Environmental Pollution in Philadelphia: Your Worst Enemy

Hello! My name is Asnain Khan and I am currently a freshman at Science Leadership Academy. We are doing a project in my English class called, “You And The World” (Y&TW). What is a “You And The World” project? Well, it’s when we choose an issue in the United States, the world, or in our community, and do research on it. After that, we go out into the world and try to make a change on the issue we chose. The issue you choose isn’t just random, you choose an issue you are interested in and can probably relate to. I chose the issue of environmental pollution in Philadelphia. I chose this topic because I am very interested in pollution, and I believe that it affects everyone in Philadelphia, including me. I hope to make a change occur and let people know more about this topic. I am going to try to bring awareness and interview a person that suffers because of environmental pollution in Philadelphia.

One of the major problems that Philadelphia is facing today is that of environmental pollution. It’s increasing with every passing year and causing grave and irreparable damage to the environment. Environmental pollution refers to the introduction of harmful pollutants into the environment. It has a hazardous effect on the natural world and on the activities of living beings. According to Phillymag, Philadelphia is the 10th most polluted city in the United States. Because Philadelphia is so polluted, many people are affected by it. “Each year in Philadelphia, an estimated 126 lives are cut short and 284 people are hospitalized due to excess air pollution,” according to a report by the American Thoracic Society and New York University.

According to Environmental Pollution and Its Effects, “environmental pollution consists of five basic types of pollution, namely, air, water, soil, noise, and light.” Air pollution is the contamination of any environment by any chemical, a physical or biological agent that modifies the natural characteristics of that atmosphere. Driving cars and trucks, burning coal, oil, other fossil fuels, and even such everyday activities as dry cleaning, painting, and filling your car with gas are some main sources of air pollution. Water pollution is the contamination of different water bodies. Humans pollute water with large scale disposal of garbage, flowers, ashes, and other household waste. Soil pollution, which can also be called soil contamination, is a result of acid rain, polluted water, fertilizers etc., which leads to bad crops. Noise pollution is the excessive sound that may cause harm to the humanity. Noise pollution mainly includes machines and transportation systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, and trains. Last but not least, light pollution is excessive, misdirected or misused light that can harm human health, wildlife, ecosystems and astronomy. Although light pollution is one of the least known types of pollution, its effects on human health and ecosystems can be just as serious as some of the better-known forms of pollution. Light Pollution includes light trespass, over-illumination and astronomical interference.

This picture shows what light pollution looks like.

This picture conveys what soil pollution looks like.  

This picture express what noise pollution looks like.

  This picture proclaim what water pollution looks like.  

Air pollution is by far the most harmful form of pollution in Philadelphia. As I stated before, air pollution occurs when gases, dust particles, smoke or odor are introduced into the atmosphere in a way that makes it harmful to humans, animals, and plants. This is because the air becomes contaminated. Dust, dirt, harmful gases, and industrial emissions all form a part of air pollution. These pollutants cause a deterioration in air quality and are capable of harming life forms. Air pollution is a serious problem. Air pollution can cause harm to the lungs. Phillymag states, “air pollution poses a risk to children under 18, too, because their lungs are still developing; it can cause bronchitis or infection and puts them at a greater risk for lung disease later in life.” Not only does air pollution pose a risk to children under 18, but it also poses a risk to adults 65 and over. Phillymag states, “studies show that breathing in ozone and particle pollution puts older adults at a higher risk of respiratory and cardiovascular problems. This is bad news for the 185,309 people over 65 living in Philadelphia County.” As stated by Philly.com, “ozone and particulates also exacerbate chronic obstructive lung disease, requiring more than 280 Philadelphians each year to seek hospitalization or treatment in an emergency room, according to the study.” Air pollution can cause asthma as well. According to Phillymag, “out of the 1,526,006 people living in Philadelphia, 32,761 have pediatric asthma, 117,594 have adult asthma, 49,215 have chronic bronchitis and 20,494 have emphysema.” Because air pollution can cause different types of serious health problems, many people die and are hospitalized because of those conditions.

This photo betray what air pollution in Philadelphia looks like.  

Overall, you can see that environmental pollution is a very important and effective issue. Due the research I did on this issue, I learned a lot about all types of environmental pollution. There were so many things I didn’t know before, that I know now. Such as, Philadelphia is the 10th most polluted cities in the United States. My research has given me so much knowledge about the air pollution in Philadelphia and the effects it has on people and the environment. I wonder if students are educated about pollution in Philadelphia? I say this because I was never taught about pollution in Philadelphia and how impactful it is. I want to know more about what people in Philadelphia do about the air pollution and if there have been improvement. I hope after reading this blog you were able to take something away from it. The next blog is on it’s way!

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