Types Of Pollution

What are the different types of pollution? Pollution is the act of harming something. The term is quite broad. But it basically means as long as you do something that is harmful to the environment or the people around you, then it is called pollution. To further understand the term, one should know the many different types of pollution. Each of these types of pollution will give a clear meaning for as to what pollution really is.

Water pollution is the act of contaminating the water bodies of the earth. These are types of pollution that can be as simple as throwing plastic products in the sea to major oil spills by shipping vessels, destroying the sea and the creatures that live in it. There are many different causes of these types of pollution. This long list of the causes of water pollution includes dumping industrial waste in water bodies, chemicals that are used on plants running underground, washing clothes in rivers and lakes, and many others.

Air pollution is the act of contaminating the air. As long as the air in our atmosphere gets contaminated, then those acts are types of pollution in the air. Many things can cause air pollution. These causes can include exhaust gasses getting combusted in the air, the smoke from vehicles, industrial wastes like sulphur dioxide getting released in the air, and burning of no biodegradable products such as plastic and rubber among others. Among all the different types of pollution, this one is the most fatal. You see, we need clean air to breathe and survive. If the air gets too polluted, we might not end up breathing clean air – which can lead to poisoning.

Soil pollution, as the name implies, is the act of contaminating the soil or land. As you know, the plants around us are dependent of the compounds in the soil so they can survive. If the land or the soil gets polluted, these plants will not be able to get the nutrition they need, and die. Some common examples of soil types of pollution include the use of insecticides and ripening agents on plants. Even when these chemicals are applied on the plants, as the plants are on soil, the soil will be contaminated.

Thermal pollution is basically polluting by too much heat energy in the atmosphere. The environment, much like any other living things, needs to be on a certain temperature to be considered livable. The thing is that the industrial factories that release too much heat energy disrupt this natural environment temperature. This contamination causes thermal energy.

Radioactive pollutions are types of pollution that occur when metals that are radioactive disintegrate. These metals then release dangerous compounds, so called beta rays, in the air. These beta rays are known to be radioactive, hence bringing radioactive pollution. The worst part about radioactive pollution is that it may be undetectable to the naked eye. But when it strikes, it can cause cancer and even mutation that is dangerous to human. A common cause of radioactive pollution is dumping radioactive wastes coming from nuclear power plants.