Main causes of environmental pollution

The continuous increase of the population and an uncontrolled

industrial development cause serious problems for the
environment in the form of pollution. The causes of
environmental pollution are varied. The presence in the
environment of any physical, chemical or biological agent whose
concentration causes alterations in the structure and functioning
of ecosystems is considered as part of this type of
contamination. The main causes of pollution are:

• Pesticides and chemical products

The products used in agriculture and conventional industry

release huge amounts of greenhouse gases, which are directly
responsible for the deterioration of the ozone layer and climate
change.

•Deforestation

Trees help purify the air. However, in recent decades we have

witnessed the disappearance of hundreds of forests in the world.
It is estimated that each year an extension similar to the
territory of Panama or Portugal disappears.

• Industrial and domestic waste

Mass consumption promotes chain industrial processes that

overlook the protection of the environment. The waste
generated after these processes is one of the main causes of
pollution.

•Fossil fuels

The excessive exploitation of coal, oil and natural gas, among

others, generates high levels of pollution, not only in the air but
also in the environments where such resources are extracted.

• High levels of garbage production

Our societies are characterized by high consumption of goods,

which in turn generates a high level of waste. The more they
are, the more damage they will cause to Earth. Hence the
importance of their selection.
Effects of environmental pollution

Effects of pollution on humans:

According to some experts, many of the effects of pollution are directly
related to the social and economic level of the affected communities.
Poverty, lack of access to drinking water and housing along with the
burning of wood and coal significantly influences the health of the most
vulnerable communities that inhabit the planet. The part of the population
most affected by environmental pollution are: the elderly, children,
pregnant women and patients with respiratory problems.

Effects of pollution on animals:

The fauna that lives in the earth is the one that has suffered the most
contamination. Because of polluting actions, intentional or not, many
species are in danger of extinction. For example, noise pollution in the sea
and oceans has affected the health and behavior of numerous underwater
species, such as dolphins, whales, some invertebrates and other marine
animals. Chemical pollution also harms the inhabitants of the sea. Many
researchers found traces of metals and highly polluting substances such as
mercury, cadmium, copper and lead in aquatic species. Light pollution
changes the behavior of many animals. Some experts and ecologists
observed that bats have managed to adapt to life in the city because, their
main food, the moths have moved, attracted by the light of the
streetlights. On the contrary, other animals, in need of darkness, trying to
get away from the light ended up in the sea, where it is difficult to get
food.

Effects of contamination on plants:

Pollution affects the growth of plants and causes the disappearance of
many species. The shortage of rains and the contamination of water, air
and soil have resulted in desertification.

Air pollution is one of the main causes of global warming. According to

some scientists, CO2, one of the most polluting gases in the air, which will
heat the earth by 4 or 6 degrees more, by the end of the 21st century. The
warming of the planet's atmosphere not only encourages us to live an
extreme climate, It has caused more floods, hurricanes, droughts and sea
level rise.