Air and Water Pollution: Causes, Effects and Solutions

Abstract

We are astronauts—all of us. We ride a spaceship called Earth on its endless journey around the sun. This ship of ours is blessed with life-support systems so ingenious that they are self-renewing, so massive that they can supply the needs of billions. But for centuries we have taken them for granted, considering their capacity limitless. At last we have begun to monitor the systems, and the findings are deeply disturbing. Pollution is the contamination of Earth’s environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, or the natural functioning of ecosystems (living organisms and their physical surroundings). Although some environmental pollution is a result of natural causes such as volcanic eruptions, most is caused by human activities. This article chiefly discusses the air and water pollution – their causes and effects on the living being in general and humans in particular. Regulations and legislation have led to considerable progress in cleaning up some air and water pollution in developed countries.