Cr VI Removal from groundwater by means of nanoscopic Fe particles supported on MgO granules

- 4 - 1. INTRODUCTION Today the removal of pollutants in contaminated sites has a very important role in modern society because the list of pollutants has risen due to man’s new lifestyle, in comparison with the past, man has upset all the ecosystems to fulfil his needs without worrying about the environmental effects. Environmental pollution is any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or any form of energy (such as heat, sound, or radioactivity) in the environment that can be dispersed, diluted, decomposed, recycled, or stored in some harmful form. The major kinds of pollution are (classified by environment) air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution. Modern society is also concerned about specific types of pollutants, such as noise pollution, light pollution, and even plastic pollution. Air Pollution, is the addition of harmful substances to the atmosphere resulting in damage to the environment, human health, and quality of life. This kind of pollution takes place apparently everywhere; at home, at school, in industries, etc. It promotes all kinds of sicknesses like lung cancer and shortens man’s life. It also kills plants, animals and ecosystems that live in the environment. The air gets polluted through acid rain, radioactivity, ozone, and the release of poisonous gases into the atmosphere. Water Pollution is the contamination of rivers, lakes, underground water, bays, or oceans by substances harmful to living things. Water is one of the most essential things that pertain to life for all living things. Impure water kills plants and animals. It also causes humans to fall sick and acquire other illnesses like child-birth defects and cancer. Land pollution is similar to that of water. It is the contamination of land with hazardous waste like garbage and other waste materials that don’t belong to the land. These are consumed by plants and animals and then when the next consumer feeds on either the plant or the animal, it plies up and contaminates the body.