Types of Environmental Pollution & its Effect – JSS2 Physical & Health Education Lesson Note (Second Term)

Environmental pollution is the contamination of the environment with harmful, toxic and hazardous substances. It lowers the quality of the air, the land and the water, and makes living difficult or unpleasant. The four major types are air pollution, water pollution, land or soil pollution and noise pollution.

Behavioural objectives

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

• define environmental pollution;
• list the four types of environmental pollution;
• state the effects of pollution on the environment and on personal health;
• state measures that prevent environmental pollution;
• explain what FRESH means and what is needed to set up a school health programme.

What is environmental pollution?

The environment refers to our immediate surroundings.

Environmental pollution is the contamination of the environment with harmful, toxic and hazardous substances. It lowers the quality of the air, the land and the water.

Pollution is the release of substances that contaminate the environment and make living difficult or unpleasant.

What are the types of environmental pollution?

Environmental pollution has four major types:

1. Air pollution
2. Water pollution
3. Land or soil pollution
4. Noise pollution

What are the effects of pollution on the environment and personal health?

1. Discomfort and harm to human life
2. Destruction of wildlife
3. Polluted drinking water can cause cholera, typhoid and diarrhoea.
4. Excessive noise can affect psychological health.
5. Sleep disorders
6. Degradation of farmlands
7. Destruction or unhealthy growth of plants and animals
8. Respiratory diseases like tuberculosis
9. Poor visibility due to the discharge of smoke or dust
10. Health problems such as deafness, fatigue and hypertension

How can environmental pollution be prevented?

1. Ensure good health habits.
2. Enact laws against pollution.
3. Refrain from throwing litter into streams, lakes, rivers or seas.
4. Avoid using dangerous chemicals.
5. Educate people.
6. Make laws against noise.
7. Reduce your waste.
8. Store all liquid chemicals and waste in spill-proof containers.
9. Locate industries or factories far away from residential areas.
10. Avoid bush burning.

What is the FRESH approach to school health programmes?

FRESH stands for Focusing Resources on Effective School Health.

It is a skills-based programme activity approach used at the school health programme level. It aims to improve the health status and educational level of school-age children, especially the most deprived group of children in the developing world.

To establish a school health programme, there must be adequate planning, administration and evaluation. These include:

1. Adequate funding and availability of facilities.
2. A school health coordinator who will be in charge of coordinating the programme.
3. All the stakeholders working as a team.
4. Monitoring and evaluation of health needs and of the effectiveness of school health programmes.

Evaluation

1. What is environmental pollution?
2. List the types of environmental pollution.
3. State four effects of pollution on health.
4. State four preventive measures against environmental pollution.
5. What does FRESH mean?

Assignment

1. Explain any three effects of polluted drinking water or excessive noise on personal health.
2. List four things a school health programme needs in order to be established.