Why are people polluting

Bottled water Plastic water bottles take years to break down and they release microparticles which are dangerous to health. Throwing chewing gum on the ground Chewing gum consists primarily of neutral plastic and, as well as littering the streets, it chokes and kills many birds who mistake it for food. Washing with the tap running Scientists from North Carolina State University USA Have calculated that we would save over 1, litres per person per month just by turning off the tap when we wash our hands and brush our teeth.

Eating foods that contain palm oil Chewing gum consists primarily of neutral plastic and, as well as littering the streets, it chokes and kills many birds who mistake it for food. Leaving cigarette butts on the beach This is the most commonly found waste on the coast, they take up to 10 years to break down and release contaminating metals. Throwing disposable wipes down the toilet These do not break down like toilet paper and they are responsible for most blockages in water treatment plants and sewers.

Releasing helium balloons into the air This is extremely dangerous to birds, fish and other marine animals that can choke if they eat them by mistake. Throwing batteries in the rubbish They contain mercury — one of the most toxic metals in the world — and take to 1, years to break down. Just one battery can contaminate up to 3, litres of water. Throwing away plastic six-pack ring carriers without cutting them up These plastic rings trap animals like fish and turtles, causing mutilation, malformation and even death.

Now we are aware of how we are damaging the environment, we need to find solutions and change our habits. Here are some suggestions from the United Nations UN :. Separate your waste: don't mix your household waste, separate everything into different containers.

Recycle and reuse: stop using single-use plastics and always choose packaging and items that can be reused several times. Before you throw something away, think whether you can give it a second use.

Save energy: make use of natural light, install LED bulbs, switch off lights you don't need, adjust your thermostat and air conditioning. These not only damage the lungs, but enter the bloodstream. They are increasingly thought to enter vital organs, including the brain and have been shown the reach the liver, spleen, kidneys and testes in lab animals. The particles can be made of black carbon, nitrates, sulphates, ammonia or mineral dust.

Most are produced by burning fossil fuels or wood, for driving, heating, power plants and industry. While improvements have been made in some countries, for example, to coal-fired power stations and cars, other sources have lagged behind. Farming is one such source of pollution, with ammonia from livestock manure and fertilisers blowing into cities and forming particles, particularly in spring time when crops are sown and muck is spread.

Nitrogen dioxide, produced by diesel vehicles, not only forms particles but is now known to cause harm when breathed as a gas. It is still illegally high in much of urban Britain, for example, where it results in about 23, early deaths.

Other pollutants include sulphur dioxide, which is usually stripped out of vehicle fuels but still very high in ship and aviation fuels. There are some natural sources of outdoor air pollution, such as dust storms and smoke from forest fires, but human-caused pollution far exceeds these. Outdoor air pollution causes 4. This is also a huge killer, causing 3.

Some people are exposed to both indoor and outdoor pollution. More people are getting access to better fuels and stoves.

But with the global population rising, the number of people exposed to indoor pollution is not falling. Increasingly, it is easier to ask what harm does air pollution not do. Research is now linking toxic air not only to almost every part of the body, but also to the mind.

The dangers of toxic air are a surprisingly recent discovery. The landmark research linking air pollution to lung diseases, heart attacks and strokes — the Harvard six cities study — was first published in Since then dirty air has been linked to many other conditions, such as diabetes.

Air pollution contributed to 3. The skin is affected too, ageing more rapidly in dirty air. The research on babies and children is particularly worrying. A large recent study found toxic air significantly increases the risk of low birth weight , leading to lifelong damage to health. Households generate hazardous waste as well, including paints and solvents, motor oil, fluorescent lights, aerosol cans and ammunition.

Water pollution happens when chemicals or dangerous foreign substances are introduced to water, including chemicals, sewage, pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural runoff, or metals like lead or mercury. The EPA also states that the United State's most common contaminants are bacteria, mercury, phosphorus and nitrogen.

These come from the most common sources of contaminates, that include agricultural runoff, air deposition, water diversions and channelization of streams. Water pollution isn't just a problem for the United States. According to United Nations , million people do not have access to clean water and around 2.

Adequate sanitation helps to keep sewage and other contaminants from entering the water supply. Water pollution can also severely affect marine life. For example, sewage causes pathogens to grow, while organic and inorganic compounds in water can change the composition of the precious resource.

According to the EPA, low levels of dissolved oxygen in the water are also considered a pollutant. Dissolved is caused by the decomposition of organic materials, such as sewage introduced into the water. Warming water can also be harmful. The artificial warming of water is called thermal pollution. It can happen when a factory or power plant that is using water to cool its operations ends up discharging hot water. This makes the water hold less oxygen, which can kill fish and wildlife.

The sudden change of temperature in the body of water can also kill fish. According to the University of Georgia , it is estimated that around half of the water withdrawn from water systems in the United States each year is used for cooling electric power plants.

Depending on water flow, the water temperature quickly returns to ambient temperatures that do not harm fish. Nutrient pollution, also called eutrophication, is another type of water pollution. It is when nutrients, such as nitrogen , are added into bodies of water.

The nutrient works like fertilizer and makes algae grow at excessive rates, according to NOAA. The algae blocks light from other plants. The plants die and their decomposition leads to less oxygen in the water. Less oxygen in the water kills aquatic animals.