Science For You

What is Pollution? “Pollution is the introduction of substances (or energy) that cause adverse changes in the environment and living entities .” Pollution need not always be caused by chemical substances such as particulates (like smoke and dust). Forms of energy such as sound, heat or light can also cause pollution. These substances that cause pollution are called pollutants. Pollution, even in minuscule amounts, impacts the ecological balance.  Pollutants can make their way up the food chain and eventually find their way inside the human body. Read on to explore the types of pollution and their implications. Types of Pollution As stated before, there are different types of pollution, which are either caused by natural events (like forest fires) or by man-made activities (like cars, factories, nuclear wastes, etc.) These are further classified into the following types of pollution: Air pollution Water pollution Land pollution Noise pollution Besid...

Global Warming is the increase in Earth's mean surface temperature because of the effect of greenhouse gases. These gases absorb longwave radiations and warm the atmosphere, and this process is called a Greenhouse effect. It had led to many changes on the planet, such as a rise in sea level; massive melting of snow and land ice, elevated heat content of the oceans, increased humidity, change in the timings of seasonal events, and many others.  For both land and ocean, the global mean surface temperature indicates warming of 0.85°C from 1880 to 2012. During the period 1906-2005, the Earth’s mean surface temperature had increased by 0.74±0.18°C. Hence, it is seen that the rate of warming approximately doubled for the last half of that duration (0.13±0.03°C per decade, as compared to 0.07±0.02°C per decade). Effects of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) on Global Warming Each greenhouse gas, once emitted, rises into the air. There, it helps the atmosphere hold onto heat. ...