Environmental Pollution I – JSS1 Basic Science Lesson Note (Second Term)

Pollution is the contamination of our environment with dirty, poisonous and dangerous substances. It is also defined as the release of waste products or materials into the environment that is harmful to life. These dirty, poisonous and dangerous substances are called pollutants.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define pollution and pollutants;
2. name the three types of pollution;
3. list examples of air pollutants and their sources;
4. define soil pollution and name its major pollutants;
5. define water pollution and list its pollutants.

What are the types of pollution?

1. Air pollution
2. Water pollution
3. Soil pollution

What is air pollution?

Air pollution is the release of poisonous gases into the air (or atmosphere). Examples of air pollutants are sulphur (IV) oxide, carbon (II) oxide, hydrogen sulphide and smoke.

Causes of air pollution

Many domestic and industrial processes release air pollutants into the atmosphere. The sources differ, and so do the pollutants released.

What is soil pollution?

Soil pollution is the contamination of the land with poisonous materials. It is sometimes called land pollution. The major soil pollutants are refuse, sewage and agricultural waste.

What is water pollution?

Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies with poisonous substances. It is usually a result of both domestic and industrial activities. The pollutants are:

1. Refuse and sewage, e.g. leftover food, urine, faeces, etc.
2. Industrial and agricultural waste, e.g. chemicals, fertilisers, insecticides, etc.
3. Oil spillage, e.g. from a broken oil pipe
4. Thermal or heat sources

Evaluation

1. Define pollution.
2. Mention three water pollutants and three soil pollutants that you know.

Assignment

List four air pollutants and state one source of each.