Pollution (CIE IGCSE Geography)

• Pollution is the introduction of harmful contamination into the environment
• As development has occurred around the globe levels of pollution have increased 
• There are five main types of pollution;
  • Air
  • Water
  • Land
  • Visual 
  • Noise

Type of Pollution	Sources	Impact
Air - combination of indoor and outdoor particulates	Motor vehicles powered by petrol/diesel Factories Power stations burning fossil fuels Forest fires Open fires and wood burning stoves	Contributes to 12% of annual deaths worldwide Highest in middle and low income countries Indoor pollution in LEDCs due to the use of fuelwood for cooking and heating increases health impacts Increased release of greenhouse gases contributes to the enhanced greenhouse effect
Water - when harmful substances contaminate streams, rivers, aquifers, oceans	Fuel spillages Agricultural waste/pesticides/fertilisers Leaching of toxic materials from waste Sewage disposal into rivers and seas Boat oil/diesel waste Deforestation leading to soil erosion and soil being washed into waterways Plastic waste - becoming micro plastics Radioactive waste	Reduces the amount of available clean drinking water Reduces crop yields and may kill crops Damages ecosystems and habitats Death of wildlife  Abnormalities in fish and other sea/water wildlife Accumulation of toxins in the food chain Spread of diseases such as cholera and typhiod
Land - the presence of contaminants in the soil at high enough concentrations to pose a risk to humans and the environment	Solid waste - from domestic and industrial sources Agricultural waste/pesticides/fertilisers Mining waste - toxic heavy metals such as mercury  Demolition and construction waste	Reduced crop yields  Leaching of toxins into water system Pollutants entering the food chain through plants Ecosystem and habitat destruction Economic losses
Visual - the impacts of human made constructions or pollution that affect the visual landscape	Buildings Energy production - power stations, wind turbines Signs and advertising (billboards with lights) Power lines and structures (pylons, mobile phone masts) Waste	Lower quality of life May cause stress and anxiety Impact on the economy  Distraction - may lead to accidents
Noise - harmful or annoying levels of noise in an environment	Transport - roads and airports Construction Industry Night activities - night clubs, bars Energy production - wind turbines, power stations	Hearing loss Scares wildlife - affects feeding and breeding Sleep disturbance Stress and anxiety Contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease Affects child development

Sustainable management of pollution

• Sustainable management of pollution means ensuring that industries, urban growth, agriculture and domestic activities impact the soils, air, water, landscape and noise levels as little as possible 
• There are many ways in which this can be achieved

Air 

• Improved public transport and electric vehicles to reduce transport emissions
• Increase the use of renewable energy
• Congestion charges in large cities such as London to reduce use of vehicles
• Use of unleaded and low sulphur fuels
• Filters on the chimneys of factories and power stations
• Smokeless fuels 
• International agreements (Paris and Kyoto) regarding gas emissions
• Reduced use of energy to reduce the need for fossil fuel power stations

Water

• Regulations on the amounts of fertilisers and pesticides used
• Increased use of water treatment works to treat sewage waste before releasing back into the water ways
• Education regarding disposal of plastic waste
• Fines for factories/industry discharging waste into water ways

Land

• Recycling and reuse of materials to reduce the amount of waste
• Separation of waste into compostable and recyclable waste by householders 
• Regulations regarding the use of fertilisers and pesticides
• Targets set for local councils and authorities regarding recycling

Visual 

• Reduction in the number of billboards/advertising boards that can be in an area
• Planting of trees to screen roads/quarries and other developments
• Buildings which blend into the environment
• Disguising mobile phone masts 
• Putting electrical and telephone cables underground
• Regular waste collection and provision of bins

Noise

• Limiting hours of work for construction sites and factories
• Noise barriers between houses and main roads
• Siting activities away from population centres