Steem engagement challenge-S10/W5| The three significant reasons behind environmental pollution

Hello everyone, welcome to this new Steemit Engagement Challenge. We are in the 5th week of the 10th Season, and today, I will be writing on the topic "The three significant reasons behind environmental pollution" by the Incredible India community. So let's begin without further ado.

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What are the three significant reasons behind environmental pollution? Describe.

If I am to mention three significant reasons behind environmental pollution, then I would say;

• Plastic pollution

When we discovered the use of plastic for a lot of things, it changed our lives but then this discovery has become a nightmare for us. You must have heard in the news that plastic covers and materials are found in dead birds and fishes, and the latest research shows that humans now have traces of plastic in them. Quick learning, plastic is made from polymers, and they can be found in living cell walls, silk, and in our DNA but then we found a way to make it into synthetic forms which is where PET comes into existence.

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You may start to wonder how common plastic is, let me do a quick explanation. bakelite is a type of plastic, and it is used for phones and other mechanical parts, PVC is another type of plastic that we are familiar with and it is also used by plumbers, and in electric gears, Acrylic is another type of plastic that is used to replace of glass, and even nylon that you do not think is plastic is a type of plastic.

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While plastic has been a blessing, one problem we have had to tackle is how to dispose of them properly. It has become a nuisance and it has caused a lot of environmental pollution. There are a lot of people who do not even know about plastic recycling, and in places where they are known, the recycling plant is either not working at full capacity, there there are no ways to get all the plastic in the areas to prevent waste. Plastic does not just disappear after you dispose of them, they end up in dump sites, water bodies, and bushes. Due to the component of plastic, it would take between 500 and 1000 years for it to properly decompose, so the Coca-Cola bottle you threw away carelessly would probably outlive 4 generations before it decomposes completely.

When these plastic-made materials get to water bodies, they affect water lives such as fish, and other water creatures as a result of water pollution. These would affect the oxygen level in the water and would lead to the death of these organisms. When they are disposed in the bushes, they hang to the roots of plants and make it difficult for plants that do not have deep roots like maize/corn to grow properly as the roots will not be able to penetrate through, and this would lead to lack of some nutrients.

• Sewage Pollution

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This is usually a water pollutant. You see, every liquid waste from the toilet, kitchen, bathroom, factory, or any other place you know goes to a channel of connected pipes which are under the ground. While in developed countries, this type of waste can happen as a result of leakage in the pipe causing the waste to go to water bodies, in underdeveloped and developing countries, people intentionally dispose of their sewage waste into water bodies.

This pollution has become one of the very serious pollutions that have made the Bill and Melinda gates foundation invest millions of dollars to enable solve the problem. These wastes that go into water bodies such as oceans, seas, and rivers usually end up in our houses again, as we would use the water for cooking, drinking, and washing thereby causing diseases in humans. This waste pollutes the water, causing aquatic animals to die, and aids in the breeding of mosquitoes in countries where malaria hasn't been eradicated.

• Industrial Gas Pollution

This is air pollution, and it is very visible in the area where I reside. Like I say, I work at NNPC, so I see how the air is being polluted through gas flaring. Asides from gas flaring, other factories such as Steel and Iron factories release carbon as waste, and Cement companies release dust as waste after refining limestone. This is a very serious issue and it has been said to be the major cause of Ozone layer depletion, and Global warming.

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In my area, it is very difficult to breathe when both the oil and gas company and the iron and steel company start to release their waste. This waste can lead to serious health issues in humans, and it is causing a drastic change in climate.

How can we prevent environmental pollution?

The beginning of prevention starts with educating ourselves. A lot of people want to do the right thing but do not even know what is right to do. Educating people on the disadvantage of disposing of plastic products carelessly will help limit the way people dispose of plastics.

When it comes to sewage, both the government and individuals are responsible. The government should check out the channels where waste passes through and correct places where leakages are found. Companies that carelessly dispose of sewage waste should be sanctioned and tasked with the responsibility of cleaning their waste so as to prevent pollution. Also, people who dispose of their sewages in water bodies should be cautioned and educated on the detrimental effects of their actions.

In the case of industrial gas waste, industrialization came with its bad side. Companies should be tasked with making research on how their wastes can be used for other purposes rather than causing air pollution and making people sick.

Have you ever taken part to keep your environment clean?

Yes. I do this a lot of the time when I am free at work. Keeping the environment clean keeps diseases far away, so I ensure that I always do the cleaning at all times, to prevent falling ill. The saying prevention is better than cure is very important. I spend time cleaning my sewage channel, cleaning the lawn, and doing other types of cleaning.

Share one message that all humans should keep in their mind to keep the environment healthy.

For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Every waste comes back to your table and you are what you take into your body. If you keep polluting the environment, you would suffer the consequences. Mother earth is safer for us when we keep her clean.

With this, I have come to the end of my post, I hope you enjoyed reading it. I will like to invite @preye2, @inspiracion, @simonnwigwe, @xkool24, @disconnect, @talktofaith and @pelon53

Here is the link to my Introduction post