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Sub Topic: -Industrial Pollution andEnvironmental Degradation

                         Industrial Pollution and Environmental Degradation

               Industries are responsible for four types of pollution: (a)Air (b) Water (c) Land (d) Noise.
               The polluting industriesalso include thermal power plants.

               Air pollution

                     caused by the presence of high proportion of undesirable gases, such as sulphur dioxide
                       and carbon monoxide.
                     Airborne particulate materials contain both solid and liquid particles like dust, sprays mist
                       and smoke. Smoke is emitted by chemical and paper factories, brick kilns,refineries and
                       smelting plants, and burning of fossil fuels in big and small factories that ignore pollution
                       norms.
                     Toxic gas leaks can be very hazardous with long-term effects.
                     Air pollution adversely affects human health, animals,plants, buildings and the
                       atmosphere as a whole.

               Water pollution

                     It is caused by organic and inorganic industrial wastes and affluents discharged into
                       rivers. The main culprits in this regard are paper, pulp, chemical, textile and dyeing,
                       petroleum refineries, tanneries and electroplating industries that let out dyes,
                       detergents,acids, salts and heavy metals like lead and mercury pesticides, fertilisers,
                       synthetic chemicals with carbon,plastics and rubber, etc. into the water bodies.
                     Fly ash, phospo- gypsum and iron and steel slags are the major solid wastes in India.

               Thermal pollution

                     Thermal pollution of water occurs when hot water from factories and thermal plants is
                       drained into rivers and ponds before cooling.
                     Wastes from nuclear power plants, nuclear and weapon production facilities cause
                       cancers, birth
               defects and miscarriages.
                     Soil and water pollution are closely related. Dumping of wastes specially glass, harmful
                       chemicals, industrial effluents, packaging, salts and garbage renders the soil useless.
                       Rain water percolates to the soil carrying the pollutants to the ground and the ground
                       water also gets contaminated.

               Noise pollution

                     Unwanted sound is an irritant and a source of stress.It not only results in irritation and
                       anger, it can also cause hearing impairment, increased heart rate and blood pressure
                       among other physiological effects.Unwanted sound is an irritant and a source of stress.
                     Industrial and construction activities, machinery,factory equipment, generators, saws
                       and pneumatic
               and electric drills also make a lot of noise.

               How does the industrial pollution degrade the environment? Explain with three
               examples.
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