Pollution

HUMAN DISRUPTION OF
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
• Depletion of non-renewable natural resources (e.g. fossil
fuels, metals) - industrial activities deplete these finite
resources over a period of decades or centuries, whereas
their processes of formation take place over millions of
years. According to the law of the conservation of matter,
utilised resources do not disappear, they are simply
transformed, however, once dissipated in the environment
their recovery becomes difficult if not impossible, and
extremely expensive.
• Environmental pollution - many industrial processes add
pollution at greater rates than natural processes that act to
remove pollution, leading to a buildup of pollution in water,
air and soil.