CHEMISTRY AND THE SOCIETY

Chemistry and society is a source that studies the societal problems and issues involving an understanding of the important chemical principals. The course emphasizes the relevant application and enhancement of chemistry literacy for the non-scientist. The societal problem revolves around our environment. Te applications of chemistry are much like the science itself, undergoing constant changes. Chemistry is an extremely practical science of environment, providing our everyday needs of food, clothing and shelters. Using chemistry, we have discovered pharmaceutical chemical that have potentials of harming our health or the environment. It is in our best interest as educated citizens and consumers to understand the profound effect, both positive and negative that chemicals have on our lives.

One of the most eminent problems is pollution and other forms of environmental worsening while this problem is everything but new, and in reality tends to weaken in the most urbanized countries, the innovation is its global, leading to such problems as the global warming.

There are many causes of pollution, some including, but not limited to, sewage and fertilizers that contain nutrients such as nitrates and phosphates, in surplus levels, nutrients over encourage the growth of aquatic plants and algae. Extreme growth of these types of organisms as a result clog our waterways, use up dissolved oxygen as decay, and obstruct light to deeper waters. This in turn, proves very harmful aquatic organisms as it affects the respiration capability of fish or other invertebrates that dwell in water.

Pollution is also caused when slit and other poised solids, such as soil, wash off plowed fields, construction and logging sites, urban areas and eroded river banks when it rains. Pollution in the form of organic objects enters waterways in many unusual ways such as sewage, as leaves and grass clippings, or as runoff from farm animal’s feedlots and pastures.

Pathogens are another type of pollution that proves very harmful. They can cause much illness that varies from typhoid and dysentery to slight respiratory and skin diseases. These pollutants come in waterways through unprocessed sewage, storm drains, septic tanks, runoff from farms and mainly boats that dump sewage. Despite the fact that they are in microscopic, these pollutants have an incredible affect evidenced by their capability to cause sickness.

However, since the number of factories were limited and worked only a certain number of hours a day, the levels of pollution did not grow significantly. But when these factories became full scale industries and manufacturing units, the issue of industrial pollution started to take on more importance.

Any form of pollution that can trace its immediate source to industrial practices is known as industrial pollution. Most of the pollution on the planet can be traced back to industries of some kind. In fact, the issue of industrial pollution has taken on grave importance for agencies trying to fight against environmental degradation. Countries facing sudden and rapid growth of such industries are finding it to be a serious problem which has to bring under control immediately.

Industrial pollution takes on many faces; it contaminates many sources of drinking water, releases unwanted toxins into the air and reduces the quality of soil all over the world. Major environmental disasters have been caused due to industrial mishaps, which have yet to be brought under control. Below are few of the causes of industrial pollution that have resulted in environment degradation.

Causes of Industrial Pollution

1.     Lack of policies to control pollution: lack of effective policies and poor enforcement drive allowed many industries to bypass laws made by pollution control board which resulted in mass scale pollution that affected lives of many people.

2.     Unplanned industrial growth: in most industrial townships, unplanned growth took place were in those companies flouted rules and norms polluted the environment with both air and water pollution.

3.     Use off outdated technologies: most industries still rely on old technologies to produce products that generate large amount of waste. To avoid high cost and expenditure, many companies still make use of traditional technologies to produce high end products.

4.      Presence of large number of small scale industries: many small scale industries and factories that don’t have enough capital and rely on government grants to run their day to day businesses often escape environment regulations and release large amount of toxic gases in the atmosphere.

5.     Inefficient waste disposal: water and soil pollution are often caused directly due to inefficiency in disposal of waste. Long term exposure to polluted air and water causes chronic health problems, making the issue of industrial pollution into a severe one. It also lowers the air quality in surrounding areas which causes many respiratory disorders.

6.     Leaching of resources from our natural World: industries do require large amount of raw material to make them into finished products. This requires extraction of minerals from beneath the earth. The extracted minerals can cause soil pollution when spilled on the earth. Leaks from vessels can cause oil spills that may prove harmful for marine life.