Effect of environmental pollution on human beings
Effect of air pollution on human beings:-
> Air Pollution can lead to increasing diseases like throat infections and lung cancer in humans.
> Every year, diseases related to air pollution kill and hospitalize millions of people.
> According to World Health Organization estimates, one out of every eight fatalities worldwide is caused by conditions related to air pollution.
> New research has found significant correlations between the development of respiratory and cardiovascular disorders and both outdoor and indoor air pollution.
> Ischemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer, and acute lower respiratory infections in children are among the most prevalent diseases induced by air pollution.
> Ischemic heart disease, or coronary heart disease, is connected to the deposition of calcium or other materials like fat within the coronary artery. This causes blockages, preventing blood from reaching the heart and other vital organs. According to new research, air pollution hastens the occlusion of arteries, increasing the risk of ischemic heart disease.
> Air pollution lead to depletion of the ozone layer that protects us from harmful UV sun rays. The presence of chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere is degrading the ozone layer on Earth. As the ozone layer thins, damaging rays are emitted back to Earth, potentially causing skin and eye problems. UV rays have the power to harm crops as well.
Effect of water pollution on human beings:-
> Microplastics can enter the body through drinking water or eating contaminated seafood.
> Microplastics have been linked to oxidative stress, inflammatory reactions, and metabolic disorders in humans, according to research.
> Contaminated water has significant negative effects on pregnant women who are exposed to chemicals; it increases the rate of low birth weight, affecting foetal health.
> Hair loss, liver cirrhosis, renal failure, and neural disorder are all caused by metal contaminated water.
> Domestic and hospital sewage include a variety of dangerous germs, and dumping it into the water without sufficient treatment can result in an outbreak of deadly diseases like typhoid and cholera.
> Metals in industrial wastewaters such as lead, zinc, arsenic, copper, mercury, and cadmium harm humans and other creatures.
> Consumption of arsenic-polluted water causes arsenic accumulation in body parts such as blood, nails, and hair, resulting in skin lesions, rough skin, dry and thickened skin, and eventually skin cancer.
> Bacterial action converts mercury molecules in wastewater to extremely poisonous methyl mercury, which can induce numbness in the limbs, lips, and tongue, hearing, blurred eyesight, and mental instability.
> In humans, mercury pollution of water bodies produces Minamata (neurological condition).
> Lead poisoning is caused by lead (Lead interferes with a variety of body processes and is toxic to many organs and tissues).
> Anemia, headaches, muscle weakness, and a bluish line around the gums are all symptoms of lead poisoning.
> Cadmium-contaminated water can induce itai itai disease, also known as ouch-ouch disease (a painful bone and joint condition), as well as lung and liver cancer.
Other Diseases:-
i. Bacterial Diseases:-
> The most common causes of diarrhoea are untreated drinking water and fecal contamination of water.
> Campylobacter jejuni causes diarrhoea in 4% to 15% of the world's population.
> The most common symptoms of diarrhoea include fever, stomach pain, nausea, and headache.
> Shigellosis is an infection caused by the Shigella bacteria.
> Humans' digestive tracts are affected, and the intestinal lining is damaged.
> Salmonella bacteria are discovered in contaminated water, causing intestinal inflammation and, in some cases, death.
ii. Viral Diseases:-
> Hepatitis is a viral infection of the liver caused by polluted water.
> Hepatitis symptoms include jaundice, loss of appetite, weariness, pain, and a high temperature.
> If it continues over an extended period of time, it may even be deadly and can result in death.
> Encephalitis is an inflammatory disease spread by mosquito bites. The eggs of the Culex mosquito are laid in contaminated water.
> Poliomyelitis is caused by the poliomyelitis virus, which is spread through contaminated water.
> It produces a sore throat, fever, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea, and paralysis in certain people.
> Viruses such as rotaviruses, adenoviruses, caliciviruses, and the Norwalk virus, which breed in contaminated water, cause gastroenteritis.
iii. Parasitic Diseases:-
> The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis include diarrhoea, loose or watery stools, stomach pains, and an upset stomach.
> Entamoeba histolytica, a parasite which attacks the stomach lining, is found in the contaminated water.
> According to the WHO, there are around 4 billion diarrheal cases worldwide, with 2.2 million fatalities.
Effect of noise pollution on human beings:- Human response to noise varies from man to man according to age and temperament. It may vary even in the same individual from time to time because of change in health, fatigue and other conditions. The effects of noise on human beings are as under:-
a. Auditory effects:-
i. Deafness or impaired hearing:- Prolonged exposures to noise lead to gradual deterioration of internal ear and subsequently hearing loss or deafness. It may occur due to continuous exposure to noise level of more than 90 dB. It may be temporary or permanent. Explosions or other high intensity sounds can also cause immediate deafness by rupturing the ear drums or damaging the cochlea. Many time hearing loss is attributed to occupation.
ii. Auditory fatigue:- It is defined as a temporary loss of hearing after exposure to sound. Continuous humming sound such as whistling and buzzing in the ears.
b. Non auditory effects:-
i. Irritation and annoyance:- Noise, sometimes, leads to emotional disturbances and makes people loose their temper. It can interfere with proper rest and sleep. Annoyance seems to increase with the loudness of the sound.
ii. Work efficiency:- It has been observed that noise reduces the efficiency of work.
iii. Physiological effects:- It includes dilation of the pupils, paling of skin, tensing of voluntary muscles, diminishing of gastric secretions, increase in diastolic blood pressure and the sudden injection of adrenalins into blood stream which increases neuromuscular tension, nervousness, irritability and anxieties. It can adversely affect the development of unborn babies.
c. Other health effects:- Noise is also associated with headache, giddiness, sweating, nausea, fatigue, difficulty in breathing, disturbed sleep pattern, psychological stress.
d. Trouble Communicating:- High decibel noise can put trouble and may not allow people to communicate freely. Constant sharp noise can give you severe headache and disturb your emotional balance.