other purposes. These petroleum products get into water mainly by means of accidental spills from ships, tanker trucks, pipelines, and leaky underground storage tanks. Many petroleum products are poisonous if ingested by animals, and spilled oil damages the feathers of birds or the fur of animals, often causing death. In addition, spilled oil may be contaminated with other harmful substances, such as's (PCBs).

Chemicals used to kill unwanted animals and plants, for instance on farms or in suburban yards, may be collected by rainwater runoff and carried into streams, especially if these substances are applied too lavishly. Some of these chemicals are biodegradable and quickly decay into harmless or less harmful forms, while others are non biodegradable and remain dangerous for a long time. When animals consume plants that have been treated with chemicals, these chemicals are absorbed into the tissues or organs of the animals. When other animals feed on these contaminated animals, the chemicals are passed up the food chain. With each step up the food chain, the concentration of the pollutant increases.

Hazardous wastes are chemical wastes that are either toxic (poisonous), reactive (capable of producing explosive or toxic gases), corrosive (capable of corroding steel), or ignitable (flammable). If improperly treated or stored, hazardous wastes can pollute water supplies. Fertilizers and other nutrients used to promote plant growth on farms and in gardens may find their way into water. At first, these nutrients encourage the growth of plants and algae in water. However, when the plant matter and algae die and settle underwater, microorganisms decompose them.

In the process of decomposition, these microorganisms consume oxygen that is dissolved in the water. Oxygen levels in the water may drop to such dangerously low levels that oxygen-dependent animals in the water, such as fish, die. Sediment is soil particles carried to a streambed, lake, or ocean, can also be a pollutant if it is present in large enough amounts. Soil erosion produced by the removal of soil-trapping trees near waterways, or carried by rainwater and floodwater from croplands, strip mines, and roads, can damage a stream or lake by introducing too much nutrient matter. Sedimentation can also cover streambed gravel in which many fish, such as salmon and trout, lay their eggs. In the United States, the serious campaign against water pollution began in 1972, when Congress passed the Clean Water Act.

This law initiated a national goal to end all pollution discharges into surface waters, such as lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and coastal waters. The law required those who discharge pollutants into waterways to apply for federal permits and to be responsible for reducing the amount of pollution over time. The law also authorized generous federal grants to help states build water treatment plants that remove pollutants, principally sewage, from wastewater before it is discharged. Internet Sources web.