ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION -tradecareer

                          ADVERSE EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

In the nature the niche (role to play) of its every element is fixed; means the role which

it has to play is pre-decided and prefixed, be it living or non-living. Every operation is

cyclic and each and every link of this cycle is important and indispensable.For example in the hydrological cycle the water gets evaporated from the sea and over the other parts of the earth depending upon the climatic factors; mainly the temperature and the relative humidity. The wind transport it all over the earth and the condensation supplies fresh,

sweet water to all places where it is required for supporting life. It goes down the earth

by infiltration and percolation. Again it comes to the atmosphere through the leaves of

trees and evaporation from the exposed surfaces of water i.e. evapotranspiration. The

underground water emerges as springs or extracted by human beings as wells etc. Here

comes the human intervention. Because of the ever-increasing demands of the agriculture

                                                       

(population increase) we have exploited the ground water to such a level that most of

the regions have become dark zones. Then to fulfill our ever increasing energy demands

in quest of the so called comfort conditions we have burnt such a large amount of fossil

fuels that has increased the CO2

 level (from 300 to 350 p.p.m) in the last century

Actually, glass has the property to allow the short-wave radiation of sun through

it and prevent the long wave heat radiation to pass through it. In cold climatic countries

houses made up of glass are used to take advantage of this phenomenon i.e. the entry

of solar radiation and entrapping the long wave heat radiation inside it. Like this if the

outside temperature is –25°C the inside temperature can be raised to 25°C, for example.

Greenery can be easily grown at this suitable temperature and that is why it is known

as the green house effect. CO2

 works similar to the glass i.e. it allows the short-wave solar

radiation, but prevents the long wave heat radiation, radiated from the earth to the far

sky. This helps in maintaining the earth warm, but the increasing concentration of CO2

is increasing the earth’s mean global annual temperature. It was around 14.5°C in the

last century but now it is increasing at a rate of 1°C per century

                                                          

This is known as the

global warming and is causing imbalance in the rainfall over the globe. It is also increasing

melting of snow on the glaciers and raising the level of sea, endangering the existence

of cities near the seas like Mumbai or countries like Mauritius. This is one example of

effect of pollution in which increased concentration of CO2

 generated due to human

activities (industrialization, Urbanization) resulted in increase of temperature. So the

human activity like burning of fossil fuels is imposing this adverse effect of increasing

temperature, on environment.

Alongwith this, the increased concentration of other gases like oxides of Nitrogen

and Sulphur (NOx and SOx), the increased suspended particulate matter (S.P.M) are

also causing so many diseases and the problems like acid rain etc. which shall be

discussed in the chapter of Air Pollution.

 The Chlorofluorocarbons used in air con-ditioning are depleting the useful ozone layer in the stratosphere. The ozone prevents

the ultra violet portion of the solar radiation and this reduction in the concentration

of ozone, popularly known as ozone hole results in skin cancer. Against human’s foul

plays, nature has much shock proofing arrangements and rectifying measures. But

they have their limits and if the limits are crossed then the natural disasters like

tsunami and Al-Nino etc. take place