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Home >> Biology >> Environmental Pollution >> Types of Pollution
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Environmental Pollution
Pollution in broad terms may be defined as an undesirable change in physical, chemical or biological characteristics of air, water and land that may or will harmfully affect human lives, lives of desirable species, living conditions or will deteriorate raw materials resources.
Pollutions are substances, chemicals or factors which cause adverse effect on natural quality of any constituent of environment. Pollutions are generally bye products or waste - products.
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Types of pollution
1. Air Pollution
Air pollution is the presence of materials in air in such concentration which are harmful to man and his environment. Various causes of air pollution are:
| Category |
Examples |
Important pollutants |
| 1. Chemical plants |
Petroleum refineries, fertilizers, cements, papermills, ceramic clay products, glass manufacture |
H2S, sulphur oxide, fluorides, organic vapours and dust |
| 2. Crop spraying |
Pesticides and weedicides |
Organophosphates, chlorinated hydrocarbons, lead, arsenic |
| 3. Fuel burning |
Domestic burning, thermal power plants |
Sulphur and nitrogen oxides |
| 4. Metallurgy plants |
Aluminium refineries and steel plant |
Metal flumes (Pb and Zn) fluorides and particulates |
| 5. Nuclear device testing |
Bomb explosions |
Radioactive fall out, Sr-90, Cs-137, C-14 etc. |
| 6. Ore preparations |
Crushing, grinding and screening |
Uranium and beryllium dust, other particulates |
| 7. Spray painting, ink, solvent cleansing |
Printing and chemical separations, furniture, dyeing |
Hydrocarbons and other organic vapours |
| 8. Transportation |
Cars, trucks, aeroplanes and railways |
CO, NO, NO2, Pb, smoke, soot, smoke organic vapours etc. |
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The major cause of pollution in urban areas are automobiles which inefficiently burn petroleum, release 75% noise, 80% air pollutants. Concentration of industries one area is another major cause e.g. cotton dust in Ahmedabad, Surat and nearby areas.
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