Pollution is one of the major contributors to extinction of species, drastic change in weather conditions and changes in the physical environment; it affects all aspect of the environment.
Pollution affects species on earth and can significantly reduce their population or eradicate them. This occurs mostly due to chemical pollution and the fact that all living organisms depend on chemical compounds for their nutrients. There was a time owls were close to extinction because of the sequence of their feeding. Pesticides contaminated their food source.
The pesticides, which were mostly non-biogradeable compounds meant for the killing of field rodent, were pasted to the owls due to the fact that they fed on the affected field pest. These pesticides were still active in the eaten pest and in turn affected the owls.
Once digested by the owls, these pesticides caused the owls to lay soft-shelled eggs or become barren. This drastically reduced the amount of owls until the use of non-biogradeable pesticides was banned.
According to the theory of the extinction of the dinosaurs by paleontologist, the last of the dinosaur that survived the asteroid collusion, could not avoid extinction due to the severe case of pollution.
The asteroid impact had raised a lot of debris into the sky. The debris in the sky was so thick it prevented the penetration of sun light in to the atmosphere. Lack of sunlight killed primary producers of food which are plant, this caused the food chain to collapse and the last of the dinosaurs to died of starvation.
The changes in atmosphere caused by pollution are mostly due to the presence of large quantities of pollutant gases in the atmosphere. Gases such as carbon dioxide have increased in the atmosphere mostly due to human output in term of waste.
In a recent study by the environmental protection agency it was being proven that there is a direct relationship between the amount of these pollutant gases and the increase in temperature. These gases stay in the atmosphere and increase the density of the atmosphere.
The increased density allows for the atmosphere to be able to absorb and store more heat from the sun than in the absence of these gases. This has steadily been increasing the global temperature range and is referred to as global warming.
The list of bad effects of air pollution is far reaching.There can also be the presence of particles in the air, due to thick smoke and other gaseous pollutant; this causes poor visibility and respiratory problem low visibility. Accidents can occur due to poor visibility. Air pollution can produce serious diseases. Air pollution from industrial emissions and vehicle exhausts can irritate the eyes and nose, and also result in respiratory disorders such as emphysema, bronchitis, and other lung diseases.
A common case of how pollution affects the physical environment is acidic precipitation normally referred to as acid rain. This is caused by the release into the atmosphere of sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen. Sulphur dioxide is released into the atmosphere by the burning of fuels; such coal nitrogen oxides are contributed from various industrial activities and from car exhaust fumes.
These gases then dissolve in pure rainwater making it acidic. Rocks like limestone that can be found both in the natural landscape and in buildings, are eroded when this water touches them. A 1993-95 Irish study found Manchester to be the European city worst affected by acid rain. Its rainfall was the most acidic, causing buildings to be destroyed faster there than anywhere else in Europe.
The most significant effect on the physical environment is the recent melting of polar ice, which is due to the effect of global warming. Melting of ice is expected to raise sea level in the coming decades. This is often regarded as the ultimate catastrophe as it would drastically reduce the size of the continents and the population of living organisms.
Globally the importance of the relationship between the destructive breakdown of ecosystem and pollution has gained momentum. People especially those in the science fields now realize pollution affects the environmental greatly and by understanding the impact of pollution and how to prevent it is the key to how humans ensure their future by using resources in a sustainable and careful way.
