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pollution: Quick Facts

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Facts

Also Known As environmental pollution

Did You Know?

  • Approximately nine million deaths in 2015 were linked to pollution.
  • Every year, the global population generates approximately 1.3 billion tons of waste (equivalent to the weight of 6.5 million blue whales).
  • Exposure to air pollution during early pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects.
  • Plastic pollution led to the creation of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island of plastic triple the size of France.
  • New Delhi's air quality level can reach up to 40 times the World Health Organization's safety limit.

Photos and Videos

The sun appears dim and hazy through thick air pollution over the Huangpu River in Shanghai, with city buildings and a cargo ship visible below.
Infographic illustrating sources and effects of air, land, and water pollution, with labeled arrows showing pollutants from industry, vehicles, and agriculture entering the environment, plus sections on plastic, noise, light, and thermal pollution with causes and issues.
Exxon Valdez oil spill cleanup
Floating plastic bags and other rubbish pollute the surface of the ocean, with debris suspended in the water above the sea floor.
Plastic bags and assorted garbage cover a beach, with goats and birds among the trash and a boat visible on the water in the background.
A lake heavily polluted with floating plastic bottles, containers, and other garbage, with plants visible along the water's edge.
World map highlighting regions with high acid sensitivity in orange and areas of acid deposition with purple hatching. Notable high sensitivity regions appear in eastern North America, northern and central Europe, parts of South America, Africa, and Asia, with some overlap between acid sensitivity and deposition zones. Continents and major oceans are labeled for reference.
bioremediation
Diagram illustrating the nitrogen cycle, showing how nitrogen moves between the atmosphere, biosphere, and soil through natural processes like nitrogen fixation, assimilation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification, as well as through human activities such as fertilizer use and industrial emissions. Blue arrows indicate natural activities, and red arrows indicate human activities.
Diagram illustrating the main drivers of biodiversity loss, with arrows pointing from habitat loss, invasive species, overexploitation, pollution, and climate change toward a section labeled biodiversity loss, alongside influencers such as human population growth and increased consumption.
How artificial lighting affects wildlife
Major types of pollution explained
Reducing indoor air pollution with houseplants
Upcycling plastic bags
How light pollution affects humans
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Related Topics and References

Topics
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Key People

default image
Timothy Parsons
Canadian biologist
Rachel Carson looks into a microscope in a laboratory setting, circa 1962.
Rachel Carson
American biologist

Related Quizzes

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