Pollution impacts human health
ENVIRONMENT
IT is a norm or a common practice worldwide and also in Papua New Guinea to claim for environmental damages caused by environmental pollution.
Pollution results in causing environmental damages and health impacts. Environmental damages on water quality, soil quality and air quality that impacts upon the human health and losing out of beneficial uses. Environmental damages are compensated because the beneficial uses of the environment have been compromised.
Pollution occurs when foreign elements are introduced into an existing medium such as water, soil or air that changes its ambient quality. Pollution is a state when a foreign substance in the form of a solid, solid, liquid, or gas or energy such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light is introduced into an ambient receiving environment. These forms of substances are referred to as contaminants.
Environmental pollution is caused both by natural events and man induced or better referred to as anthropogenic sources. Natural pollution can result from disasters such as volcanic eruptions, landslides, storm surges, flooding and tsunamis. Anthropogenic or man induced sources are from activities such as manufacturing industries (factories, processing plants), extractive industries such as mining, oil and gas, fish canaries, waste production, agriculture, transportation and from cities and settlements. The points of release or emissions of these pollutants or contaminants entering the environment can be from specific release point or from non-point sources.
There were no legislative means to regulate environmental pollution during industrialization era in the 19th and 20th centuries until the emergence of environmental regulation and pollution policy in the latter half of the 20th century. Major forms of environmental pollution include air pollution, water pollution, litter, noise pollution, plastic pollution, soil contamination, radioactive contamination, thermal pollution, light pollution, and visual pollution.
Environmental Pollution has widespread consequences on the environmental quality and human health, having systematic impact on social and economic systems. Health records of 2019 show that, environmental pollution killed nine million people worldwide that remained unchanged since 2015.
A literature review in 2022 found that levels of anthropogenic chemical pollution have exceeded ambient levels and now threaten entire ecosystems around the world. Environmental Pollutants have frequently had serious impacts on vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, and marginalized communities, because polluting industries and toxic waste sites tend to be collocated with populations with less economic and political power. This increased in impact is a core reason for the formation of the environmental justice movement, and continues to be a core element of environmental conflicts worldwide.
Due to the increasing industrialization and corresponding increase in environmental pollution damages, countries worldwide have taken measures to regulate pollutants entering the environment. This has led to increasing air and water quality standards, alongside regulation of specific waste streams. Regional and national policies are formulated by environmental agencies or ministries, while international efforts are coordinated by the UN Environmental Program and other treaty bodies to regulate environmental pollution impacts. Pollution mitigation is an important part of all of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Pollution
There are all kinds of pollution such as air pollution, noise pollution, water pollution and soil pollution. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) defines pollution as “Any substances in water, soil, or air that degrade the natural quality of the environment, offend the senses of sight, taste, or smell, or cause a health hazard. The usefulness of the natural resource is usually impaired by the presence of pollutants and contaminants. In contrast, the United Nations considers pollution to be the “presence of substances and heat in environmental media (air, water, land) whose nature, location, or quantity produces undesirable environmental effects.
Types of Pollution
Below are some specific forms of Environmental pollution.
- Air pollution
Air pollution occurs when chemicals and particulates are released into the atmosphere. The ambient air quality is degraded when these substances are released into the atmosphere. The most common gaseous pollutants released into the atmosphere include carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrogen oxides produced by industry and motor vehicles, Photochemical ozone and smog are created as nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons react to sunlight. Particulate matter or fine dust is characterized by their micrometer size PM10 to PM2.5. (Measured as Parts per Million) - Electromagnetic pollution
This form of pollution occurs when there is more than enough of electromagnetic radiation in their non-ionizing form such as radio and television transmissions, Wi-fi etc. Although there is no demonstrable effect on humans there can be interference with radio-astronomy and effects on safety systems of aircraft and cars. - Light pollution
This pollution occurs when light trespass and over-illumination occurs resulting in astronomical interference. - Littering
Is a form of pollution that occurs when waste material and litter is disposed or thrown onto public and private properties. - Noise pollution
This form of pollution occurs from excessive noise levels released from various sources. This can be from machinery, transport and musical instruments. - Plastic pollution
This form of pollution occurs when there is uncontrolled disposal and accumulation of plastic products and microplastics in the environment that adversely affects wildlife, wildlife habitat, or humans. - Soil contamination
Soil contamination (pollution) occurs when chemicals are released by spill or underground leakage. Among the most significant soil contaminants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals, MTBE herbicides, pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons. - Radioactive contamination
This pollution occurs relating to nuclear power plants operations, nuclear weapons developments, manufacture and deployment. Pollution occurs when the alpha emitters and actinides are released into the environment. - Thermal pollution
Thermal pollution occurs when temperature are raised natural water bodies caused by human influence the cooling (coolant) system of power plants. - Visual pollution
Visual pollution sometimes expressed as sore eye refers to the presence of overhead power lines, motorway billboards, scarred landforms (as from strip mining), open storage of trash, municipal solid waste or space debris. - Water pollution
The biggest and more damaging is related to water pollution caused by the discharge of domestic wastewater, industrial wastewater, commercial and industrial waste (intentionally or through spills) into surface waters; discharges of untreated sewage and chemical contaminants, such as chlorine, from treated sewage; and releases of waste and contaminants into surface runoff flowing to surface waters (including urban runoff and agricultural runoff, which may contain chemical fertilizers and pesticides, as well as human feces from open defecation).A large volume of wastewater is also discharged from mining, oil and gas developments and nuclear power plant operation.
Natural causes
Environment Pollution is also caused by natural process or disasters such as the volcanic eruptions, flooding, landslides, land subsidence and wildfires or bushfires. During volcanic eruptions large quantities of harmful gases are released into the atmosphere. Volcanic gases include carbon dioxide, which can be fatal in large concentrations and contributes to climate change, hydrogen halides which can cause acid rain, sulfur dioxides, which are harmful to animals and damage the ozone layer, and hydrogen sulfides, which are capable of killing humans at concentrations of less than 1 part per thousand. Volcanic emissions also include fine and ultrafine particles (including volcanic ash) which may contain toxic chemicals and substances such as arsenic, lead, and mercury
Wildfires or bush fires can be caused by both natural sources like lighting strikes or intentional uncontrolled lighting of fires by people. This is also another of those sources of environmental pollution. The smoke produced from this source contains significant quantities of both carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which can cause suffocation. Large quantities of fine particulates are found within wildfire smoke as well, which pose a health risk to not only humans but also animals.
Anthropogenic Environmental Pollution
Humans are the worst enemies to themselves when it comes to environmental pollution problems. What they create or manufacture for their comfort ends up undermining their health and survival. Motor vehicles are manufactured for their ease of travel but it is one of the leading causes of air pollution that have profound impacts on human health.
Other sources of air pollution include chemical plants, coal-fired power plants, oil refineries, petrochemical plants, nuclear waste disposal activity, incinerators, large livestock farms (dairy cows, pigs, poultry, etc.), PVC factories, metals production factories, plastics factories, and other heavy industry. Agricultural air pollution comes from contemporary practices which include clear felling and burning of natural vegetation as well as spraying of pesticides and herbicides.
Chlorinated hydrocarbons (CFH), heavy metals (such as chromium, cadmium – found in rechargeable batteries, and lead – found in lead paint, aviation fuel, and even in certain countries, gasoline), MTBE, zinc, arsenic, and benzene are some of the most frequent soil contaminants.
Ordinary municipal landfills are the source of many chemical substances entering the soil environment (and often groundwater), emanating from the wide variety of refuse accepted, especially substances illegally discarded there, or from pre-1970 landfills that may have been subject to little control. There have also been some unusual releases of polychlorinated dibenzodioxins, commonly called dioxins for simplicity, such as TCDD.
Pollution can also occur as a result of natural disasters. Hurricanes, for example, frequently result in sewage contamination and petrochemical spills from burst boats or automobiles. When coastal oil rigs or refineries are involved, larger-scale and environmental damage is not unusual. When accidents occur, some pollution sources, such as nuclear power stations or oil ships, can create extensive and potentially catastrophic emissions.
Plastic pollution is choking our oceans by making plastic gyres, entangling marine animals, poisoning our food and water supply, and ultimately inflicting havoc on the health and well-being of humans and wildlife globally. With the exception of a small amount that has been incinerating, virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made in the past still exists in one form or another. And since most of the plastics do not biodegrade in any meaningful sense, all that plastic waste could exist for hundreds or even thousands of years. If plastic production is not circumscribed, plastic pollution will be disastrous and will eventually outweigh fish in oceans.
Regulation and monitoring
To protect the environment from the adverse effects of pollution, countries have enacted legislation to regulate various types of pollution as well as to mitigate the adverse effects of pollution. In Papua New Guinea we have the Environment Act 2000 that is enforced by the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority. This legislative framework regulates the development projects and controls environmental pollution.