Industrial pollution is the release of wastes in the environment (water, air, land) generated by industrial activities and it leads to environment degradation.

Causes of industrial pollution

  1. Lack of governmental policies that control pollution: since environmental policies became a government matter, they are constantly changing and their impact affects lives for the considerable future.
  2. Unplanned industrial growth: along with the industrial revolution, there has been a raising rate of waste from cities to small towns that has affected the quality of life in these places.
  3. Outdated technologies: the use of these high waste-producing technologies that have not been updated and continue to function in most parts of the world.
  4. Inefficient waste disposal: long term exposure to contaminated air and water leads to serious health issues, therefore an efficient and environmentally-friendly waste disposal system from the part of the industry is needed.

Effects of industrial pollution

  1. Water pollution: since most industries rely on large quantities of water for their work, it affects the quality of it and the life of the people living in the surrounding area. When used in industrial processes, the water comes into contact with heavy metals, sometimes chemicals, radioactive waste, affecting ground water resources and rendering it useless for humans and wildlife.
  2. Soil pollution: industries require raw materials to be extracted from the ground such as minerals that cause soil pollution when spilled. These leaks are creating problems in agriculture and are harmful for marine life. Furthermore, people who are in direct contact with the soil on a daily basis are affected through serious health issues.
  3. Air pollution: the type of pollution that affects all humans, it entails a higher risk in air-borne illnesses and prone to various others.
  4. Wildlife extinction: a significant problem everywhere in the world, since industrialization, it could be noted a larger decrease in vegetation and fauna given the intrusive methods used by industries and the effects it had on the environment.
    1. in the short term, incidents like oil spills, fires, leak of radioactive material destroy parts of natural habitats and require high costs to clean up and repopulate.
    2. in the long term, species are becoming extinct, habitats are being lost and it becomes harder for the environment to recover.
  5. Global warming: a widespread effect of industrial pollution, smoke and greenhouse gases are being released into the atmosphere leading to global warming. Natural catastrophes, such as glacier melting, extinction of certain species (such as polar bears), hurricanes and tsunamis are other effects of global warming.