Pollution (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)

Pollution

• Pollution is the introduction of harmful contamination into the environment

• As development has occurred in countries around the globe, levels of pollution have increased 

• There are five main types of pollution:

  • Air

  • Water

  • Land

  • Visual 

  • Noise

Air pollution causes and impacts

• Air pollution is a combination of indoor and outdoor particulates

• Sources of air pollution include:

  • motor vehicles powered by petrol/diesel

  • factories

  • power stations burning fossil fuels

  • forest fires

  • open fires and wood-burning stoves

• There are many impacts of air pollution, including:

  • It contributes to 12% of annual deaths worldwide

    • This is highest in middle- and low-income countries

  • Indoor pollution in LEDCs due to the use of fuelwood for cooking and heating increases health impacts

  • Increased release of greenhouse gases contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect

Water pollution causes and impacts

• Water pollution occurs when harmful substances contaminate streams, rivers, aquifers, and oceans

• The sources of water pollution include:

  • fuel spillages

  • agricultural waste/pesticides/fertilisers

  • leaching of toxic materials from waste

  • sewage disposal into rivers and seas

  • boat oil/diesel waste

  • deforestation leads to soil erosion and soil being washed into waterways

  • plastic waste—becoming microplastics

  • radioactive waste

• The impacts of water pollution are widespread and include:

  • Reduction in available clean drinking water

  • Reduction in crop yields and death of crops

  • Damage to ecosystems and habitats

  • Death of wildlife 

  • Abnormalities in fish and other sea/water wildlife

  • Accumulation of toxins in the food chain

  • Spread of diseases such as cholera and typhoid

Land pollution causes and impacts

• Land pollution is the presence of contaminants in the soil at high enough concentrations to pose a risk to humans and the environment

• Sources of land pollution include:

  • solid waste—from domestic and industrial sources

  • agricultural waste/pesticides/fertilisers

  • mining waste - toxic heavy metals such as mercury 

  • demolition and construction waste

• The presence of land pollution can lead to:

  • reduced crop yields 

  • leaching of toxins into the water system

  • pollutants entering the food chain through plants

  • ecosystem and habitat destruction

  • economic losses 

Visual pollution causes and impacts

• Visual pollution is the impact of human-made constructions or pollution that affect the visual landscape

• The main causes of visual pollution include:

  • buildings

  • energy production - power stations, wind turbines

  • signs and advertising (billboards with lights)

  • power lines and structures (pylons, mobile phone masts)

  • waste

• The impacts of visual pollution include:

  • a lower quality of life

  • stress and anxiety

  • an impact on the economy 

  • distraction - may lead to accidents

Noise pollution causes and impacts

• Noise pollution is defined as harmful or annoying levels of noise in an environment

• The causes of noise pollution include:

  • transport - roads and airports

  • construction

  • industry

  • night activities—nightclubs, bars

  • energy production - wind turbines, power stations

• Noise pollution has a range of impacts, including:

  • hearing loss

  • scaring wildlife—affects feeding and breeding

  • sleep disturbance

  • stress and anxiety

  • contributing to high blood pressure, heart disease

  • negative effects on child development

Sustainable management of pollution

• Sustainable management of pollution means ensuring that industries, urban growth, agriculture and domestic activities impact the soils, air, water, landscape and noise levels as little as possible 

• There are many ways in which this can be achieved

Air 

• Improved public transport and electric vehicles to reduce transport emissions

• Increase the use of renewable energy

• Congestion charges in large cities such as London to reduce the use of vehicles

• Use of unleaded and low-sulphur fuels

• Filters on the chimneys of factories and power stations

• Smokeless fuels 

• International agreements (Paris and Kyoto) regarding gas emissions

• Reduced use of energy to reduce the need for fossil fuel power stations

Water

• Regulations on the amounts of fertilisers and pesticides used

• Increased use of water treatment works to treat sewage waste before releasing it back into the waterways

• Education regarding the disposal of plastic waste

• Fines for factories/industries discharging waste into waterways

Land

• Recycling and reuse of materials to reduce the amount of waste

• Separation of waste into compostable and recyclable waste by householders 

• Regulations regarding the use of fertilisers and pesticides

• Targets set for local councils and authorities regarding recycling

Visual 

• Reduction in the number of billboards/advertising boards that can be in an area

• Planting of trees to screen roads/quarries and other developments

• Buildings that blend into the environment

• Disguising mobile phone masts 

• Putting electrical and telephone cables underground

• Regular waste collection and provision of bins

Noise

• Limiting hours of work for construction sites and factories

• Noise barriers between houses and main roads

• Siting activities away from population centres