Environmental Pollution

Environmental pollution can be interpreted as any form of change in the properties of air, water or soil that disturbs the balance of the composition of the substances contained therein. This can harm every creature that lives in a polluted environment. The following is a dichotomy of environmental pollution, namely:

• Air 

Pollution occurs as a result of the mixing of foreign substances with clean air or occurs due to an increase in the concentration of air components that exceeds the threshold. 

Motor vehicle exhausts are the biggest contributor to air pollution, this is in line with the number of motorized vehicle users in Indonesia. In addition, exhaust gas from factories without the use of exhaust gas processing and the use of certain chemicals can easily mix in the air. 

Various types of air pollutants include carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxides (SO2 and SO3, nitrogen monoxide (NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), lead particles, Pb, and freon or chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).

• Water Pollution Water

pollution is caused by the presence of chemical substances in water that do not meet the requirements for clean water. The requirements for clean water include clear, colorless, odorless, and does not contain harmful chemicals, free of germs and disease, and contains salt. -necessary mineral salt Below are the benchmarks used to determine water quality, namely as follows:

1). Oxygen dissolved in water (DO /dissolved oxygen). DO is defined as the amount of oxygen dissolved in water. Water that has been polluted has low dissolved oxygen, less than 3 ppm.

2). BOD (Biochemical Oxygen Demand). BOD is the need for oxygen for biochemical processes in water. Polluted water has a high BOD. This is due to water pollution by the large amount of organic waste in the polluted water which results in a high BOD content, so oxygen is needed to decompose it.

3). Solids dissolved in water.

The more dissolved substances in the water, the lower the water quality. Substances that are usually found in polluted water are calcium ions (Ca2+), magnesium ions (Mg2+) and so on.

4). Temperature. 

The normal temperature of the water corresponds to the temperature of the environment. The higher the temperature of the water, the lower the oxygen solubility. 

5). water pH.

The normal pH of water is 7. If the pH of the water is too low (pH value < pH 7), it can cause the water to have an acidic nature. This is not good for consumption, and vice versa, a water pH that is too high (pH value > pH7) can cause water to have a high alkaline nature. 

Substances that pollute water can come from industrial area waste, residential waste, agricultural waste, and so on. Examples of substances that can contaminate water include oil spills, detergents, pesticides, inorganic substances such as Hg, Cd, As, and Pb. 

• Soil Pollution

    Sources of soil pollution can come from inorganic substances such as pesticides, plastics, rubber, household waste, industrial waste, and non-biodegradable waste materials. Sustained soil pollution can result in changes in the composition of substances in the soil and degrade soil nutrients. This can cause polluted soil to become less fertile and plants to become stunted and do not even plant on the polluted soil.

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