Some of the causes of air pollution:

• burning of fossil fuels- Sulfate Dioxide is emitted into the air from the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. Using our everyday means of transportation such as cars, trains and airplanes causes an immense amount of pollution into the air.
• agricultural activities- Ammonia is a common byproduct from agriculture. Use of insecticides, pesticides, and fertilizers in agricultural activities emits harmful chemicals into the air and can also cause water pollution.
• exhaust from factories- Factories release a large amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, organic compounds, and chemicals into the air thereby depleting the air quality. Factories can be found all over the world therefore no area has not been affected by it. Petroleum refineries also release hydrocarbons and various other chemicals that pollute the air and land pollution
• mining operations- During the process of mining, dust and chemicals are released in the air causing massive air pollution. This is one of the reasons for the deteriorating health of workers and nearby residents.
• indoor air pollution- Household cleaning products, painting supplies emit toxic chemicals in the air and cause air pollution. Suspended particulate matter, SPM, is another cause of pollution. SPM is usually caused by dust, combustion, etc.

Some of the causes of water pollution:

• industrial waste-Industries produce a huge amount of waste which contains toxic chemicals and pollutants which can cause air pollution and damage our environment. They contain pollutants such as lead, mercury, sulfur, asbestos, nitrates, and other harmful chemicals. Many industries do not have a proper waste management system and drain the waste into fresh water which goes into rivers, canals and sea. The toxic chemicals have the capability to change the color of water, increase the number of minerals, also known as eutrophication, change the temperature of water and pose a serious hazard to water organisms.
• sewage- sewage that is produced by each household is chemically treated and released into the sea with fresh water. The sewage water carries harmful bacteria and chemicals that can cause serious health problems. Microorganisms in water are known to be causes of some very deadly diseases and become the breeding grounds for carriers. These carriers inflict these diseases from various forms of contact onto an individual. A common example is Malaria.
• mining activity-Mining is the process of crushing the rock and extracting coal and other minerals from underground. These elements when extracted in the raw form contains harmful chemicals and can increase the number of toxic elements when mixed up with water which may result in health problems. Mining activities emit a large amount of metal waste and sulphide from the rocks which is harmful to the water.
• marine dumping-The garbage produced by each household in the form of paper, aluminum, rubber, glass, plastic, food is collected and deposited into the sea in some countries. These items take from 2 weeks to 200 years to decompose. When such items enter the sea, they not only cause water pollution but also harm animals in the sea.
• oil spills- Large amount of oil enters into the sea and does not dissolve with water; thereby opens problem for local marine wildlife such as fish, birds and sea otters.
• fossil fuels- Fossil fuels like coal and oil, when burnt produce a substantial amount of ash in the atmosphere. The particles which contain toxic chemicals when mixed with water vapor

• global warming
• respiratory and heart problems- several millions are known to have died due to direct or indirect effects of Air pollution. Children in areas exposed to air pollutants commonly suffer from pneumonia and asthma.
• acid rain- harmful gases like nitrogen oxides and sulfur oxides are released into the atmosphere during the burning of fossil fuels. When it rains, the water droplets combine with air pollutants, become acidic and then falls on the ground. Acid rain can cause great damage to human, animals, and crops.
• depletion of the ozone layer- ozone exists in the Earth’s stratosphere and is responsible for protecting humans from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. Earth’s ozone layer is depleting due to the presence of chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere. As the ozone layer gets thinner, it will emit harmful rays back on earth and can cause skin and eye related problems. UV rays also have the capability to affect crops.
• effects on wildlife- toxic chemicals in the air can force wildlife species to move to a new place and change their habitat. The toxic pollutants deposit over the surface of the water and can also affect sea animals.
• Eutrophication - a condition where a high amount of nitrogen gets developed on sea’s surface and turns into algae which affects fish, plants and animal species. The green colored algae that are present on lakes and ponds is due to the presence of this chemical only.

Natural causes of deforestation are:

• hurricanes
• fires
• parasites
• floods

Some human causes of deforestation are:

• agricultural expansion
• logging
• urbanization
• desertification of land- It occurs when land is abused making it unfit for growth of trees. Many industries in petrochemicals release their waste into rivers which results in soil erosion and make it unfit to grow plants and trees.
• mining
• human caused forest fires

• loss of habitat/ wildlife extinction
• increased greenhouse gases
• water in the atmosphere
• soil erosion and floods
• destruction of homelands
• climate imbalance

• presence of litter in the area
• construction projects
• laziness
• belief of no consequences of littering
• lack of trash cans
• improper environmental education

• can cause physical harm to people
• causes the spread of diseases
• pollutes the environment
• high costs of clean up
• affects and kills wildlife