Water Pollution
 |
| 1 |
According to WWF over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities. However, Dr. Ken Rubin. professor at Hawaii University, believes that there are two types of water pollution direct and indirect. Some direct sources of water pollution are sewage dumping from factories, refineries, waste treatment plants. They produce substances that get into city/country water supplies and although they are regulated, pollutants are still found. Some indirect sources of water pollution are contaminants that enter the water supply from the ground and from the atmosphere, like rain and groundwater. Soil and groundwater can be affected by fertilizers and pesticides, most commonly used by farmers, as well as improperly dumped waste.
- Oil spills cause huge damage to the marine environment - but in fact are responsible for only around 12% of the oil entering the seas each year.
- According to a study by the US National Research Council, 36% comes down drains and rivers as waste and runoff from cities and industry.
- The Marine Conservancy has published that the estimated decomposition rates of most plastic debris found on coasts are:
- Foamed plastic cups: 50 years
- Plastic beverage holder: 400 years
- Disposable diapers: 450 year
- Plastic bottle: 450
- Fishing line: 600 years.
 |
| 2 |
Air Pollution
Air pollution takes many different forms, burning of fossil fuels the single largest source of air pollutants. The contaminates in the air include gas emissions from cars, trucks, farm machinery, motorcycles, and factories/bakeries. These fuels cause smog, acid rain, soot and particulate increases, greenhouse gas emissions, and dispersal of some heavy metal contaminants. Fossil fuels are widely used for heating, transportaion, electricity generation, manufacturing and other industries. Until we find cleaner alternatives to the present fossil fuels buring methods, most air pollutants will continue to be a problem.
 |
| 3 |
