ReducePollution.info

The pollution of human origin, also known as anthropogenic, have many shapes can be local, cultural, occasional, accidental, diffuse, chronic, genetic, voluntary, involuntary, etc. This pollution is a direct or indirect dissemination in the environment of pollutants. They are often unintended by-products of human activity, such as emissions from exhaust pipes. Waste consumer products (packaging, batteries) thrown carelessly in the biophysical environment and the environment, humans, are also a source of pollution very often.

It may also include physical phenomena (like heat, the light, the radioactivity, the electromagnetism, etc), Whose character is unclean or unhealthy because generally dependent on dose, duration of exposure, potential synergies, etc

* Either the nature of “poison” for humans or the environment (eg mercury in the Bay of Minamata; smog London generated by the combination of a natural climatic phenomenon and emissions caused by heating); by extension, the mere unpleasantness, even harmless, may be sufficient to invoke the term of pollution where the word “nuisance” is often preferred;

* Either their nature teratogenic (causing malformations in newborns), even if not associated with a characteristic toxic to adults (typical example: dioxins, radiation, glycol ethers).

* Either, despite their character not directly toxic to humans and living beings, to their eventual ability to change or disrupt the operation of an ecosystem or the biosphere, either by destroying life (eg pesticides) or its conditions (for example chlorofluorocarbons that destroy the layer of ozone), or the contrary surfavorisant certain expressions (eg nitrates or phosphates agricultural promoting nitrophile flora to the detriment of other species, even the eutrophication or dystrophisation of wetlands, bays Marine, evolving towards dead zones in the worst cases).

It may also include introduction of species or genetic pollution can disrupt the functioning of ecosystems, that is to say the introduction of species or genes in a habitat where they were absent (p . ex. muskrat or GMOs) or pollution by greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide or methane.

Ecology is a science that studies the ecosystems at several levels: the population (individuals of the same species), the biotic community (or communities of species), ecotones and ecosystems of different habitats (marine, freshwater, land, ect .) and the biosphere. The Earth, an environmental perspective, includes multiple systems, the hydrosphere (or sphere of water), lithosphere (or sphere soil) and the atmosphere (or sphere of air).The biosphere is part of the terrestrial systems, it is the living part of the planet, the portion which houses the biological life that develops. It is a localized superficial dimension, which goes down to 11 000 feet deep and rising to 15 000 meters altitude above sea level The majority of living species live in area of -100 meters to 100 meters.

Life was first developed in the hydrosphere, at shallow depths in the photic zone. Multicellular beings then appeared and were also colonized benthic zones. Living Earth has developed more slowly after that has formed the ozone layer protecting living beings rays Ultraviolet. The terrestrial species are more diversified than the continents will be fragmented, or otherwise meet. Biosphere and biodiversity are inseparable characteristics of the planet Earth. We define the biosphere as the sphere of living, while biodiversity is the diversity. The sphere is the container, whereas diversity is its content. This diversity is expressed both at the ecological level (ecosystem), population (intraspecific diversity) and species (species diversity).

The biosphere contains great quantities of elements such as carbon, the nitrogen and the oxygen. Other elements such as phosphorus, the calcium, the potassium is also essential for life. In terms of ecosystems and the biosphere, there is a permanent recycling of all these elements, which alternate between the state mineral and the organic state (biogeochemical cycles).

Indeed, the functioning of ecosystems is mainly based on the conversion of the solar energy into chemical energy by organisms autotrophic, through photosynthesis (there is also a chemosynthesis without the use of solar energy). This leads to the production of sugar and release of oxygen. The latter is used by all agencies – as autotrophs heterotrophs – to break down sugars in the cell respiration, freeing the water from carbon dioxide and energy required to operate them. Thus, the activity of living beings is the source of the composition of the atmosphere, the gas flow being provided by large air currents.

The oceans are large tanks that store the exchange of water, ensure thermal and climatic stability, and transport of chemical elements thanks to large oceanic currents.
Similarly, the composition of soils is the result of the composition of the bedrock of the geological and the cumulative effects of living beings. To better understand the functioning of the biosphere, energy balance and dysfunctions related to human activity, American scientists have achieved under glass, a model of the biosphere, called Biosphere II.

Recently, the term “noise pollution” and “visual” have been proposed to describe the supposedly growing nuisance caused by the aggressive sounds (car, train, airplane, music), violent images or regarded as such (mainly advertising and television) or Environmental Policy Act. The term has been specifically chosen to link pollution “physical” and pollution “mind”, although this term is reduced to appoint a mental disorder: in fact, it is possible that “noise pollution”, in particular, induce states stress and cause physical illnesses.

# The industrial pollution,
# The air pollution,
# Pollution related to transport, including automobile pollution and that caused by aircraft
# The radioactive pollution (produced radioactive Chernobyl disaster).
# The electromagnetic pollution (pollution due to ionizing radiation and non-ionizing).
# The thermal pollution
# The light pollution, which differs from the light nuisance in that it has consequences on biodiversity (fauna and disturbed nocturnal environment), together with a waste energy (over 50% of the light is scattered back to the sky or useless …). it also refers to possible disruption of biological cycles in humans. A few simple rules would greatly reduce the.
# Pollution related to tourism (in part related to transport), hobbies (eg DIY) and some recreation (eg boating) or celebrations (eg fireworks).
# The space pollution
# The pollution from weapons or explosives

Pollution is the degradation of habitat through the introduction, usually human, substances or radiation, causing a disturbance more or less important to the ecosystem. It can also be caused by a geological phenomenon as a volcanic eruption.
The pollution of human origin can have a major impact on the ecosystem as evidenced by the warming climate that transforms the atmosphere of the Earth and its ecosystem, resulting in the emergence of diseases previously unknown in certain geographical areas, migration of certain species or their extinction if they can s’ to adapt to their new biophysical environment.

It was after the Second World War that awareness of human impact on the environment is created through the birth of environmentalism. Environmental concerns led governments to take measures to reduce the ecological footprint of human populations, pollution and to counter human contamination.

We have no doubt today of the evils of pollution on human health. A French study estimated that air pollutants were responsible for 3 000 deaths per year, mainly cardiovascular mortality! Furthermore, we also know that pollutants Motor promote microbial infections among younger, especially fine particles and nitrogen dioxide.

Asthma, allergies … pollution suspected

We know that people with asthma and children in general are considered more vulnerable to exposure to air pollutants. But several studies have strongly suspected the involvement of these pollutants in the same occurrence of asthma and allergy. In 2001, the Korean work conducted with 8 000 children 1 suggest such a link. An observation far from trivial when we know that in France, there are approximately 25% of allergic and they are every year more and more!

Many data link pollution from road traffic allergies. In laboratory (in vitro), for example, the fine particles emitted by diesel vehicles, promote the synthesis of immunoglobulin E (a marker of allergy). In vivo, NO2, in turn, irritates the lungs, lowers the body’s defenses against infections and respiratory tract has been implicated in the onset of asthma. In summary, it seems clear that there is an association between increased concentrations of fine particles in the atmosphere and allergies.