Types of pollution

1. Air pollution:

• Air pollution is contamination of the indoor or outdoor environment by any chemical, physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.
• The air naturally comprises of 78% of nitrogen, 21% of oxygen, 0.9% of oxide gases and 0.1% of inert gases. When this balance is disturbed, it causes disruptions of severe proportions.
• Air pollution is caused by harmful gases such as carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide carbon monoxide and very small particles of carbon. Most of the pollution is caused by factories, vehicles and livestock, forest fires.

2. Water pollution:

• Water pollution is the presence of harmful materials in water, such as sewage, dissolved metals, waste from farms and factories and crude oil spilled from shipwrecked tankers.
• Water pollution involves any contaminated water, whether from chemical, particulate, or bacterial matter that degrades the water’s quality and purity.

Causes of water pollution include:

• Increased sediment from soil erosion
• Improper waste disposal and littering
• Leaching of soil pollution into water supplies
• Organic material decay in water supplies

Effects of water pollution include:

• decreasing the quantity of drinkable water available,
• lowering water supplies for crop irrigation, and
• Impacting fish and wildlife populations that require water of certain purity for survival.

3. Noise pollution:

• Noise pollution can also be defined as the unwanted and unpleasant sound present in the atmosphere.
• Noise pollution can cause ear problems or even permanent deafness, especially to older people.
• This can be experienced by too many vehicles honking at the roads, heavy machinery being operated in the open, trains, clubs, over populated crowds and many more.

4. Soil pollution:

• Soil pollution pertains to the contamination of the soil due to man-made chemicals such as hydrocarbons, heavy metals, solvents, etc.
• It is typically caused by industrial activity, agricultural chemicals, and improper disposal of waste.

Soil pollution sources include:

• Hazardous waste and sewage spills
• Non-sustainable farming practices, such as the heavy use of inorganic pesticides
• Strip mining, deforestation, and other destructive practices
• Household dumping and littering

Effects of soil contamination include

• Can lead to poor growth and reduced crop yields,
• loss of wildlife habitat,
• water and visual pollution,
• Soil erosion, and desertification.

5. Light pollution:

• Light pollution is the over illumination of an area that is considered obtrusive.
• Sources include: Bright lighting in functions, big cities, etc.
• Excessive light on the retina causes extreme discomfort in the eyes, especially in dim conditions like during night time.
• Bright lights strain the eyes and also give headaches and migraines.

6. Radioactive Pollution:

Sources of radioactive contamination include:

• Nuclear power plant accidents or leakage
• Improper nuclear waste disposal.
• Uranium mining operations.

Effects of radioactive pollution include:

• Can cause birth defects, cancer, sterilization, and other health problem for human and wildlife populations.
• It can also sterilize the soil and contribute to water and air pollution.
• Can left a radioactive footprint leading to highly mutative diseases.

7. Thermal Pollution:

• Thermal pollution is excess heat that creates undesirable effects over long periods of time.
• Generally, manufacturing industries release a lot of heat energy which gets transferred to the air and water bodies.
• Even vehicles which have combustion engines release a lot of heat energy as they require high temperatures to function.