Pollution

Pollution is when something is added to the environment that is harmful or poisonous to people, animals and other living things. Smoke in the air from factories is a type of pollution as it is bad for your lungs when you breathe it in. Sewage in drinking water is another type of pollution as it can make you unwell if you drink it because it contains germs and viruses. People living next to a building site where there is too much noise can become sick as they cannot sleep or relax. We call this noise pollution.

Air pollution

Air pollution is caused by harmful gases such as carbon dioxide(CO2), sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide and very small particles of carbon. Most of the pollution is caused by factories, vehicles and livestock.

Water pollution

Water pollution is the presence of harmful material in water, such as sewage, dissolved metals, waste from farms and factories and includes crude oil spilled from shipwrecked tankers.

The three main substances that pollute water are nitrates from fertilisers, sewage and detergents.

Pollution causes harm to living things in water and can also harm people's health, and can cause problems such as cancer.

The main sources of water pollution are from sewage, farms and factories.

Noise pollution

The harmful noise in our environment, such as the sound of cars in a city, loud speakers, etc. is called noise pollution. Noise pollution can cause ear problems or even permanent deafness, especially to older people. Noise pollution can be defined as the unwanted sound in the atmosphere.

Light pollution

Is too much artificial light at night which makes it difficult to see the stars and planets.

Light pollution is an effect of modern civilization. It is most severe in highly industrialized, densely populated areas of North America, Europe, and Japan and in major cities in the Middle East and North Africa, but even relatively small amounts of light can be noticed and create problems.