




































                               American International Journal of Multidisciplinary Scientific Research; Vol. 1, No. 3; 2018 

ISSN 2638-1249  E-ISSN 2638-1273 

Impact Factor: 5.8 

Published by Centre for Research on Islamic Banking & Finance and Business 

 

 

17 
 

Impact of Environmental Pollution on Healthy and Productivity of 

Farm Animals 
 

 

Habeeb, A. A. M.
1
, A. A. EL-Tarabany

1
, A. E. Gad

1
 & M. A.  A. Atta

1 

  
1
Biological Applications Department, Radioisotopes Applications Division, Nuclear Research Center, Atomic  

Energy Authority, P.O. 13729, Inshas, Cairo, Egypt.   

 

Correspondence: Prof. Dr. Alsaied Alnaimy Mostafa Habeeb, Biological Applications Department, Radioisotopes 

Applications Division, Nuclear Research Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Inshas, Cairo, Egypt. Email: 

dr_alnaimy@yahoo.com, Tel: 00201283912177 

 

 

Received: September 19, 2018           Accepted: September 30, 2018   Online Published: October 5, 2018   

 

Abstract 

Pollution may be defined as addition of undesirable material into the environment as a result of human activities. 

Pollution may be of the following types: air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, thermal pollution, radiation 

pollution and noise pollution. The impact of different pollution as a general on healthy of farm animals are cancer, 

neurobehavioral disorders, cardiovascular problems, reduced energy levels, premature death, asthma, asthma 

exacerbations, headaches and dizziness, irritation of eyes, nose, mouth and throat, reduced lung functioning, 

respiratory symptoms, respiratory disease, disruption of endocrine and reproductive and immune systems. Exposure 

to environmental pollutants affected reproductive functions and in particular, produced adverse effects on pregnancy 

outcomes, fertility, and fetal health. Exposures to ambient levels of pollutants are associated with low birth weight, 

intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, neonatal death, and decreased fertility and decrease of sperm quality in 

males and indicated also that female fertility was also disturbed. The most common disorder of male fertility is the 

insufficient production of normal sperm, with good mobility in the somniferous tubules. Polluted drinking water by 

chemicals produced waterborne diseases like, typhoid, liver and kidney damage. In this paper the effects of various 

environmental factors on healthy, function of animal, fertility and reproductive efficiency are reported. 

 

Keywords: Pollution, Animal, Fertility, Production, Reproduction. 

 

INTRODUCTION 

Pollution of the environment and contamination of animal tissues and organs is serious problem in most countries. 

The basic law for environmental pollution control defines environmental pollution as any activity by corporations or 

individuals which compromises the health and/or environment of other persons in a localized area where the causal 

link is clearly established [1]. Pollution may be defined as addition of undesirable material into the environment as a 

result of human activities. The agents which cause environmental pollution are called pollutants. A pollutant may be 

defined as a physical, chemical or biological substance unintentionally released into the environment which is 

directly or indirectly harmful to humans and other living organisms [2]. 

Human activities directly or indirectly affect the environment adversely. There are a few examples which show how 

human activities pollute the environment. A stone crusher adds a lot of suspended particulate matter and noise into 

the atmosphere. Automobiles emit from their tail pipes oxides of nitrogen, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon 

monoxide and a complex mixture of unburnt hydrocarbons and black soot which pollute the atmosphere. Domestic 

sewage and run off from agricultural fields laden with pesticides and fertilizers pollute water [3]. Effluents from 

tanneries contain many harmful chemicals and emit foul smell. Developmental activities such as construction, 

transportation and manufacturing not only deplete the natural resources but also produce large amount of wastes that 



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leads to pollution of air, water, soil, global warming and acid rains. Untreated or improperly treated waste is a major 

cause of pollution of rivers and environmental degradation causing ill health and loss of crop productivity [4]. 

Farm animal's healthy and performance can be affected by exposure to a wide variety of agents, including 

particulate air pollution, dioxins, poly-chlorinated biphenyls, phyto-estrogens such as iso-flavones, heavy metals; 

chlorination disinfection by-products in water, organic solvents, poly-aromatic hydrocarbons, substances emitted 

from landfill sites and caffeine [5].  

In this review paper, the effects of various environmental factors on healthy and productive and reproductive 

performance are reported. 

REVIEW OF LITERATURE 

Environmental Pollution: 

Categories of pollution:  

There are seven categories of pollution as presented in Table (1). 

Types of pollution:  

Pollution may be of the following types: Air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, thermal pollution, radiation 

pollution and noise pollution 

I. Air pollution 

Air pollution is a result of industrial and certain domestic activity. An ever increasing use of fossil fuels in power 

plants, industries, transportation, mining, construction of buildings, stone quarries had led to air pollution. Air 

pollution may be defined as the presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance including noise and radioactive 

radiation in the atmosphere in such concentration that may be directly and indirectly injurious to humans or other 

living organisms, plants, property or interferes with the normal environmental processes [6]. Defining air pollution 

is not simple. One could claim that air pollution started when humans began burning fuels. In other words, all 

manmade (anthropogenic) emissions into the air can be called air pollution, because they alter the chemical 

composition of the natural atmosphere. The increase in the global concentrations of greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, and 

N2O, can be called air pollution using this approach, even though the concentrations have not found to be toxic for 

humans and the ecosystem. One can refine this approach and only consider anthropogenic emissions of harmful 

chemicals as air pollution. However, this refined approach has some drawbacks. Firstly, one has to define what 

“harmful” means. Harmful could mean an adverse effect on the health of living things, an adverse effect on 

anthropogenic or natural non-living structures, or a reduction in the air’s visibility. In addition, a chemical that does 

not cause any short-term harmful effects may accumulate in the atmosphere and create a long-term harmful effect 

[7]. Air pollution is a result of industrial and certain domestic activity. An ever increasing use of fossil fuels in 

power plants, industries, transportation, mining, construction of buildings, stone quarries had led to air pollution. Air 

pollution may be defined as the presence of any solid, liquid or gaseous substance including noise and radioactive 

radiation in the atmosphere in such concentration that may be directly and indirectly injurious to humans or other 

living organisms, plants, property or interferes with the normal environmental processes. 

Air pollutants are of two types:  

(1) Suspended particulate matter, and (2) Gaseous pollutants  

As general, polluted air contains one, or more, hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant that creates a hazard 

to general health [8].  However, the main pollutants found in the air we breathe include, particulate matter, lead, 

ground-level ozone, heavy metals, sulphur dioxide, benzene, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. Air pollution in 

cities causes a shorter lifespan for city dwellers [9].  

Classifications of air pollutants: 
Criteria Pollutants: As listed above, there are 6 principal, or criteria pollutants regulated by [8] and most countries 

in the world: 

1- Total suspended particulate matter, with additional subcategories of particles smaller than 10 μm in diameter and 

particles smaller than 2.5 μm in diameter. Inhalation of enough PM over time increases the risk of chronic 

respiratory disease. 

2- Sulfur dioxide (SO2). This compound is colorless, but has a suffocating, pungent odor. The primary source of SO2 

is the combustion of sulfur-containing fuels (e.g., oil and coal). Exposure to SO2 can cause the irritation of lung 

tissues and can damage health and materials. 

3- Nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2). NO2 is a reddish-brown gas with a sharp odor. The primary source of this gas is 

vehicle traffic and it plays a role in the formation of troposphere ozone. Large concentrations can reduce visibility 

and increase the risk of acute and chronic respiratory disease. 

4- Carbon monoxide (CO). This odorless, colorless gas is formed from the incomplete combustion of fuels. Thus, 

the largest source of CO today is motor vehicles. Inhalation of CO reduces the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream 

and high concentrations can lead to headaches, dizziness, unconsciousness, and death. 



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5- Ozone (O3). Troposphere (low-level) ozone is a secondary pollutant formed when sunlight causes photochemical 

reactions involving NOX and VOCs. Automobiles are the largest source of VOCs necessary for these reactions. 

Ozone concentrations tend to peak in the afternoon, and can cause eye irritation, aggravation of respiratory diseases, 

and damage to plants and animals [8].  

6- Lead: The largest source of lead (Pb) in the atmosphere has been from leaded gasoline combustion, but with the 

gradual elimination worldwide of lead in gasoline, air Pb levels have decreased considerably. Other airborne sources 

include combustion of solid waste, coal, and oils, emissions from iron and steel production and lead smelters, and 

tobacco smoke. Exposure to Pb can affect the blood, kidneys, and nervous, immune, cardiovascular, and 

reproductive systems. 

These pollutants are presented in Table (2).  

Ambient air pollution:  

The largest source of lead in the atmosphere has been from leaded gasoline combustion, but with the gradual 

elimination worldwide of lead in gasoline, air lead levels have decreased considerably. Other airborne sources 

include combustion of solid waste, coal, and oils, emissions from iron and steel production and lead smelters, and 

tobacco smoke. Exposure to lead can affect the blood, kidneys, and nervous, immune, cardiovascular, and 

reproductive systems [10] [11]. In addition, human populations and animals are often exposed to the airborne 

pollutants in plumes from incinerators. The incineration of chemical and other waste may release polychlorinated 

hydrocarbons, some of which have estrogenic properties.  

Toxic pollutants:  

For normal healthy growth most living organisms require some heavy metals in small but critical concentrations as 

micronutrients or essential trace elements and excess concentrations, though, cause toxic symptoms. These heavy 

metals are essential for animals and whose deficiency causes disease under normal living conditions including Cu, 

Mn, Fe and Zn. Most of the micronutrients owe their essentiality to being constituents of enzymes and other 

important proteins involved in key metabolic pathways. A deficient supply of the micronutrient will result hence in a 

shortage of the enzymes which lead to metabolite dysfunction causing disease [12]. Some heavy metals have no 

known essential biochemical function are called non-essential elements and are sometimes incorrectly referred to as 

toxic elements. These elements, which include As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Pu, Sb, Tl and U cause toxicity at concentrations 

which exceed the tolerance of the organism but do not cause deficiency disorders at low concentrations such as 

micronutrients [12].  

Some of heavy metal are dangerous to health or to the environment (e.g. mercury, cadmium, lead, chromium), some 

may cause corrosion (e.g., lead), some are harmful in other ways (e.g. arsenic may pollute catalysts) [13]. From 

another point of view, within the European community, the eleven elements of highest concern are arsenic, 

cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, mercury, manganese, nickel, lead, tin, and thallium, the emissions of which are 

regulated in waste incinerators. Some of these elements are actually necessary for humans in minute amounts 

(cobalt, copper, chromium, manganese, nickel) while others are carcinogenic or toxic, affecting, among others, the 

central nervous system (manganese, mercury, lead, arsenic), the kidneys or liver (mercury, lead, cadmium, copper) 

or skin, bones, or teeth (nickel, cadmium, copper, chromium) [14]. Hazardous air pollutants, also called toxic air 

pollutants or air toxics, are those pollutants that cause or may cause cancer or other serious health effects, such as 

reproductive effects or birth defects. The US-EPA is required to control 188 hazardous air pollutants. Examples of 

toxic air pollutants include benzene, which is found in gasoline; perchlorethlyene, which is emitted from some dry 

cleaning facilities; and methylene chloride, which is used as a solvent and paint stripper by a number of industries 

[15] [16].  

Radioactive pollutants:  

Radioactivity is an air pollutant that is both geogenic and anthropogenic. Geogenic radioactivity are results from the 

presence of radionuclides, which originate either from radioactive minerals in the earth’s crust or from the 

interaction of cosmic radiation with atmospheric gases. Anthropogenic radioactive emissions originate from nuclear 

reactors, the atomic energy industry (mining and processing of reactor fuel), nuclear weapon explosions, and plants 

that reprocess spent reactor fuel. Since coal contains small quantities of uranium and thorium, these radioactive 

elements can be emitted into the atmosphere from coal-fired power plants and other sources [17].  

Indoor pollutants:  

When a building is not properly ventilated, pollutants can accumulate and reach concentrations greater than those 

typically found outside. This problem has received media attention as Sick Building Syndrome. Environmental of 

the main contributors to indoor pollution are CO, NO, and SO2, which can be emitted from furnaces and stoves.  

Cleaning or remodeling a house is an activity that can contribute to elevated concentrations of harmful chemicals 

such as VOCs emitted from household cleaners, paint, and varnishes [18]. 

 



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Impact of air pollution on animal healthy and performance 

Air pollution on health, generally, results are cancer [8], neurobehavioral disorders [19], cardiovascular problems 

[8], reduced energy levels [20], premature death [8], asthma [21], asthma exacerbations [22], headaches and 

dizziness, irritation of eyes, nose, mouth and throat, reduced lung functioning, respiratory symptoms [20], 

respiratory disease [8], disruption of endocrine [20] and reproductive and immune systems [8] [23]. High air 

pollution levels have been linked to infant mortality [24]. Air pollutants can also indirectly affect human health 

through acid rain, by polluting drinking water and entering the food chain, and through global warming and 

associated climate change and sea level rise [25]. 

In female: In recent years, numerous studies showed that exposure to environmental air pollutants affected 

reproductive functions and in particular, produced adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes, fertility, and fetal health. 

Epidemiological studies demonstrated that exposure to ambient levels of air pollutants are associated with low birth 

weight, intrauterine growth retardation, prematurity, neonatal death, and decreased fertility. Experimental animal 

data supported these findings and indicated that female fertility was also disturbed. Although there are various 

mechanisms of action suggested to show the manner in which air pollutants alter pregnancy and the reproductive 

systems in both genders, further studies are needed to correlate causal relationships. This information would serve to 

better understand the underlying physiologic changes in the reproductive system induced by exposure to air 

pollutants and possibly establish a link between the dose and response of individual or mixture of air pollutants [26] 

[27]. 

In ovaries, cadmium causes decrease of relative volume of growing follicles and significant increase of the number 

of atretic follicles. The most frequent ultra-structural alterations observed were undulation of external nuclear 

membrane, dilatation of perinuclear cistern and endoplasmic reticulum. In a single nickel and nickel–zinc 

administration experiment on the structure and function of rabbit ovary fine follicular structures were analyzed. 

Various alterations in the relative volume and follicular antrum formation were found [28]. 

In male: few documented studies have explored the link between exposure to potentially toxic substances and the 

emergence of health problems. Effectively, several studies showed that there was a catastrophic decrease of sperm 

quality. The infertility, in many cases, 95% of research budgets are allocated to the studies for substances with 

estrogenic effects, 5% of the credit for substances with androgenic effects. The most common disorder of male 

fertility is the insufficient production of normal sperm, with good mobility in the somniferous tubules. Normal male 

sperm: number of sperm cells upper to 20 millions/ml of sperm. At least 15 % of these must be normally formed and 

50 % of them to have a good mobility. If these values are not reached, the ability of man to procreate is reduced [29] 

[30]. 

In male, the proper maturation of sperm cells is the key of the fertility. Besides the environmental pollution, the 

causes of abnormalities of the sperm cells maturation are multiple includes consequence of mumps contracted 

during puberty, presence of varicose veins in the scrotum (varicocele),  hormonal disorders, testes located high 

(cryptorchidism), operated tumors, stress, hereditary predisposition may also be involved. The semen characteristics 

including concentration, morphology or mobility, are associated with the likelihood of pregnancy and also the 

characteristics of the sperm nucleus such as the integrity of sperm DNA or the rate of sperm aneuploidy [31]. In 

testes, the administration of selected environmental contaminants (Hg, Pb, Co, Cd, Ni) resulted in undulation of 

basal membrane, dilatation of blood vessels in interstitium and occurrence of empty spaces in germinal epithelium. 

Decreased relative volume of germinal epithelium, increased relative volume of interstitium and increased apoptosis 

occurrence suggest damaged interstitium and revealed occurrence of oedema as the most significant change. In vitro 

studies, Hg and Cu showed dose as well as time–dependent decrease of spermatozoa motility and cell membrane 

integrity changes [32] [33] [34] [35].  

II. Water pollution 

Water pollution is one of the most serious environmental problems. Water pollution is caused by a variety of human 

activities such as industrial, agricultural and domestic. Agricultural runoff laden with excess fertilizers and 

pesticides, industrial effluents with toxic substances and sewage water with human and animal wastes pollute our 

water thoroughly.  

Natural sources of pollution of water are soil erosion, leaching of minerals from rocks and decaying of organic 

matter. Rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, estuaries and ground water sources may be polluted by point or non-point 

sources. When pollutants are discharged from a specific location such as a drain pipe carrying industrial effluents 

discharged directly into water body it represents point source pollution. In contrast non-point sources include 

discharge of pollutants from diffused sources or from a larger area such as runoff from agricultural fields, grazing 

lands, construction sites, abandoned mines and pits, roads and streets [8]. 

Sources of water pollution: Water pollution is the major source of water born diseases and other health problems. 

Sediments brought by runoff water from agricultural fields and discharge of untreated or partially treated sewage 

http://natural-medicine.labosp.com/health_problems/female_infertility.category.php
http://natural-medicine.labosp.com/health_problems/andropause.category.php
http://natural-medicine.labosp.com/health_problems/andropause.category.php
http://natural-medicine.labosp.com/health_problems/indoor_pollution.category.php
http://natural-medicine.labosp.com/health_problems/varicose_veins.category.php
http://natural-medicine.labosp.com/health_problems/vulvitis.category.php
http://natural-medicine.labosp.com/health_problems/anguish.category.php


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and industrial effluents, disposal of fly ash or solid waste into or close to a water body cause severe problems of 

water pollution. Increased turbidity of water because of sediments reduces penetration of light in water that reduces 

photosynthesis by aquatic plants. 

Pollution due to pesticides and inorganic chemicals: Pesticides like DDT and others used in agriculture may 

contaminate water bodies.. Metals like lead, zinc, arsenic; copper, mercury and cadmium in industrial waste waters 

adversely affect humans and other animals.  Consumption of such arsenic polluted water leads to accumulation of 

arsenic in the body parts like blood, nails and hairs causing skin lesions, rough skin, dry and thickening of skin and 

ultimately skin cancer.  Pollution of water bodies by mercury causes Minamata disease in humans and dropsy in 

fishes. Lead causes displexia, cadmium poisoning causes Itai – Itai disease etc. Oil pollution of sea occurs from 

leakage from ships, oil tankers, rigs and pipelines. Accidents of oil tankers spill large quantity of oil in seas which 

kills marine birds and adversely affects other marine life and beaches [8]. 

Thermal pollution: Power plants- thermal and nuclear, chemical and other industries use lot of water (about 30 % 

of all abstracted water) for cooling purposes and the used hot water is discharged into rivers, streams or oceans. The 

waste heat from the boilers and heating processes increases the temperature of the cooling water. Discharge of hot 

water may increase the temperature of the receiving water by 10 to 15 °C above the ambient water temperature. This 

is thermal pollution. Increase in water temperature decreases dissolved oxygen in water which adversely affects 

aquatic life. Due to thermal pollution biological diversity is reduced. One of the best methods of reducing thermal 

pollution is to store the hot water in cooling ponds, allow the water to cool before releasing into any receiving water 

body [8]. 

Ground water pollution: Lot of people around the world depends on ground water for drinking, domestic, 

industrial and agricultural uses. Generally groundwater is a clean source of water. However, human activities such 

as improper sewage disposal, dumping of farm yard manures and agricultural chemicals, industrial effluents are 

causing pollution of ground water [34].  

Impact of water pollution on animal performance 

Polluted drinking water by chemicals produced waterborne diseases like, Typhoid, liver and kidney damage, 

Alzheimer’s disease, hormonal problems that can disorder development and reproductive processes, cancer, heart 

disease, damage to the nervous system, Damage to the DNA and even death, meanwhile, polluted beach water 

contaminated people like stomach aches, encephalitis, Hepatitis, diarrhoea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, respiratory 

infections, ear ache, pink eye and rashes. Loss of wild life is directly related to pollution and according to Water 

Pollution Effects on animals i) Nutrient polluted water causes overgrowth of toxic algae eaten by other aquatic 

animals, and may cause death. ii) Chemical contamination can cause declines in frog biodiversity and tadpole mass 

iii) Oil pollution can increase susceptibility to disease and affect reproductive processes and negatively affect 

development of marine organisms and it can also a source of gastrointestinal irritation, damage to the nervous 

system, liver and kidney damage iv). Mercury in water can cause reduced reproduction, slower growth and 

development, abnormal behavior and death v) Persistent organic pollutants may cause declines, deformities and 

death of fish life and Fish from polluted water and vegetable/ crops produced or washed from polluted water could 

also make impact on human and animal health. More sodium chloride (ordinary salt) in water may kill animals [34]. 

III. Soil pollution 

Addition of substances which adversely affect the quality of soil or its fertility is known as soil pollution. Generally 

polluted water also pollutes soil. Solid waste is a mixture of plastics, cloth, glass, metal and organic matter, sewage, 

sewage sludge, building debris, generated from households, commercial and industries establishments add to soil 

pollution. Fly ash, iron and steel slag, medical and industrial wastes disposed on land are important sources of soil 

pollution. In addition, fertilizers and pesticides from agricultural use which reach soil as run-off and land filling by 

municipal waste are growing cause of soil pollution. Acid rain and dry deposition of pollutants on land surface also 

contribute to soil pollution.  

Sources of soil pollution 

1-Plastic bags: Plastic bags made from low density polyethylene (LDPE), is virtually indestructible, create colossal 

environmental hazard. The discarded bags block drains and sewage systems. Leftover food, vegetable waste etc. on 

which cows and dogs feed may die due to the choking by plastic bags. Plastic is non biodegradable and burning of 

plastic in garbage dumps release highly toxic and poisonous gases like carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, phosgene, 

dioxine and other poisonous chlorinated compounds. 

2-Industrial sources: It includes fly ash, chemical residues, metallic and nuclear wastes. Large number of industrial 

chemicals, dyes, acids, etc. find their way into the soil and is known to create many health hazards including cancer. 

3-Agricultural sources: Agricultural chemicals especially fertilizers and pesticides pollute the soil. Fertilizers in the 

runoff water from these fields can cause eutrophication in water bodies. Pesticides are highly toxic chemicals which 

affect humans and other animals adversely causing respiratory problems, cancer and death. 



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IV. Radiation pollution 

Sources and hazards: Radiation pollution is the increase in over the natural background radiation. There are many 

sources of radiation pollution such as nuclear wastes from nuclear power plants, mining and processing of nuclear 

material etc. The worse case of nuclear pollution was the cherndoyl disaster in Russia occurred in 1986 but the 

effects still longer today. 

Radiation: Radiation is a form of energy travelling through space. The radiation emanating from the decay of 

radioactive nuclides is a major source of radiation pollution. Radiations can be categorized into two groups namely 

the non-ionizing radiations and the ionizing radiations. 

Non-ionizing radiations: Non-ionizing radiations are constituted by the electromagnetic waves at the longer 

wavelength of the spectrum ranging from near infra-red rays to radio waves. These waves have energies enough to 

excite the atoms and molecules of the medium through which they pass, causing them to vibrate faster but not strong 

enough to ionize them. In a microwave oven the radiation causes water molecules in the cooking medium to vibrate 

faster and thus raising its temperature. 

Ionizing radiations: Ionizing radiations cause ionization of atoms and molecules of the medium through which they 

pass. Electromagnetic radiations such as short wavelength ultra violet radiations (UV), X-rays and gamma rays and 

energetic particles produced in nuclear processes, electrically charged particles like alpha and beta particles 

produced in radioactive decay and neutrons produced in nuclear fission, are highly damaging to living organisms. 

Electrically charged particles produced in the nuclear processes can have sufficient energy to knock electrons out of 

the atoms or molecules of the medium, thereby producing ions. The ions produced in water molecules, for example, 

can induce reactions that can break bonds in proteins and other important molecules. An example of this would be 

when a gamma ray passes through a cell, the water molecules near the DNA might be ionized and the ions might 

react with the DNA causing it to break. They can also cause chemical changes by breaking the chemical bonds, 

which can damage living tissues. The ionizing radiations cause damage to biological systems and are, therefore, 

pollutants. 

Radiation damage: The biological damage resulting from ionizing radiations is generally termed as radiation 

damage. Large amounts of radiation can kill cells that can dramatically affect the exposed organism as well as 

possibly its offspring. Affected cells can mutate and result in cancer. A large enough dose of radiation can kill the 

organism. Radiation damage can be divided into two types: (a) somatic damage (also called radiation sickness) and 

(b) genetic damage. Somatic damage refers to damage to cells that are not associated with reproduction. Effects of 

somatic radiation damage include reddening of the skin, loss of hair, ulceration, fibrosis of the lungs, the formation 

of holes in tissue, a reduction of white blood cells, and the induction of cataract in the eyes. This damage can also 

result in cancer and death. Genetic damage refers to damage to cells associated with reproduction. This damage can 

subsequently cause genetic damage from gene mutation resulting in abnormalities. Genetic damages are passed on 

to next generation. 

Radiation effects and radiation doses: The biological damage caused by the radiation is determined by the 

intensity of radiation and duration of the exposure. It depends on the amount of energy deposited by the radiation in 

the biological system. In studying the effects of radiation exposure in humans, it is important to realize that the 

biological damage caused by a particle depends not only on the total energy deposited but also on the rate of energy 

loss per unit distance traversed by the particle (or linear energy transfer). For example, alpha particles do much more 

damage per unit energy deposited than do electrons. A traditional unit of human-equivalent dose is the rem, which 

stands for radiation equivalent in man. At low doses, such as what we receive every day from background radiation 

(< 1 m rem), the cells repair the damage rapidly. At higher doses (up to 100 rem), the cells might Environmental. 

CONCLUSION 

The impact of different pollution as a general on healthy of farm animals are cancer, neurobehavioral disorders, 

cardiovascular problems, reduced energy levels, premature death, asthma, asthma exacerbations, headaches and 

dizziness, irritation of eyes, nose, mouth and throat, reduced lung functioning, respiratory symptoms, respiratory 

disease, disruption of endocrine and reproductive and immune systems. Exposure to environmental pollutants 

affected reproductive functions and in particular, produced adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes, fertility, and 

fetal health. Exposures to ambient levels of pollutants are associated with low birth weight, intrauterine growth 

retardation, prematurity, neonatal death, and decreased fertility and decrease of sperm quality in males and indicated 

that female fertility was also disturbed. The most common disorder of male fertility is the insufficient production of 

normal sperm, with good mobility in the somniferous tubules. Polluted drinking water by chemicals produced 

waterborne diseases like, typhoid, liver and kidney damage.  

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Appendixes  

Table 1: Categories of pollution 

 

 

Source: Based on the Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Category Major  

causes 

Major symptoms 

Atmospheric 

pollution 

Smoke, dust, exhaust fumes, toxic 

substances such as sulfur dioxide and 

nitrogen dioxide 

Asthma, bronchitis 

Water pollution Polluted waste water, waste fluids such as 

petroleum, sludge, household sewage, 

sewage discharge, general waste, 

agricultural chemicals 

 

Soil pollution Arsenic, heavy metals, especially, in 

agricultural chemicals 

Noxious odors, poisoning 

Noise Factories, construction work, road traffic, 

trains and aircraft, late-night commercial 

operations, advertising 

Headaches, insomnia, 

depression, hearing loss  

Vibration Factories, construction work, road traffic, 

trains and aircraft 

Dizziness, discomfort, 

homes damage  

Ground 

subsidence 

Up swelling of groundwater, gravel 

quarrying, coal mining 

Structural damage to buildings 

Noxious odors Exhaust fumes, river contamination, 

sanitation facilities, accumulated sewage 

livestock farms  

Headaches, discomfort 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Mohallem%20SV%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=15820725
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=de%20Ara%C3%BAjo%20Lobo%20DJ%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=15820725
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Pesquero%20CR%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=15820725
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Assun%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20JV%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=15820725
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=de%20Andre%20PA%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=15820725
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Saldiva%20PH%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=15820725
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Dolhnikoff%20M%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=15820725
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=Dolhnikoff%20M%5BAuthor%5D&cauthor=true&cauthor_uid=15820725
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20336577
http://www.tropical-rainforest-animals.com/%20pollution-effects.%20html


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Table 2: Gaseous air pollutants 

 

Contemporary Environmental Issues (http://www.envirocomp.org/). 

 

 

 

 

 

Copyrights 

Copyright for this article is retained by the author(s), with first publication rights granted to the journal. 

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution   

license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) 

Pollutant Source Harmful effect 

Suspended, particulate matter 

(SPM), construction, activities, 

particles suspended and lead 

Thermal power plants, lead 

interferes with the development, 

automobiles 

Poor visibility, breathing problems 

metalurgical processes of red blood 

diseases and cancer, smoge (skoke & fog) 

formation leads in the air, (flush, dust, to 

poor visibility and aggravates 

Sulphur compounds (SO2 and 

H2S) 

Power plants and refineries, 

volcanic eruptions 

Respiratory problems in humans, loss of 

chlorophyll in plants (chlorosis) 

Carbon compound (CO and CO2) Automobile exhaust, burning of 

wood and coal 

Respiratory problems, greenhouse effect 

Hydrocarbons 

(benzene, ethylene) 

Automobiles, petroleum 

industries 

Respiratory  problem, cancer causing 

properties 

Nitrogen Compound (NO and 

N2O) 

Motor vehicle exhaust, 

atmospheric reaction 

Irritation in eyes and lungs, low  

productivity in plants 

Fibers (cotton, wool) Textiles and carpet weaving 

industries 

Lung disorders 

http://www.envirocomp.org/

