Pollution

The phenomena

 * For other uses, see: Pollution (disambiguation).
 * For the academic journal, see: Environmental Pollution (journal).

Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light. Pollutants, the components of pollution, can be either foreign substances/energies or naturally occurring contaminants. Pollution is often classed as point source or nonpoint source pollution. In 2015, pollution killed 9 million people in the world.

Air pollution has always accompanied civilizations. Pollution started from prehistoric times when man created the first fires. According to a 1983 article in the journal Science, "soot" found on ceilings of prehistoric caves provides ample evidence of the high levels of pollution that was associated with inadequate ventilation of open fires." Metal forging appears to be a key turning point in the creation of significant air pollution levels outside the home. Core samples of glaciers in Greenland indicate increases in pollution associated with Greek, Roman and Chinese metal production, but at that time the pollution was comparatively small and could be handled by nature.

The burning of coal and wood, and the presence of many horses in concentrated areas made the cities the primary sources of pollution. The Industrial Revolution brought an infusion of untreated chemicals and wastes into local streams that served as the water supply. King Edward I of England banned the burning of sea-coal by proclamation in London in 1272, after its smoke became a problem. But the fuel was so common in England that this earliest of names for it was acquired because it could be carted away from some shores by the wheelbarrow.

It was the industrial revolution that gave birth to environmental pollution as we know it today. London also recorded one of the earlier extreme cases of water quality problems with the Great Stink on the Thames of 1858, which led to construction of the London sewerage system soon afterward. Pollution issues escalated as population growth far exceeded view ability of neighborhoods to handle their waste problem. Reformers began to demand sewer systems, and clean water.

Growing evidence of local and global pollution and an increasingly informed public over time have given rise to environmentalism and the environmental movement, which generally seek to limit human impact on the environment.

Pollution control


Pollution control is a term used in environmental management. It means the control of emissions and effluents into air, water or soil. Without pollution control, the waste products from overconsumption, heating, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, transportation and other human activities, whether they accumulate or disperse, will degrade the environment. In the hierarchy of controls, pollution prevention and waste minimization are more desirable than pollution control. In the field of land development, low impact development is a similar technique for the prevention of urban runoff.

Greenhouse gases and global warming
Main article:''' Global warming

Carbon dioxide, while vital for photosynthesis, is sometimes referred to as pollution, because raised levels of the gas in the atmosphere are affecting the Earth's climate. Disruption of the environment can also highlight the connection between areas of pollution that would normally be classified separately, such as those of water and air. Recent studies have investigated the potential for long-term rising levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide to cause slight but critical increases in the acidity of ocean waters, and the possible effects of this on marine ecosystems.

Most polluting industries
The Pure Earth, an international non-for-profit organization dedicated to eliminating life-threatening pollution in the developing world, issues an annual list of some of the world's most polluting industries.


 * 1) Lead-Acid Battery Recycling
 * 2) Industrial Mining and Ore Processing
 * 3) Lead Smelting
 * 4) Tannery Operations
 * 5) Artisanal Small-Scale Gold Mining
 * 6) Industrial/Municipal Dumpsites
 * 7) Industrial Estates
 * 8) Chemical Manufacturing
 * 9) Product Manufacturing
 * 10) Dye Industry
 * 11) Globalisation (pan-continental transit, ect)

World’s worst polluted places
The Pure Earth issues an annual list of some of the world's worst polluted places.


 * 1) Agbogbloshie, Ghana
 * 2) Chernobyl*, Ukraine
 * 3) Citarum River, Indonesia
 * 4) Dzershinsk*, Russia
 * 5) Hazaribagh, Bangladesh
 * 6) Kabwe*, Zambia
 * 7) Kalimantan, Indonesia
 * 8) Matanza Riachuelo, Argentina
 * 9) Niger River Delta, Nigeria
 * 10) Norilsk*, Russia

Also see

 * 1) Atomic accidents and disasters
 * 2) Environmental disasters
 * 3) Geiger-Muller counter
 * 4) Health disasters in Japan
 * 5) Imperial Japan
 * 6) Itai-itai disease
 * 7) Mushroom cloud
 * 8) Niigata Minamata Disease
 * 9) Nuclear fallout
 * 10) Oil spills, blow-outs (well drilling) and tanker sinkings
 * 11) Photochemical smog
 * 12) Political scandals in Japan
 * 13) Pollution in Japan
 * 14) Synoptic charts of major atomic reactor and waste disasters up to 2017
 * 15) The 1970's Los Angeles Photogenic Smog
 * 16) The Athens Photogenic Smog
 * 17) The Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan
 * 18) The Mexico City Photogenic Smog and other environmental issues
 * 19) The New York Photogenic Smogs
 * 20) Yokkaichi Asthma
 * 21) Atomic accidents and disasters
 * 22) Environmental disasters
 * 23) Geiger-Muller counter
 * 24) Health disasters in Japan
 * 25) Imperial Japan
 * 26) itai-itai disease
 * 27) Mushroom cloud
 * 28) Niigata Minamata Disease
 * 29) Nuclear fallout
 * 30) Minamata disease
 * 31) Oil spills, blow-outs (well drilling) and tanker sinkings
 * 32) Photochemical smog
 * 33) Political scandals in Japan
 * 34) Pollution in Africa
 * 35) Pollution in Canada
 * 36) Pollution in Eastern Europe
 * 37) Pollution in Germany
 * 38) Pollution in Greenland
 * 39) Pollution in Japan
 * 40) Pollution in Mexico
 * 41) Pollution in Oceania
 * 42) Pollution in South America
 * 43) Pollution in the Soviet Union
 * 44) Pollution in the United States
 * 45) Pollution in Western Europe
 * 46) Synoptic charts of major atomic reactor and waste disasters up to 2017
 * 47) The 1970's Los Angeles Photogenic Smog
 * 48) The Athens Photogenic Smog
 * 49) The Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan
 * 50) The Mexico City Photogenic Smog and other environmental issues
 * 51) The New York Photogenic Smogs
 * 52) Yokkaichi Asthma


 * Also see:http://powerlisting.wikia.com/wiki/Pollution_Manipulation?li_source=LI&li_medium=wikia-footer-wiki-rec.