Pollution, in its various forms, is the scourge of our times. It affects both first and third-world countries; it affects land, sea, and air, and it's effects know no boundaries or state lines. Whole industries have grown up around the P.R. and lobbying groups involved in the exposure of, and solutions to, pollution worldwide.
Whatever area or discipline you are studying at college, you are bound to encounter pollution in some form or other. Writing about pollution is an odds-on favorite as a subject that is likely to come up in an essay. At Glorious Essays, we have a unique insight into the types and form of essay which are likely to be set on the subject. We would like to share a few thoughts with you on essay writing about pollution and contamination subjects.
Often, when we think of pollution, we think in terms of oil slicks or traffic fumes and smog. These are obviously the "biggies" of contamination, and they rightfully gets the lion's share of the publicity. The recent events in Canada involving the conflagration in Alberta on the tar sands have rammed home the impact that man has made on the environment, and how helpless we are to deal with the scale and the reach of such events.
There are, however, far more insidious forms of pollution which get little or no publicity. One major area of concern is that of electromagnetic pollution. This occurs in any form of high voltage electricity cable and takes the form of an electromagnetic field which surrounds the immediate area of the wires. Humans have been proved to have tiny electrical currents that alter the chemical composition of our bodies, and react with tissues to produce the rearrangement of charged particles within capillary walls, veins, and arteries, and so on.
We humans are especially susceptible to such fields. Whether it is strong or weak, any electromagnetic radiation, from any electronic equipment, will affect the human body and its ions, molecules, and atoms. There is increasing evidence that there are definite health links between prolonged exposure to such pollution and birth defects, nervous disorders, cancers, and other health issues.
Another contentious area is the use of agricultural pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. These are deemed to be responsible for the decline in the number of animal, insect, and bird species found in agricultural areas. It has long been known that these agents have had a detrimental effect; especially toxins like DDT and the organophosphate compounds. The major use of these chemicals since the 1940's has pushed world agricultural production to record levels but at the cost of the health and well-being of the very people that it is supposed to benefit. Many watercourses and rivers have been impregnated with the run-off of cumulative amounts of these compounds, and this has led to the subsequent decimation of aquatic creatures and the animals that survive on these, including humans. There has been a huge growth in the algae levels and of algae blooms in rivers and shallow sea areas because of increased alkalinity or acidity levels, all resulting in the complete obliteration of whole swathes of marine life. In addition, it is thought that the combined concentration of 70 years of spraying and absorption of such agents into the water course, have resulted in quantities which are harmful to human health and also thought to be responsible for a broad range of health problems and cancers.
With the advent of people moving into cities, in huge numbers from the countryside in most countries of the world, a relatively new polluting phenomenon has become prevalent; this is light pollution. Light pollution is due to the penetrating effects of street lights and general human light sources, such as airports and football games at night. This leakage has a devastating effect on wildlife, plants, and the general habitats of all creatures that that live, both in and around, cities and towns, because they are no longer able to distinguish between night and day. This affects their breeding habits and sleeping patterns and has led to some species, such as sparrows, disappearing from city centers entirely. Recent attempts have been made to negate the effects of such pollution by installing smart lighting which reduces light emission considerably.
Yet another source of major pollution, which is relatively unknown, is as a result of scientists having recently discovered that in the Mid-Pacific Ocean there is a meeting point of several of the major sea currents, known as the "Pacific trash vortex," which creates a whirlpool at immense depths. It has been found that this whirlpool contains the majority of the plastic detritus which is dispersed into the world's oceans. This is creating microbeads of plastic which fish and other marine life are ingesting. The plastics also leach bisphenol A, PCBs, and derivatives of polystyrene into the ocean.
There are, of course, many other sources of pollution, we just wanted to point out that the main headliners are not the only ones responsible for the chaos and harmful effects happening within the environment. A minimal amount of research on your part will turn up many more examples for you to use in any pollution essay. Should you need help with editing, proofreading or even writing such essays, we would welcome the opportunity to assist you.