Kinds of pollution

There are several kinds of environmental pollution. They include air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution caused by solid wastes, noise, and radiation.

Air pollution. Air is the most essential element for all living organisms and most people play the main role in polluting this essential resource. Air pollution may not be as dangerous as nuclear or water pollution, out in the long term it will have an effect on the environmental and health of its organisms. Asthma, cancer, acid rain is only a few consequences of air pollution. The greatest atmospheric pollutants are the carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, etc. Extremely dangerous are emissions of chemical, metallurgical, oil-recycling and building materials industries. The major sources that enable monoxide to enter the atmosphere are the exhaust of cars, the burning of fuels and it causes the possible greenhouse effect. Hydrocarbons are caused by the combustion of oil and petrol and it effects the environment with carcinogen. Carcinogen is a chemical that causes cancer. Sulfur dioxide is certainly one of the major atmospheric pollutants. It is considered to cause stinging, asthma, and acid rains. Nitrogen oxide produced by the exhaust of cars causes pneumonia. Many of these atmospheric pollutants produce the dangerous and well-known smoke and gas emissions called smog.

Engines, whether used for ground transportation or air transport are one of the largest sources of atmospheric pollution. Jet aircraft discharges large amount of pollutants as specially oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons and carbonic acid gas. Although jet engines have improved over the years but they are still responsible for considerable air pollution.

Most air pollution results from combustion (burning) processes. The burning of gasoline to power motor vehicles and the burning of coal to heat building are examples of such processes. Each time a fuel is burned in a combustion process, some types of pollutants are released into the air. Wind scatters pollutants, and rain and snow wash them into the ground. But in many areas, pollutants are put into air faster than weather conditions can dispose of them.

The problem of atmospheric pollution control is difficult, multisided, and requires a lot of hands and means. Nevertheless, modern level of scientific-technological progress allows to decrease dangerous substances formation and, to work out some measures preventing pollution by these substances.

Water Pollution. Water pollution involves the release into lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans of substances that become dissolved or suspended in the water or deposited upon the bottom. It may also include the release of energy in the form of radioactivity or heat, as in case of thermal pollution. Any body of water has the capacity to absorb, break down, or recycle introduced materials. Under normal circumstances, inorganic substances are widely dispersed and have little or no effect on life within the bodies of water into which they are released. Organic materials are broken down by bacteria or other organisms and converted into a form in which they are useful to aquatic life. But, if the capacity of a body of water to dissolve, disperse, or recycle is exceeded, all additional substances or forms of energy become pollutant.

Water or marine pollution is also partly caused by flowing of the poisonous water to different rivers, ponds, lakes and seas. But we also have to face the problem of oil in the world’s water. Fuel oil enters oceans mainly from oil tankers and offshore oil wells. Oil tankers are not safe enough to guarantee the full isolation of the oil inside. Such spills of oil in the sea kill both flora and fauna and makes the water totally dead. This acute problem needs to be solved in a short period of time.

7. Write down the terms for the following definitions.

										1. a substance that pollutes the air, water, etc. (9)
										2. unhealthy air in cities that is a mixture of smoke, gases, chemicals (4)
										3. the white, grey or black gas that is produced by something (5)
										4. a substance that causes cancer (10)
										5. a ship or vehicle for carrying liquid or gas, for example oil (6)
										6. a deep hole in the ground from which water or oil is taken (4)
										7. all the animals living in a particular place (5)
										8. all the plants that grow in a particular place (5)
										9. a process of burning (10)
										10. an act of spilling something or the amount that is spilled (5)

8. Fill in the gaps with the following words.

Water	air	Environmental	spills
Emissions	wells	Combustion	fauna
Tankers	petrol	Atmospheric	substances
Carbon	oil-recycling	Pollutants	pollution

There are several kinds of ______ pollution: air pollution, water _______, land pollution, etc._______ is the most essential element for all living organisms. The ________ dioxide, hydrocarbons are the greatest atmospheric _____. _____ of chemical and _______ industry are also extremely dangerous. Hydrocarbons are caused by the _____ of oil and ____. The problem of _____ pollution control is difficult and multisided.

______pollution involves the release into lakes, rivers, oceans of ______that become dissolved or suspended in water. Fuel oil enters oceans mainly from oil _______ and offshore oil _______. The _______ of oil in the sea kill both flora and _______.

9. Complete the sentences.

1. Environmental pollution includes ... .

2. Air is the most essential element for ... .

3. The greatest atmospheric pollutants are ... .

4. Extremely dangerous are emissions of ... .

5. Hydrocarbons are caused by ... .

6. Carcinogen is a ... .

7. Nitrogen oxide is produced by ... .

8. The problem of atmospheric pollution control is ... .

9. Water pollution involves ... .

10. Any body of water has the capacity to ... .

11. Fuel oil enters ocean mainly from ... .

12. Oil tankers are not safe enough to guarantee ... .

13. Such spills of oil in the sea kill ... .

14. This acute problem needs to ... .

10. Work in pairs. You have some more information about pollution, but you don’t have the same information as your partner. Ask questions to get missed information and answer the questions.

Student A

... (What ...?) are major sources of different kinds of pollution. Emissions of chemical and oil-recycling industries are extremely dangerous. The greatest atmospheric pollutants are ... (What ...?). ... (What is ...?) are caused by the combustion of oil and petrol. Exhaust of cars produces nitrogen oxide. ... (What ...?) affects greatly on water pollution. Fuel oil enters oceans mainly from ... (Where ... from?). Spills of oil in the sea kill ... (What ...?).

Student B

Oil and its products are major sources of ... (What ... of?). Emissions ... (What ...?) are extremely dangerous. The greatest atmospheric pollutants are the carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, etc. Hydrocarbons are caused by ... (What ... by?). ... (What ...?) produces nitrogen oxide. Oil affects greatly on ... (What pollution ... on?) pollution. ... (What ...?) enters oceans mainly from oil tankers and offshore oil wells. Spills of oil ... (Where ...?) kill both flora and fauna.

11. Answer the following questions.

1. What kinds of environmental pollution do you know?

2. Why is air pollution so dangerous?

3. What are the greatest atmospheric pollutants?

4. What is water pollution?

5. How does oil pollute world’s water?

12. Fill in the gaps with correct prepositions (for, by, on, from, to, of, under, in into).

1. Most air pollution results ... combustion processes.

2. During a combustion process some types of pollutants are released ... the air.

3. The problem ... atmospheric pollution control is very difficult.

4. Engines used ... ground transportation or air transport are the largest sources of atmospheric pollution.

5. Most people play the main role ... polluting air.

6. Hydrocarbons are caused ... the combustion of oil and petrol.

7. Water pollution is caused by flowing of the poisonous water ... different rivers, lakes and seas.

9. ... normal circumstances, inorganic substances have little or no effect ... life within the body of water.

13. Put all types of questions to the following sentences.

1. Nitrogen oxide produced by the exhaust of cars causes pneumonia.

2. Many of these atmospheric pollutants produce the dangerous smog.

3. Any body of water has the capacity to absorb, break down or recycle these materials.

4. Organic materials are broken down by bacteria.

14. Give definitions to the following terms.

Environmental pollution, water pollution, air pollution, oil well, oil tanker, carcinogen, pollutant, smog, fauna, flora.

15. Put the verbs in brackets into correct grammar form.

1. There (to be) different kinds of environmental pollution.

2. Environmental pollution (to include) air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, etc.

3. Engines (to use) for ground transportation and air transport.

4. Jet engines (to improve) already but they still (to pollute) the air.

5. Air pollution (not/to be) as dangerous as nuclear or water pollution, but in the long term it (to have) an effect on the environment and people’s health.

6. Sulfur dioxide (to cause) stinging eyes, asthma and acid rains.

7. Pollutants (to scatter) by wind and (to wash) by rain or snow into the ground.

8. Organic materials (to convert) into a form in which they are useful to aquatic life.

9. This acute problem needs (to solve) in a short period of time.

16. Translate into English.

1. Забруднення навколишнього середовища може включати забруднення води, повітря, ґрунту, тощо.

2. Двигуни наземного чи повітряного транспорту – найбільші джерела забруднення повітря.

3. Реактивні літаки випускають велику кількість забруднювачів, а саме: окис азоту, вуглеводень та іншi.

4. Такі хвороби як астма, рак а також кислотні дощі – це наслідки забруднення повітря.

5. Дуже шкідливі емісії нафтопереробної промисловості.

6. Забруднення походить від процесів згоряння.

7. Проблема контролю забруднення атмосфери – дуже складна.

8. Нафта потрапляє в океани з танкерів з нафтою чи нафтових свердловин у відкритому морі.

9. Розливи нафти в морі шкодить флорі і фауні.

17. Read and translate text.