Lesson 1 of 0
In Progress
Pollution
What is pollution ?
Pollution is any harmful addition to the environment
Man made examples:
- Litter
- Dumping
- Sewage disposal
- Noise
- Radioactivity
Natural examples:
- Volcanoes
- Smoke from fires
What are pollutants ?
Pollutants are substances that cause harm to the environment
Examples:
- Carbon dioxide
- Sulfur dioxide
- Smoke particles
- Fertilizer
The effects of pollution
- If too much fertilizer is spread on grassland, the fertilizer may get washed into streams, rivers and lakes
- The minerals in the fertilizer cause algae to grow in the water
- When the algae die they are decomposed by bacteria . This uses up oxygen
- All the oxygen in the water gets used up so that all living things die.
- This process is called eutrification
Controlling pollution
- Limit the use of fertilizer
- Animal waste (slurry) should be spread on grassland only when grass is actively growing in spring and when the weather is dry