Environmental pollution has a cumulative effect on human health.
Air pollution can cause respiratory
problems such as allergies, asthma, eye and nose irritation and bronchial
infections.
Water pollution can cause
gastrointestinal diseases, nausea, diarrhea, etc.
Noise pollution has physical and
psychological health consequences and can impair hearing ability.
Polluted lands may contain hazardous
chemicals, metals and pesticides that adversely affect human health. Some of
the possible consequences of land pollution include birth defects, skin
diseases, breathing disorders, and cancer.
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| How pollution affects humans and the environment |
The Effects of
Environmental Pollution on Human Health
Environmental Pollution
Every day,
most societies in the world are exposed to an increasing health risk as a
result of the growing sources of pollution in the world, which are causing
great damage to the human body, animals, agricultural wealth and all areas of
life.
This is a clear
disruption of the global ecosystem, which is caused by synthetic substances
introduced into the environment or the use of natural materials, but at very
high levels.
Pollution
did not exist in ancient times, but it began to manifest itself in the modern
era; as a result of the great development in the use of chemical industries, in
addition to the use of radioactive and nuclear materials in wars between
countries, all of which have had significant effects on the environment and all
living things.
Types of Environmental Pollution
Environmental
pollution is no longer confined to one category, but to many forms and
varieties, each of which has different effects on humans, animals, agriculture.
The
following are the most important types of contemporary pollution:
Chemical
Pollution: Chemical
contamination is the most influential type of pollution on humans.
Chemical pollution
results from the use of industrial materials in our life, such as cleaning
materials, cosmetics, car oils, preservatives, industrial colors, food flavorings,
chemical and insecticidal fertilizers, and other manufactured materials that
are frequently used by humans.
Noise
pollution: Noise
contamination is often related to the sound and high noise that exhausts the
body, especially in high-population countries, including traffic crisis,
aircraft noise, factory noise, and others that have significant health effects.
Radioactive
Pollution:
Radioactive pollution is one of the most serious forms of contamination on
human health.
Although radioactive pollution does not
appear to the naked eye, so that the radiation seeps into humans, animals, and
food, without leaving a clear impact.
But it
causes a lot of diseases in the long run, including rays coming from factories,
nuclear power plants, and radioactive isotopes used by researchers in the
fields of agriculture or industry.
Effects of Environmental Pollution
Prolonged
exposure to pollutants can have harmful effects on all living and non-living
things.
Effects of Pollution on Humans
The effects
of environmental pollution on human beings are often mainly negative, including
respiratory problems such as allergies, asthma, eye and nose irritation, acute
bronchitis and bronchiolitis.
The effects
of environmental pollution may develop and cause long-term problems and
diseases such as cancers, which have been shown to be a key factor in their
development and spread.
There are
some other symptoms that can be caused by exposure to some contaminated
processed foods and agricultural crops also contaminated with pesticides such
as liver infections, diarrhea, and some hormonal disorders.
Effects of Pollution on animals
The exposure
of animals to the effects of environmental pollution causes them to become
toxic and non-viable.
For example,
pollution of seawater and oceans by acid rain leads to a significant change in
the composition of the water to become toxic to fish and marine animals and
lead to their death.
Ozone
pollution in the lower parts of the atmosphere causes respiratory problems for
many animals.
Water
pollution with nitrogen and phosphate causes the growth of various types of
toxic algae that poison other animals that feed on them.
Soil
pollution also destroys certain microorganisms that will affect different
layers of the food chain.
Effects of Pollution on Plants and Soil
Contamination
of agricultural land and soil with chemicals that may leak out as a result of
oil spills, insecticides, etc., strip the land of any food content in it and
make it unsuitable for cultivation and plants are unable to obtain the
necessary materials for their growth.
Effects of Pollution on Buildings
The exposure
of old and archaeological buildings with stone structures to some acid leaks
and acid rain resulting from contamination leads to their erosion gradually or
change their original color.
Some
buildings have suffered some corrosion and discoloration due to pollution such
as the Taj Mahal located in India.
How Does Environmental Pollution Affect
Human Health?
Environmental
pollutants have adverse health effects on humans.
Some of the
most important harmful effects are respiratory diseases, cardiovascular damage,
perinatal disorders, irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, infant
mortality, damage to reproductive organs, allergy, malignancies, harm to the
liver, spleen, and blood, increase in stress oxidative, nervous system damage,
endothelial dysfunction, fatigue, headaches and anxiety and other mental
disorders.
The Effects of Air Pollution on Human Health
Smoke from
factory wastes and other visible and invisible substances produced by humans
and incorporated into the atmosphere system causes air pollution, leading to
global warming.
Carbon
dioxide is one of the most harmful environmental pollutants in the air. In
addition to methane from swamps and livestock, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
previously used in refrigeration and propellant fuels, their use has been
banned due to their destructive impact on the ozone layer.
These gases
and compounds can cause significant changes in the climate, increase the rate
of smog and acid rain, and contribute to human diseases such as infections of
the upper respiratory tract, allergies, and nausea.
Studies show
that 9 out of 10 people breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants
permanently.
Air
pollution leads to the deaths of about 7 million people worldwide every
year. It contributes to stroke and causes 1.4 million deaths each
year from strokes.
Air
pollution also contributes to heart disease; 25% of heart disease cases are
related to it, resulting in 2.4 million deaths annually, in addition to the
role of air pollution in cancers and lung problems, which cause death. 1.8
million People a year.
The Effects of Water Pollution on Human
Health
Water
accounts for more than two-thirds of the Earth's surface, but human activities
put pressure on all water bodies of all kinds, this leads to poor
quality.
The spread
of industrialization in the world is the first cause of pollution in the
world. The emergence of the pollution problem means that man has exceeded
his limits.
The
definition of water pollution may include: the accumulation of one or more
substances in the water until spoiled and become harmful to humans and animals.
Dealing with
contaminated water or drinking it poses real health risks.
Water
pollution causes human diseases such as typhoid, cholera, and giardiasis.
Water
contamination with minerals also causes a number of other disorders and
problems, such as hormonal disorder, cancer, and brain dysfunction.
The Effects of Radioactive Pollution on
Human Health
Radiation
negatively affects the cells of the human body and causes damage to its genes
or their death.
The human
body may be exposed to different levels of radiation; Exposure to low levels
increases the risk of cancer and high levels of radiation cause severe
disorders in the body and can lead to death.
The Effects of Soil Pollution on Human
Health
Soil
pollution leads to the contamination of food, which poses a danger to human
life and health. Humans may be directly or indirectly affected by land
pollution. This contamination has significant risks to human health.
Humans are
exposed to soil contamination by consuming plants or animals that feed on
contaminated plants, or by inhaling evaporated soil contaminants.
Studies have
confirmed that more than 200 diseases are associated with eating contaminated
food.
People close
to contaminated land are also exposed to many negative effects that may be
short-term, such as migraines, nausea, skin disorders, or long-term disorders
such as cancers, liver damage, reproductive disorders, etc.
For example,
high concentrations of certain elements, such as mercury, in the soil can cause
brain and nervous problems in children and may cause kidney or liver damage in
adults.
Other
contaminants, such as benzene, also contribute to cancers, such as
leukemia.