How do factories pollute the environment?

The answers to this question are varied, because the form of pollution depends on the physical and chemical processes they carry out. Factories are a very diverse group of companies that carry out production processes using a variety of materials. Some are particularly toxic, such as mercury, while others are not directly harmful to humans, but can affect the planet’s climate, such as CO2.

The industries that pollute the environment the most. Industrial pollution is caused by the release of harmful, poisonous or hazardous substances that are released into the environment and accumulate in water, air, soil, food and even in our tissues. The chemical industry is one of the most polluting, using a wide range of resources such as solid, gaseous and liquid fuels, lime, salts, pyrite, plant and animal products, etc. Since the development of this industry, an estimated one hundred thousand new chemicals toxic to living things have been produced and disseminated into the environment. Another polluter is the heavy industry (extraction and processing of raw materials such as oil), which uses large quantities of raw materials that must be broken down by chemical elements and which are then used by other industries throughout the cycle. pollutes the environment.

The metallurgical industry is next on the list of the most polluting industries, it needs large areas for its production systems, warehouses, rolling mills, blast furnaces, transport, etc.; the materials produced by this industry are pipes, steel plate, iron and other materials.

The production of various chemical products such as caustic soda, hypochondria, etc., uses mercury, a liquid metal that becomes volatile and toxic when exposed to high temperatures, with disastrous effects on human health.

What are the causes of pollution?

There are several causes of industrial pollution, some of which are more controllable risks than others, but all of which are equally important in determining what type of pollution they cause and how they can be reduced or eliminated. Here are some of them:

• Industrial growth and lack of control policies: unplanned growth of industrial areas causes companies to ignore environmental regulatory standards, polluting air and water.
• Outdated technology: to avoid creating unnecessary costs, there are still companies and industries that avoid updating their technology and continue to produce chemicals that generate large amounts of waste.
• Unethical processes: factories with insufficient capital often violate environmental regulations and emit large amounts of toxic gases.
• Inadequate waste management: Water and soil contamination is often directly related to inefficient waste management.
• Extraction of the planet’s resources: Industry needs raw materials to convert them into finished products, which they get from extracting minerals from the ground.
• Extracted minerals can cause soil contamination when dumped on land or when spills occur, such as oil spills, which are very harmful to marine life

What are the causes and consequences of environmental problems?

Although industry is crucial to the economy, it is also a source of pollution . For years it has been regulated to limit the impact of this pollution on our health and the planet. Thus, some of the elements that cause industrial pollution have been identified:

1. Pesticides and chemical products: products used in agriculture and traditional industry emit huge amounts of greenhouse gases that are direct causes of ozone depletion and climate change. They also damage the condition of the soils used for cultivation and water sources. In this sense, the World Health Organization points out the risks of chemicals such as pesticides because of their ability to remain in water and soil for many years, but also emphasizes that they can be toxic to humans.
2. Deforestation: Trees help clean the air, but in recent decades we have witnessed the disappearance of hundreds of forests around the world. It is estimated that an expansion similar to that of Panama or Portugal disappears every year. Given this panorama, exposure to airborne gases is more visible and can cause serious illness in terrestrial species.
3. Industrial and domestic waste: Mass consumption promotes chain manufacturing processes that ignore environmental protection. The waste generated by these processes is one of the main causes of pollution.
4. Fossil fuels: over-exploitation of coal, oil and natural gas, in particular, leads to high levels of pollution not only in the air but also in the environment in which these resources are extracted.
5. High rates of garbage production: high consumption of goods generates excessive levels of waste; the more goods they contain, the more damage they will do to the Earth, hence the importance of culling them.

What should the industry do in case of accidents involving industrial pollution?

The land where your company is located is subject to various risks due to the day-to-day operations of the company. For this reason, it is important that you are prepared for the various risks that can lead to industrial pollution, and have environmental risk insurance to help you reimburse the environmental damage caused to third parties or your company property, even if these losses are discovered years later.

Having environmental risk insurance, such as Chubb Seguros, can help you recover the damages you are legally required to pay to a third party for damage to your property. This insurance also covers the cost of cleaning, protecting and repairing damage.

What industrial processes affect the environment?

• burning coal
• Burning fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas
• chemical solvents used in the leather and dyeing industries
• Liquid waste and raw gases released into the environment
• Unregulated and improper disposal of toxic chemicals and radioactive materials

How does industry affect the environment?

Industrialization contributes greatly to a country’s economic development and prosperity. On the one hand, it creates opportunities for employment and wealth creation, but on the other hand, it leads to further environmental degradation.

• Depletion of natural resources
• air pollution, water pollution and soil contamination
• climate change
• acid rain
• Generation of hazardous waste