Where does chemical pollution of the environment come from?
Chemical pollution is the presence or increase in our
environment of chemical pollutants that do not occur in nature
or are found in quantities exceeding their natural background
values. Most of the chemicals that pollute the environment are
created by humans as a result of various activities in which toxic
chemicals are used for various purposes. Chemical intoxication
is caused by exposure to chemical pollutants. At the same time,
its main sources of pollution are chemical compounds. These are
organic or inorganic chemicals. The most common chemical
pollutants are compounds that are used in large areas and are
persistent. This means that they do not decompose easily in
nature. Examples are most pesticides, herbicides, insecticides
used in agriculture and horticulture, as well as chlorinated
solvents used in many industrial processes. Chemical pollutants
mainly arise from various human activities such as the
production, processing, storage and disposal of chemicals. It
occurs in industrial areas, oil refineries, coal-fired power plants,
construction,
mining
and
metallurgical
industries,
transportation, agricultural use of pesticides and insecticides, as
well as domestic activities. Waste from the chemical industry
enters reservoirs with wastewater. Household chemicals also
include a variety of chemical products and mixtures. They easily
become chemical pollutants when released into the
environment.