A pollutant is a waste material that pollutes air, water or soil.
Three factors determine the severity of a pollutant: its chemical nature, the concentration and the persistence.[1] Some pollutants are biodegradable and therefore will not persist in the environment in the long term.
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Types of pollutants
Stock pollutants
Pollutants that the environment has little or no absorptive capacity are called stock pollutants[2] (eg. persistent synthetic chemicals, non-biodegradable plastics, and heavy metals). Stock pollutants accumulate in the environment over time. The damage they cause increases as more pollutant is emitted, and persists as the pollutant accumulates. Stock pollutants can create a burdon for future generations by passing on damage that persists well after the benefits received from incurring that damage have been forgotten[2].
Fund pollutants
Fund pollutants are those for which the environment has some absorptive capacity. Fund pollutants do not cause damage to the environment unless the emission rate exceeds the receiving environment's absorptive capacity (eg. carbon dioxide, which is absorbed by plants and oceans).[2] Fund pollutants are not destroyed, but rather converted into less harmful substances, or diluted/dispersed to non-harmful concentrations.[2]
Notable pollutants
Notable pollutants include the following groups:
- Greenhouse gases
- Heavy metals
- Persistent organic pollutants
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Volatile organic compounds
- Environmental xenobiotics
Zones of influence
Pollutants can also be defined by their zones of influence, both horizontally and vertically.[2]
Horizontal zone
The horizontal zone refers to the the area that is damaged by a pollutant. Local pollutants cause damage near the emission source. Regional pollutants cause damage further from the emission source.[2]
Vertical zone
The vertical zone refers to whether the damage is ground-level or atmospheric. Surface pollutants cause damage by concentrations of the pollutant accumulating near the earth's surface Global pollutants cause damage by concentrations in the atmosphere
Regulation
International
Pollutants can cross international borders and therefore international regulations are needed for their control. The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which entered into force in 2004, is an international legally binding agreement for the control of persistent organic pollutants. Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTR) are systems to collect and disseminate information on environmental releases and transfers of toxic chemicals from industrial and other facilities.
European Union
The European Pollutant Emission Register is a type of PRTR providing access to information on the annual emissions of industrial facilities in the Member States of the European Union, as well as Norway.
United States
The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) are standards developed for outdoor air quality. The National Emissions Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants are emission standards that are set by the Environmental Protection Agency which are not covered by the NAAQS.
Causes and sources Cultural factors A number of cultural factors have contributed to the growth of information pollution: Information has been seen traditionally as a good thing. We are used to statements like “you cannot have too much information”, “the more information the better” and “information is power”. The publishing and marketing industries have been used to printing excessive copies of books, magazines and brochures regardless of customer demand, just in case they were needed. As new technologies made it easier for information to reach the furthest corners of the planets, we have seen a democratisation of information sharing. This is perceived as a sign of progress and individual empowerment, as well as a positive step to bridge the divide between the information poor and the information rich. However, it also has the effect of increasing the volume of information in circulation and making it more difficult to separate valuable from worthless material. The role of information technology As already mentioned, information pollution can exist without technology, but the technological advances of the 20th century and, in particular, the internet have played a key role in the increase of information pollution. Blogs, social networks, personal websites and mobile technology all contribute to increased “noise” levels. Some technologies are seen as especially intrusive (or polluting), for example instant messaging. Sometimes, the level of pollution caused depends on the environment in which the tool is being used. For example e-mail is likely to cause more information pollution when used in a corporate environment than in a private setting Mobile phones are likely to be particularly disruptive when used in a confined space like a train carriage. Proposed solutions A number of solutions to the problem of information pollution have been proposed. These range from those based on personal and organisational management techniques to the type based on technology. Among the technology-based alternatives are the use of decision support systems[1] and internet control panels which enable prioritisation of information.[7] It has also been advocated that technologies that create frequent interruptions should be replaced with less “polluting” options.[4] At an organisational level, some of the solutions proposed include the enforcement of e-mail usage policies[9] and the development of an information integrity assurance strategy, in similar lines to existing quality assurance frameworks.[1] Time management and stress management techniques can be applied at a personal or organisational level. This would involve setting priorities and minimising the opportunities for interruptions. As an individual, writing clearly and concisely would also help to minimise information pollution effects on others.
See also
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Look up pollutant in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
References
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