Pollution control

Pollution control involves reducing or eliminating pollutants from the air, water, or soil. Pollutants are contaminants, which are usually human-made, that can harm the environment. Polluted resources are damaged, dirty, or otherwise unusable. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was created by the US government in 1970 to help manage pollution and to guide the nation toward a greener future.

Overview

Humans have always influenced their environment, oftentimes in the form of pollution. Throughout most of humankind’s history, the population was a fraction of its current size. This, coupled with the difficulty of travel, kept pollution confined to relatively small areas. Humanity’s small size served as its own form of pollution control.

The Industrial Revolution began in 1760. During this time, humans’ impact on their environment rapidly grew. Travel became easier, allowing humans to spread their influence to more places. Pollution quickly followed. Additionally, the Industrial Revolution was the period in which humans began burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources such as coal and oil that are limited and cannot be replaced. When burned, they release large amounts of energy. Fossil fuels are used to power factories, heat homes, and run automobiles. Unfortunately, fossil fuels also heavily pollute the environment. They release smog, smoke, and other chemicals into the air. They contribute to factory runoff and pollute waterways. Even the mines used to find fossil fuels cause damage to their environments. Most governments and factory owners during the onset of industrialization did not understand the long-term impact their actions would have on the environment, so very few pollution-control efforts were made.

Most modern governments have taken steps to control pollution. They understand that unchecked pollution can have dire consequences. It could cause species to go extinct, water levels to rise, and global warming to advance at an accelerated rate.

In the United States, the EPA was formed to combat pollution. The United States is one of the world’s largest polluting nations, and it spends billions of dollars per year attempting to reduce the number of pollutants it releases into the environment. Like most developed nations, the United States has passed a variety of laws to reduce pollution, including the Clean Air Act (1970) and the Clean Water Act (1972). Other major US laws include the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980), often called Superfund. Additionally, many communities ban littering and dumping and encourage recycling to help curb pollution on a local level.

The EPA believes that pollution should be controlled at the source. Individuals and corporations should do their best to limit dumping, littering, and contamination. When contaminants cannot be prevented, they should be recycled. If a pollutant cannot be recycled, it should be stored indefinitely. According to the EPA, pollutants should only be released into the environment as a last resort.

The EPA also advises a gradual shift to clean energy. Many current energy sources, especially fossil fuels, are extremely damaging to the environment. Clean sources, such as wind and solar power, are safe for widespread use. These energy sources are renewable, meaning they cannot be exhausted. They emit little to no greenhouse gases, and they can help slow global warming and reduce humans’ carbon footprints. In addition to environmental benefits, renewable energy sources reduce dependency on foreign energy sources.

Bibliography

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Landrigan, Philip J. et. al. “A Replicable Strategy for Mapping Air Pollution’s Community-Level Health Impacts and Catalyzing Prevention.” Environmental Health, vol. 21, no. 70, 18 July 2022, doi:10.1186/s12940-022-00879-3. Accessed 2 June 2026.

“Learn About Pollution Prevention.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 25 Aug. 2025, www.epa.gov/p2/learn-about-pollution-prevention. Accessed 2 June 2026.

“Pollution Prevention Law and Policies.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 5 Jan. 2026, www.epa.gov/p2/pollution-prevention-law-and-policies. Accessed 2 June 2026.

“Superfund: CERCLA Overview.” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 22 Sept. 2025, www.epa.gov/superfund/superfund-cercla-overview. Accessed 2 June 2026.

“Water and Air Pollution.” History.com, 27 Feb. 2025, www.history.com/topics/water-and-air-pollution. Accessed 2 June 2026.