Chemical Pollution

CHEMICAL POLLUTION

            Chemical pollution caused by chemical pollutants that are not naturally found in the environment or the amount of chemical presents is higher than its normal values. The sources of chemical pollution are diverse, which happen to be from human activity such as agriculture, transportation, domestic wastage and industries.

            Farming and agriculture do have their significance in human life. Not only providing occupation, but the contribution is far more wide-ranging than that. Our survival depends on this field as they mainly provide food to satisfy our hunger and fulfill our needs. Since long time ago, farming never bring harm to lands and its surrounding as it is conducted naturally without helps from chemicals. But nowadays, as our world becomes modern and fast lane is always a choice, agricultural chemical pollution is a norm. The lands are not fertile as before, thus the efforts of generation of farmers to ensure the fertility of land are unfortunately being wasted due to this pollution. Degradation of the ecosystem is the result of this so-called modernization. Pesticides and fertilizers are the primary sources of the pollution. Local pests with new invaded species have been a problem that leads to uses of pesticides and fertilizers to control their activity. Thus, the ground is loaded with unnatural chemical that are not easily vanished. Chemical residues such as mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium that seep into the ground mixed with water, that lead to another problem which is the streams become contaminated, similar to animals that consume these crops. Pollution of organic compounds and heavy metals in the reservoirs and canals caused by disposal of agricultural waste near the water bodies that lead to irrigation of contaminated water.

            Chemicals that emitted from the vehicles had caused air pollution and affect our body system. Fossil fuel in form of petroleum gives out carbon monoxide when vehicles such as cars operated. Not only during the vehicles are operated, the pollution also comes from refueling, manufacturing, disposal, refining and distribution of the vehicles fuel. Emission of large amount of carbon monoxide by millions of transportation give rise to global warming which had been a major issue nowadays.  In 2013, transportation caused more than half of the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides, and a quarter of the hydrocarbons mixed in the air. Chemical pollution from vehicles can be divided into two; primary pollution is emitted directly into atmosphere while secondary pollution derived from chemical reactions in the atmosphere between pollutants. As example, particulate matter (PM) which is fine particles that sized less than one-tenth the diameter of a human hair is a primary and secondary pollution that come from hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides. The major contribution to PM pollution is diesel exhaust.  In the other hand, oil spillage from the land and water transportation can cause severe damage to the ecosystem and animals that inhabit that particular area. As example, when there is incident of crude oil spillage from a ship, the marine ecosystem is affected seriously. This followed by contamination of aquatic life that may happen to be our food; seafood. Indirectly, human are also affected by the contamination.

            Industrial Revolution do has impacts on the pace of human daily life. Technology grows rapidly as science becomes advanced and manufacturing era develops successfully. However, chemical pollution in industries had contaminated various sources of drinking water, caused unwanted toxins released into the air and degrade the quality of soil around the world. Many environmental epidemic causes by mishandling of industrial management which the origin of problem starts from lack of policies to control pollution, unplanned industrial growth, use of outdated technologies, inefficient waste disposal and leaching of resources from nature. In instance, outdated technologies are still being used although they generate big quantity of chemical waste because the company wants to reduce cost and expenditure. Furthermore, unsystematic waste disposal from the industries may harm human by causing chronic health issues. Moreover, chemical pollution by the industries and factories has severe affect to the wildlife. Imbalance of natural rhythms and patterns may cause wildlife extinction by habitat lost and disability to recover from every chemical pollution disaster such as oil spills accidents, fires and also leak of radioactive materials.

            Pollutions by chemical have bad effect on us human and other living things. Pesticides and fertilizers pollute the soils and crops; foods that we consume may also be polluted. Chemicals released by transportation do harm us with respiratory disorder; somehow will also cause skin irritation if acid rains form by reaction of the chemicals.  Defected ecosystem by industries and factories not only cause wildlife extinction, but will gradually reduce human population as life revolve in a food chain.