Pollution education resources for ages 13 to 17

Pollution: a problem we can solve

How much do you know about pollution? Choose the right answer.

1. Which of these actions is not considered pollution?

• A. throwing an apple core into the forest
• B. washing synthetic clothing
• C. driving an electric car
• D. lighting a fire in a wood stove
• E. pouring medication down the toilet so it doesn’t go to the landfill

2. Why are people concerned about pollution?

• A. because it smells good
• B. because it harms nature and living things
• C. because it increases desertification

3. Plastic pollution is concerning because:

• A. it takes only a few months to break down
• B. it cannot be recycled
• C. it can harm wildlife and nature

4. What is noise pollution?

• A. a friend talking during a movie
• B. elevator music
• C. loud, unpleasant sound you can’t control

5. Which type of pollution has decreased in recent decades?

• A. the release of fine particles in the air
• B. plastic pollution, now being recycled
• C. the spread of pesticides in nature

Answers:

1. A – Throwing an apple core isn’t ideal if everyone does it in the same spot, but it breaks down quickly. Washing synthetic clothes releases microplastics into water, car tires and wood fires release fine particles into the air, and pouring meds down the toilet sends chemicals into waterways.

2. B   3. C  4. C  5. A

After this quick warm-up, explore our website to become a pollution expert and learn how to reduce it!

Foreign substances

Pollution is the presence of harmful agents introduced into an environment. Examples include fine particles or industrial fumes in the air, mercury or medicines in water, pesticides in soil, and unwanted noise.

Pollution is not a new phenomenon. Since prehistoric times, fires inside caves have polluted the air, and excrement has contaminated water sources.

Pollution can come from natural sources, such as smoke from a forest fire. But most of the time, humans are responsible.

Pollution is inevitable

All human activities cause some pollution to varying degrees. Cooking food requires energy, which can lead to harmful gas emissions – or the construction of power lines! Manufacturing products require resources such as cotton, wood, and metals, the extraction of which also generates pollution. Even traveling has an impact, since it involves the production of a pair of shoes, a bicycle, a car or a plane!

It’s the dose that can be the problem

Two words sum up the problem of pollution: TOO MUCH. Too much production, too much consumption, too much waste, too many people, for too long. When pollutants were present in small quantities, there was less cause for concern. But pollution has become a problem in recent centuries. Industrialization and population growth have led to more contaminants, which affect both nature and human health.

Watch: a video on the cumulative impacts of pollutants

Omnipresent

Pollutants travel far and wide: they are carried by the wind, transported by water, and can spread thousands of kilometers. They can be absorbed by plants and animals and move up the food chain. Pollution has no borders: from the depths of the oceans to the highest mountain peaks, and even in our own bodies!

Figure 1: Different types of pollution

The boomerang effect

Pollution caused by humans harms our health and can even cause death. Ecosystems and living organisms also suffer from its effects.

Unavoidable, but reducible

Although pollution is difficult to avoid, it is possible to limit or reduce its extent. The goal is to maintain a healthy environment and a pleasant living space for all living beings. If we roll up our sleeves, it is possible!

Mountains of waste

All living things produce waste. If this waste degrades naturally, does not accumulate, and does not contaminate the natural environment, it is okay. But today, there is just too much waste. Above all, the nature of waste has changed. Synthetic substances, industrial, mining, and electronic waste are multiplying. These materials can take centuries to degrade.

How much waste we create depends on how we live. The more we consume, the more waste we produce. In Canada, household waste adds up to approximately 300 kilograms per person per year. Industry, commerce, and institutions each produce approximately 400 kilograms per year. But we all share responsibility.

Figure 2: Waste produced per person

An air of suspicion

Have you ever heard of the Great Smog of London? It was a period of major air pollution that happened in 1952. Pollution from the combustion (burning) of coal and gasoline, combined with a lack of wind, caused several thousand deaths.

Around the world, air pollution causes more than six million deaths each year. The main culprits are gases, like those that form smog, and fine particles.

These fine particles are emitted by combustion (industry, heating, transportation). Vehicles also release very small dust particles into the air due to wear and tear on brakes, tires, and road surfaces. Fine particles can get deep into our lungs and even enter the bloodstream. This causes respiratory (breathing), cardiac (heart), and vascular (blood vessel) problems that can lead to premature death.

Polluting gases affect human health, as well as the health of animals and plants. They also contribute to climate change.

Figure 3: Sources of outdoor air pollution

Swimming in murky waters

Water gathers various pollutants from industry, agriculture, and wastewater discharge. Typically, these contaminants are present in small amounts, including traces of medications, petroleum products, fertilizers, pesticides, heavy metals, microplastics, and a variety of chemicals. However, in some locations, the concentrations can be higher. For example, fertilizer residues can harm aquatic ecosystems.

Mercury in the water can make fish unsafe to eat, which is a significant problem for many Indigenous communities, as fish is a staple of their diet. Having to go without it can lead to major lifestyle changes, including finding other foods that provide the same nutritional benefits of fish for a balanced diet.

Figure 4: Water pollution

Leaky offenses

Many human activities – such as industry, mining, agriculture, and more – release pollutants into the soil and environment. Mining operations can release mercury, cyanide, heavy metals, and radioactive substances. Oil and gas exploitation can lead to hydrocarbon leaks and oil spills. The chemical industry is responsible for discharging various products that persist in nature for a long time. All of these substances can harm the reproductive and immune systems of animals.

Unwanted sound and light shows

Lawnmowers, roads, airports, and factories all make noise, which is also a form of pollution! For humans, exposure to noise pollution can lead to anxiety, insomnia, irritability, cardiovascular problems, and more. In oceans, the noise from boats and oil drilling disrupts many marine animals.

Even artificial lighting can have harmful effects on nature. Have you ever seen a moth incessantly circling a lit bulb? For animals, artificial light can disturb sleep, prey presence, or biological rhythms, affecting reproduction. Even plants can be affected by light pollution.

Pollution to watch out for

Plastic production increases every year. Less than 10% of plastic is recycled, and a large proportion ends up in nature. If we continue our current path, the weight of plastic in the oceans could surpass that of fish by 2050.

Plastic takes decades or even centuries to break down. Animals can ingest plastic and die from it. The issue of tiny microplastics and nanoplastics is also concerning. Plastics disintegrate into very fine particles through use, when we wear or wash synthetic fiber clothing, and more. These particles, often combined with other chemicals, end up in the air, water, soil, our food, our blood, various human organs, and even in the brain! Their effects are not yet well understood.

With the chemical industry continually developing new compounds, concerns are increasing. PFAS, substances used for non-stick, waterproof, or stain-resistant purposes, accumulate in the environment and are found in water and living organisms, with impacts on health. The use of pesticides reduces populations of insects, including harmless ones and pollinating bees.  Radioactive waste, a byproduct of nuclear power plants, remains dangerous for thousands of years. It needs to be stored in secure sites, but a perfect solution has yet to be found.

Pollution control systems

While eliminating all pollution might be an unrealistic goal, significantly reducing it is definitely achievable. We’ve already succeeded in neutralizing several sources of pollution, which is encouraging, but there’s more work to be done!

A success story: unleaded gasoline

During the 20th century, oil companies added a lead compound to gasoline to minimize uncontrolled detonations in combustion engines. However, lead is toxic to living beings and ended up in the environment. In humans, lead attacks the nervous system and multiple organs.

Faced with evidence of its harmful effects, lead in gasoline was gradually banned. The ban took place in Canada in 1990, in Europe in 2000, and in Algeria in 2021, which was the last country to eliminate lead from gasoline. Lead is still being released into the environment, but a major source has been removed. Hooray!

Another successful action: CFCs

Another significant achievement was the ban on CFCs. What are those? Chlorofluorocarbons are man-made chemical compounds, containing chlorine, fluorine, and carbon. In the 2oth century, they were used in refrigeration, aerosol sprays, synthetic foams, and more. However, they had a major flaw: once released into the air, they attacked ozone, a form of oxygen.

Ozone is essential because it blocks most of the harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun in the upper atmosphere. In the 1970s, it was discovered that ozone levels were decreasing. In 1987, an international agreement called the Montreal Protocol led to the gradual phase-out of CFC production. This effort was successful: today, the ozone layer in the upper atmosphere has started to recover. Hooray!

Collective action

A significant part of addressing pollution rests on governments as they can:

• Identify sources of contaminants
• Measure emissions
• Support environmental research
• Set regulations and enforce them with companies and citizens
• Work with other countries on international agreements to limit pollution and the creation of harmful substances

Businesses can also reduce their pollutant emissions and limit their use of raw materials.

Citizens can apply pressure on social actors to remind them of the importance of reducing pollution.

On our side

Individually, we can change our behaviors to reduce pollution:

• Reduce the use of cars, as they emit air pollutants and find particles and generate noise
• Limit wood heating to reduce smog and exposure to fine particles
• Take items containing toxic products or heavy metals (like batteries, paints, fluorescent bulbs) to the local recycling center
• Participate in recycling plastics, glass, and electronic devices
• Return expired medications to the pharmacy for safe disposal
• Buy second-hand equipment and clothing, and minimize the use of plastic items
• Choose products with little or no packaging
• Consume less by asking, “Do we really need this?”, and take part in the sharing economy: car sharing, bike rentals, tool libraries, book exchanges, etc.
• Get involved in local initiatives, like riverbank cleanups

Figure 5: Shrink your pollution!

You can also visit the 9 Rs of sustainability website.