ECOFACTS POLLUTION ECO FACTS IZZI HOWELL CRABTREE PUBLISHING COMPANY WWW.CRABTREEBOOKS.COM
What is pollution Pollution is damage done to the environment through the creation of waste and harmful or toxic substances Most pollution is the result of human activity Types There are many types of pollution Different activities affect the air water and land Some activities also damage the environment by producing too much sound or light see pages 26 27 sound pollution water pollution Polluted air soil and water lead to the deaths of 9 million people every year Dangers Pollution damages the natural world It destroys ecosystems and harms the animals and plants that live in them Pollution also affects people’s health Some types of pollution can hurt or even kill people by leading to conditions such as lung disease and cancer 4
History Human activity has been polluting Earth for thousands of years However there was a much smaller human population in the past This limited the effects of human activity on Earth garbage nuclear waste light pollution Some pollution can be caused by natural events Volcanic eruptions and forest fires both cause air pollution Growing pollution In the past 200 years the world’s population has increased rapidly from 1 billion to 7 6 billion Levels of pollution have risen dramatically as a result and have started to devastate the planet It’s important to reduce the amount of pollution now to help preserve the natural world and protect our health 5
