There occurs a bewildering variety in the physical nature and chemical composition of west materials. Almost anything which is useful at one time may become useless at another. However, almost all types of pollutants or waste materials have a similar general fate. They are degraded changed into their simple, harmless constituents and recycled back to the channels of their respect bio-geo-chemical cycles.

(1) The Fate of Pollutants of Earth’s Surface: Land and Water

The pollution of earth’s surface is mainly caused by bio-degradable wastes, wastes resistant degradation, non-degradable wastes and surplus or waste energy. Biodegradable wastes can hi decompose rather easily by abiotic and biotic agencies. The final products of decomposition d these wastes are: carbon dioxide, water, nitrogen, mineral matter etc. which are recycled back in their respective bio-geo-chemical cycles.

Complex bio-degradable wastes which are resultantly degradation may cause some problems. However, sooner or later these are also degraded entotic simpler constituents and disposed of in the same manner as decomposition products of other bi degradable wastes.

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Waste material which cannot be degraded by abiotic or biotic agencies but can be subjected Types of Pollution and Their Fate in Environment a variety of physical or chemical transformations consists of the inorganic components, the constituent elements of our planet.

They cannot be destroyed. In nature they are transformed from one form to another, converted to their most stable state and are finally carried to oceans through streams and rivers. It is in the sea where they lie forming a part of silt and sediments which come up only when the ocean floor rises to expose the sedimentary rocks thus formed

Loud noise deliberately produced or caused by moving objects, vibrating machinery etc. is often a source of great nuisance. So is heat energy, a large amount of which is wasted in the process of its utilization. Whatever may be the amount or the nature of surplus energy, it is ultimately dissipated in the environment in a highly diluted state. Nuclear energy may be considered as a special type of energy, emission of which is a consequence; of fusion, fission or disintegration reaction in unstable nuclei.

Many of these unstable isotopes have a very long life. Nuclear energy is also dissipated like any other form of energy while the nuclei emitting the energy return to their stable state. However, some radio-active materials have so long half-lives that they continue to emit radiations for millions of years. These materials also behave and are handled by nature in the same ways as non-degradable pollutants i.e., they are recycled back to their respective bio-geo-chemical cycles.

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(2) The Pollutants of the Atmosphere:

All gaseous effluents, vapours and fine particulate material which escape into the atmosphere have to come down to earth’s surface at some point of time. They may react, re-react and form harmful and irritating products. Some of these may enter the stratosphere and cause ozone depletion. However, the entire burden is finally brought down to earth’s surface in the form of dry deposition or precipitation to be disposed of and recycled back to their respective bio-geo-chemical cycles.