ABSTRACT
Air pollution is the transfer of harmful amounts of natural and synthetic materials into the atmosphere as a direct or indirect consequence of human activity. Air pollution is a complex problem because a pollutant can be any of a number of chemical substances existing in gaseous, liquid (aerosol) or solid form. Air pollutants have many different kinds of effects on humans and other parts of the natural world. Epidemics of waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid fever have occurred worldwide throughout history. Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems is caused by the oversupply of inorganic nutrients which fuel algal growth, resulting in algal blooms which cut out light to other plants, reduce oxygen levels and may be toxic to fish and other vertebrates. The addition of organic matter provides energy and nutrients to the decomposers which then use up oxygen as they oxidize organic matter. A range of chemicals can be found polluting soils.
