Difference Between Air Pollution & Water Pollution: Causes, Effects & Prevention

Air pollution and Water pollution are the largest forms of pollution and have adverse effects on human health. We know that air consists of a mixture of various gases and about 78% of this mixture are Nitrogen and 21% is Oxygen. The remaining 1% is made up of gases like Carbon dioxide, Argon, Methane, Ozone, and water vapor. The presence of harmful substances and certain kinds of gases in the atmosphere which leads to health disorders for humans, plants, and animals is called air pollution. The particles and gases may be from vehicles, industries, dust, wood fires, etc. On the other hand, Water pollution can be defined as the contamination of water bodies like rivers, lakes, and oceans usually due to human activities. The sources of water pollution can be sewage, industrial waste, chemicals, and fertilizers. Let’s discuss how air pollution differs from water pollution along with some important questions.

Key Takeaways: Pollution, Atmosphere, Industrial waste, Fossil Fuels, Food Chain, Eutrophication.

Meaning of Air Pollution and Water Pollution

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Air Pollution is defined as the presence of unwanted substances in the atmosphere that have a detrimental effect on human health and the health of other living organisms. Air pollution also has a harmful effect on the climate of our planet, often aggravating natural calamities such as drought and flood. Some agents of air pollution include the burning of fossil fuels, vehicle emissions, industrial emissions, chemical aerosols, CFCs, forest fires, volcanic eruptions, stubble burning, etc.

Water Pollution is defined as the contamination of water bodies which is usually a result of human activities. Affected water resources may include lakes, rivers, oceans, groundwater, etc. It pollutes the aquatic ecosystem and thus affects all organisms which are dependent on those water bodies. Some agents of water pollution include industrial effluents, storm drain from construction sites, oil spills, domestic waste dumping, agricultural runoff, eutrophication, etc.

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Difference Between Air pollution and Water pollution

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1. Definition

• Air Pollution refers to the presence of hazardous substances in the atmosphere that has a harmful effect on humans and other organisms.
• Water Pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies as a result of human activities.

2. Causes

• Air Pollution – Volcanic eruptions, forest fires, vehicle emissions, industrial emissions, chemical aerosols, CFCs.
• Water Pollution- Industrial waste, agricultural waste, oil spills, domestic dumping, agricultural runoff, eutrophication.

3. Effects

• Air Pollution- Affects the respiratory system, causes COPD, asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer, and other lung diseases.
• Water Pollution- Affects the digestive system, affects marine life, contaminates the food chain, eutrophication, etc.

4. Methods of Measurement

• Air Pollution- Air quality can be measured with the help of the Air Quality Index (AQI) and Chromatography.
• Water Pollution- Water quality can be measured with the help of TDS monitoring, pH and KH test, conductivity, and salinity test.

Controlling Air Pollution

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• Use of alternate sources of energy like solar, wind and geothermal energies reduce the use of conventional energy and reduce air pollution.
• Industries should reduce their emissions into the atmosphere and try to filter the hazardous elements before release.
• Using bicycles and public transport instead of personal vehicles reduces the use of fossil fuels, thus reducing air pollution.
• We should conserve electricity as a large portion of it comes from fossil fuels, so conserving electricity would reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Controlling Water Pollution

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• Sewage must be treated before discharging it into water bodies.
• Minimizing the use of insecticides, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers.
• Segregating domestic waste before dumping it into water bodies.
• Aquatic plants like Water Hyacinth absorb toxic elements from water, these can be planted in pollution-prone regions.

Things to Remember

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• Air pollution refers to the presence of unwanted and harmful elements in the air that pollute the atmosphere.
• Water pollution refers to the contamination of water bodies that pollutes the aquatic ecosystem and affects all water-dependent organisms.
• Substances that contaminate the air and water are called pollutants.
• Increasing levels of gases like carbon dioxide raise the average temperature of the earth and lead to global warming.
• Agricultural chemicals, industrial effluents, and sewage are the major causes of water pollution.
• Potable water is the water that is purified and fit for drinking.
• We can reduce air and water pollution by becoming aware and making a conscious effort towards a better environment.