Environmental Business and Energy Information Services
Environmental Pollution - Pollution of air, water and Land
In the beginning ...
Our Environment (Air, Water and Land) was created clean, clear and pristine. In other words, they were "without contamination or pollution". The entrance of man to the environment changed all these. Any portion of the environment that man enters is transformed, changed or to put it precisely, polluted.
How did we do it?
Our activities - industrial, agricultural, recreational, domestic - introduce "contaminants" into the environment. These activities impact our air, water and our land.
Air Pollution: Exhausts to the atmosphere from airplanes, vehicles and industrial plants; open burning; gaseous (e.g. methane) releases from open dumps etc. Since our atmosphere is universal, it can be concluded that our Earth's Air Medium is universally contaminated, albeit, to varying degrees. For more detailed account follow the link to the left on Air Pollution.
Water Pollution: - Most of our water bodies have been impacted through our water transportation activities; heavy oil spills and leaks to water bodies, direct deposition of wastes to water bodies and contamination through seepages from landfill or dump sites. For more detailed account follow the link to the left on Water Pollution
Land Pollution: - Lands used for industrial activities (gas stations, manufacturing factories, etc) are left contaminated after use. Several releases of chemicals, oil and other substances to the land. Contaminated sites abound everywhere in major locations of the world. Besides the chemicals released on the contaminated lands, several debris and wastes that constitute dangers are left on the sites. For more detailed account follow the link to the left on Land Pollution
What is a contaminant or Contamination or Pollution?
As contained above "Environment consists of Air, Water and Land/soil". A contaminant is any substance that impacts the environment negatively, their causing negative changes (or pollution/contamination) to the atmosphere".
The United States Environmental Protection Authority (USEPA) describes a contaminant as "any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter that has an adverse effect on air, water, or soil"
Why do we care about Pollution or Contamination of our Environment?
Contamination is dangerous to the safety and health of humans, wildlife and the environment. Some substances released to our environment constitute immediate danger humans and wildlife by causing diseases or even death. some cause distressed growth of vegetation. Moreover, some substances (e.g. PCBs and PAHs) are persistent in nature and can make it to our food chain.