Water, Air and Soil Pollution

Water, Air and Soil Pollution

Pollution is an environmental problem for people throughout the world. One university study suggests that pollutants in the water, air, and soil cause up to 40% of the premature deaths in the world’s population. The majority of these deaths occur in developing countries.
Water Pollution: Toxins contaminate water in many third world countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.1 billion people have little or no access to clean water. Polluted water causes approximately 80% of infectious diseases in the world. Unfortunately, most developing countries cannot afford water treatment facilities. Millions of people are struggling to survive on contaminated water that spreads diseases.
Air Pollution: Air pollution is a growing problem throughout the world. Indoor air pollution is one of the main causes of lung cancer. Families in developing countries use open stoves for cooking and for heating their homes. These houses do not have proper air ventilation. The smoke, which is full of chemicals, gets trapped inside where families eat and sleep. Outdoor pollution also causes disease and illness, especially in industrial cities such as Beijing, China, where cancer is the leading cause of death. China relies heavily on coal, which is probably the dirtiest source of energy. According to the European Union, only 1% of citizens in China breathe clean air on an average day. Neighbouring countries, including Japan and Korea, receive much of China’s pollution in the form of acid rain. This pollution results mainly from the coal-powered factories, which produce inexpensive goods for North American and European consumers.
Soil Pollution: Soil pollution is also a major concern, both in industrial and developing countries. Pollutants such as hazardous metals and pesticides seep into the earth’s soil and harm the food supply. Soil pollution causes major health risks to entire ecosystems. Dumping of industrial and domestic waste products produces much of the world’s soil pollution, though natural disasters can also add to the problem. In wealthy countries such as the US, protection agencies monitor the food supply. The public is generally warned before major health outbreaks occur. Developing countries do not have this luxury. Farmers in poor nations grow food in contaminated soil to earn a living because it’s impossible for them to relocate to other places without the government’s support.
As more people move to urban centres, premature deaths due to pollution will increase worldwide. Today, the developed nations need to come up with solid plans to protect the earth’s resources for future generations.