Visual contamination

Among the different types of pollution that exist, visual pollution represents a social problem that affects the physical and mental health of the individuals who are in contact with it. Many do not know about this type of contamination and that is why every day it is more frequent to have contact with it and its effects.

Visual pollution can be in our environment without us realizing how much it can affect us and the consequences it generates through visual overstimulation that stuns and distracts the concentration of people on the roads or streets of very cities. commercial.

The light pollution is one of the most obvious examples of visual pollution and its presence in many commercials collaborated with traffic accidents and headaches.

Causes of visual pollution

There are different causes of visual pollution. Among the most frequent we can mention:

• The excessive use of bright and animated billboards in traffic lanes.
• The excessive use of advertising on television.
• Agglomerated garbage in public spaces.
• Constructions or distortions in natural environments that scare away the fauna of that space.
• Nets of electrical wiring placed on the cables in a messy way.
• Urban graffiti.
• Air traffic.
• Run-down buildings.
• Satellite dishes.
• Pipes in poor condition and external wiring of buildings.

Effects edit

Although it is believed that this over-stimulation generated by visual pollution only affects the area in which it is located, in reality its negative impact permeates other beings. In the case of humans, overstimulation in the sense of sight generates visual problems and stress on the eyeball due to the need to work harder to assimilate the information. This type of pollution can cause a deterioration in health causing anxiety, anguish, headaches, nervousness and psychological stress in people.

Likewise, the amount of visual information on the streets and highways can cause distractions and traffic accidents that can put the lives of drivers and pedestrians at risk.

On the other hand, the environment suffers from visual pollution and its consequences can be very serious for fauna and flora . Many species affected by visual pollution have had to migrate from their habitats or have died from deforestation, the construction of billboards and electrical towers.

In the case of light pollution, which is part of visual pollution, effects have been generated in the night sky , they do not allow us to see the stars and planets due to the excess light that comes off the cities.

Prevention

Visual pollution can be prevented with a supervised use of outdoor advertising so that it does not cause the saturation of visual stimuli in your public, the collection of solid waste from the streets to take care of the aesthetics of open spaces, the maintenance of the buildings especially in the remodeling of the deteriorated facades, the cultivation of trees in streets and avenues, reducing the excess of advertising on television and viewing it from a distance that does not tire the eye. Turn off vehicle high beamswhen these are not necessary on the road. These are some of the precautions that can be taken in some cities where visual pollution is present.

Types of visual pollution

Types of visual contamination include the following:

• Billboards.
• Air traffic.
• Wired electricity poles.
• Television antennas.
• Satellite dishes.
• Garbage or landfills.
• Run-down buildings.
• Electrical distribution networks.
• Excess traffic signs.
• Light pollution generated by excess lights.

Examples of visual contamination

Among the most obvious examples that can be mentioned, we will cite the spaces where:

• The excess of light at night does not allow us to see the stars in the sky. This usually happens in some capitals of developed countries
• The excess of illuminated billboards with animations and movements on the highways and roads. An example of that can be the city of Vegas
• The use of computers or televisions very close to the eye. This leads to eye strain and headache.
• The agglomeration of waste in the streets. This can be observed in the misery belts of Brazil.
• High beams on vehicles can also cause visual pollution. This is very common on the highways and roads of many countries.